Miss Manners' Guide to Rearing Perfect Children: For Every Despairing, Bewildered or Panic-Stricken Parent--Advice from America's Reigning Doyenne of

I read this book when my oldest was an infant and I can tell you the book was great. The part I remember most was right in the beginning. Miss Manners divides parents in to two types. There are the type who beam when they see their children, love them to death, and think they are wonderful, then there are the type who consider their children difficult and a terrible inconvenience. The ones who think their kids are wonderful wind up with children who want to please their parents and become great people with far less difficulty. For the record I have one in college and two are still teenagers. They are not particularly easy, in fact people gave me a very hard time when they were younger. Following the advice int his book worked and we developed a calm and happy household. My critics who followed various popular child rearing methods from experts now have difficult and rebellious teenagers and my kids are mostly easy excepting a few perfectly normal hormonal eruptions. I constantly get comments on my children's wonderful manners. My daughter who is exceptionally oppositional recently complained that she cannot have any fun rebelling because everything is her choice. I am not permissive, they do not choose consequences, but from a young age I have had total faith in their ability to figure things out from their own experience and ultimately make good choices as they get older. Other books that helped me were James Dobson's "Dare to Discipline" and his book on oppositional children. People around me considered my kids very difficult from about birth to age 6-10 depending on the child, so I can assure you parents out there that these methods really do work and Miss Manners is not starting out with Perfect Children, she is teaching people how to develop them.

A pediatrician writing for the New York Times OpEd recommended this book - I am a Grandmother and wanted to know what the latest was in child rearing. (I am appalled at the behaviour of some kids today. "Where does it start?" My Son said he did not want his child brought up to behave this way - what were the "tricks"?). Since good manners are the basis for a civilized society, every parent (and Grandparent) should be COMPELLED to read this book. The Perfect Children can be taught respect and consideration at a very early age - and boy! does it pay off.

Book in excellent condition, and a "must" for anyone who is rearing a child. This is practical advice, but Miss Manners gives suggestions and reminds us of the importance of "good manners".

"Judith" as she is called so often (and improperly!) writes with such a playful tone that even my 12 year old wants to read her insights on Rearing Perfect Children. (She likes finding out just WHY I make her do certain things!) I grew up without such a book, but I assure you, each and every "rule" that Judith posits, is RIGHT ON POINT. My older cousin and I recently marvelled at how lovely our lives have been BECAUSE those same Rules were inculcated into us,time and time again, all of our lives. Neither of us has EVER had an awkward social moment, and yes, we each know how to be presented to Royalty, AND which knife is the fish knife and which is the oyster fork! (knowing the Rules early on makes life such a breeze-one never has to THINK about them--one is on auto-pilot from age 14 or so!

Did you ever wish your children were presentable in public? Did you ever wish they were tolerable at home? Then this book is for you! And if your children are already presentable and tolerable, you'll die laughing at Miss Manners' wit and wisdom. You'll reread this book every year and enjoy it every time. Before you know it, you'll be enjoying an outing to the mall with all your kids in tow.