Parenting the Strong-Willed Child: The Clinically Proven Five-Week Program for Parents of Two- To Six-Year-Olds, Third Edition

If you wished your child came with a set of instructions, this book is it! The foundation of this book is what many of us feel in our hearts but don't know how to achieve: discipline from a positive perspective and rule out the shouting and spanking. This book should be mandatory reading for every parent leaving the maternity ward. It is not just for strong-willed children. The 5-step program is easily attainable for anyone committed to a better relationship with their child/children. Having read a half-dozen books related to boys and difficult behaviors in a search for answers, I guarantee this book is the best.

I am a child clinical psychologist who specializes in helping families parent children with behavior problems. This is a really excellent book, written by internationally known experts in the field. The program is based on over 30 years of careful, thorough research. Please do not confuse this book with Dobson's, The Strong-willed Child, which advocates harsh, ineffective discipline.

"Parenting the Strong-Willed Child" is a badly named book-unless you believe that all children are strong-willed. It is true that some children are much more strong willed than average, and it is to the parents of these children that the book, according to its title, is directed. However, the information in the book is suited for ANY parent. The target age of children referred to in the book is 2-6 years old. Nevertheless, most of the principles given are also applicable to older children, and many could even be adapted for using with teen-agers. Any parent (or grandparent, for that matter) would benefit from reading this book. Instead of presenting generalities (e.g., "parents should be consistent"), the authors give specific information as to when to be and how to become, using the above example, consistent. The principles given are proven (I had many people pay a lot more than the cost of the book to attend a series of parenting classes which gave basically the same information). The only time they will not work is when they are not used. They will not make overnight changes in any child (for best success use them with your children from the beginning), but enough improvements will be made to give a parent hope. And if you are raising an exceptionally strong-willed child, hope is a wonderful first step!