The Discipline Book: Everything You Need to Know to Have a Better-Behaved Child from Birth to Age Ten

I first read The Discipline Book When my son was 2. He is now 6 years old and I feel that it is the appropriate time for me to write a review. After 4 YEARS using the wonderful ideas in this book I can speak confidently of the results that I see in my child by using this book. Ofcourse it hasn't been the easiest ride, like all aspects of mothering, but by reading this I was able to tap into the developmental phases that my son was going through leading to an understanding as to WHY he was acting out as he was. I was able to LOVINGLY GUIDE my son through the transitional stages of toddlerhood to childhood. With the help of The Discipline Book my son is a sweet, sincere, outgoing, confident little boy who has grown through the respect that I showed him while helping him cope in the "adult" world. I never brought him down while discipling him and the results speak louder than any review I could leave here. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

I feel so comfortable with the philosophy of this book. I must admit I had previously thought of attachment parenting as relating only to nursing babies. Sears clearly explains that a solid foundation in a "connected parent/child relationship" along with firm boundaries, effective communication skills and behavior modification strategies, will (over time) develop a child'sconscience and internal motivation to WANT to do the right thing. I have 3 young children under the age of 6. I highly recommend this book for it's comprehesive explanations of theory and attention to issues of special needs children as well as to some common worrisome issues of 6-10 year olds. If you have young children like me, I also recommend a very practical A-Z guide called "The Pocket Parent" that is written only for parents of 2-5 year olds. This literally pocketsized book is not written in paragraphs, but rather sanity saving bullets of quick read tips and examples often including the exact words to try. It is organized alphabetically by behavior topic (anger, biting, gimmes, hitting, listening, lying, morning crazies, whining, etc) and can quickly suggest a strategy at a moments notice. I refer to these 2 compatible books again and again. I am pleased with the increase of cooperation from my kids as well as the general feeling of well-being in my household.(...of course, that's on a good day!...My kids are normal and often quite challenging!)

I feel so comfortable with the philosophy of this book. I must admit I had previously thought of attachment parenting asrelating only to nursing babies. Sears clearly explains that a solid foundation in a "connected parent/child relationship" alongwith firm boundaries, effective communication skills and behavior modification strategies, will (over time) develop a child'sconscience and internal motivation to WANT to do the right thing. I have 3 young children under the age of 6. I highly recommend this book for it's comprehesive explanations of theory and attention to issues of special needs children as well as to some common worrisome issues of 6-10 year olds. If you have young children like me, I also recommend a very practical A-Z guide called "The Pocket Parent" that is written only for parents of 2-5 year olds. This literally pocketsized book is not written in paragraphs, but rather sanity saving bullets of quick read tips and examples often including the exact words to try. It is organized alphabetically by behavior topic (anger, biting, gimmes, hitting, listening, lying, morning crazies, whining, etc) and can quickly suggest a strategy at a moments notice. I refer to these 2 compatible books again and again. I am pleased withthe increase of cooperation from my kids as well as the general feeling of well-being in my household.(...of course, that's on agood day!...My kids are normal and often quite challenging!)

I wish all of Dr. Sears books would be prenatal prerequisites and parting gifts at the hospitals! There is scientific evidence,personal experience, and genuine caring. Indeed,in an ideal world we would all be parented this way- people would value people over things.We have attachment parented our daughter by responding to her cues from day one in terms of nursing,crying,sharing sleep,holding and simply doing what feels humane. Zoe is almost three and this approach has truly helped me to know my child and has served as the foundation for effective discipline which is simply guidance, whether firm or gentle,it is setting limits,and correctng and redirecting. When you have done this from the beginning, "discipline" isn't something that you do all of a sudden now that they are a toddler. Talking to her early on and explaining things and having age appropriate expectations builds trust- this makes for a more harmonious relationship overall and quite an asset for there are days and weeks that are just hard- there are certainly challenges to being an "at home" parent-even with a great natured toddler,I believe that all of the Sears' books have affirmed the value that I have on the attachment process in the first three years of life.Attachment parenting is an investment.Our society wants independence and quick fixes where children our concerned: let someone else parent them,leave them to cry,spank,scream,ignore.These methodst have grave long term consequences-a good reason to buy this book! Read this book.

What a treasure trove of information! The authors write clearly, with a warmth and credibility I've seldom seen matched in other parenting tomes. It isn't just academic training that uniquely qualifies William & Martha Sears to write on the subject of parenting, although they're pretty impressive (he's a Harvard-trained pediatrician who's been in practice for over 20 years and is a faculty member at the USC School of Medicine and she's a R.N., certified childbirth instructor and lactation consultant). They're also the parents of eight children. These guys have been right there in the trenches! They've had 8 opportunities to ascertain what works and what doesn't and they've done a wonderful job of putting it all together in their book. There has never been a discipline challenge I've either personally encountered or heard about that hasn't been addressed. It's an incredibly thorough reference. In the beginning, the emphasis is on helping the child forge a secure attachment to his parents through attachment parenting. The authors explain how a secure parent-child bond is the basis for later discipline, giving many illustrative examples from their own experience. The most outstanding aspect of this book is the Searses' ability to provide a window into your child's mind as he hurtles from one developmental stage to another. It's so helpful to be able to stay one step ahead of your child! Understanding how your child thinks makes you become much more patient and competent. And once you understand, the book gives you a huge number of suggestions on how to correct all kinds of undesirable behavior ranging from tantrums in every conceivable scenario to bad language and more. There are even tips on facilitating tooth brushing and face washing! When I was done reading this book, I realized how much my range of disciplinary options had expanded. Being a mom has definitely become more enjoyable for me. Whatever your parenting style, this book is a definite must-have. The Baby Book by the ! same authors is another fantastic reference to have on hand.