The Procrastinating Child: A Handbook for Adults to Help Children Stop Putting Things Off

Hello from beautiful Montana; As a parent educator and family coach, I really recommend this book. It is excellent and filled with great advice to motivate a lazy or procrastinating child. Many of the families who come to my classes are struggling with this problem. Rita has given us the solution. Thanks, Judy H. Wright aka Auntie Artichoke, family relationship coach and author [...]

After reading many books on how to help my kids be more organized and do better in school, I found many practical tips in this book. It is interesting that a book by someone who is a professional organizer was more effective at helping my kids be better students than most of the books I read by people with advanced degrees in education and psychology. Basically, the author suggests setting up a system of age appropriate rewards for kids in exchange for getting tasks done on time. It is simple, but it works. I would also recommend the book Assertive Discipline, by Lee Canter and Marlene Canter as another good book with practical advice on how to get children to get chores and homework done on time.

This was the first book of Rita Emmett's I experienced. What a gift! My adolescent son is now in the saddle following directions - now - right away. There are many gentle ways to end putting things off from your kid - and this book is a great tool. It was my first reading of Rita's books. Then I actually experienced one of Rita's seminars. She is a great teacher, effective and fun, a terrific value. Also this author lets non-profit organizations use this book as a fundraiser. I am looking into that for one of my actions in fundraising. Rita Emmett's website has details.

Parents are increasingly concerned about how well their kids are performing. There are two strong motivations for this attitude. First, we parents want our kids to be better than we were . . . or at least give them more opportunities. Second, we know, as adults, how fast the world is moving now. If our kids put things off, the opportunities may pass them by. If you're a dedicated parent today, you may well be facing the challenge of a child who procrastinates just a bit more than you'd like to see.Who better to write this book than the author of "The Procrastinator's Handbook," a book that has made quite an impact over the past two years? Emmett digs right into the subject in a highly readable style Allow me to quote from the introduction, where the author best describes what you'll see. "The teen who puts off sending in his college application might procrastinate because it has become a habit (chapter 1). Or he may not have learned any self-motivating skills (chapter 2); he may feel overwhelmed by all the papers to fill out (chapter 3); he may hate this type of task (chapter 4); or he may feel he doesn't have time (chapter 5). He may be waiting for a whole day free of interruptions so he can do it perfectly (chapter 6), or have some fears and anxieties about going away to college (chapter 7). He might not know where all the forms are because they're scattered all over his desk, bedroom, and locker (chapter 8), and he may be so swamped with other activities that he can't focus on this task (chapter 9)." Chapter 10 is Hope for the Future. The author emphasizes some points we must consider as we begin to read-and use-this book. Children hate having ideas forced on them. No single theory or technique works for every child. Children don't always think and act the same way you do. [You should have seen the way my teen-ager rolled her eyes when I showed her the book I was reading!]Your head will bob up and down as you read through these pages. Yes! Yes! But, what to do? Not a problem. The book is full of advice and counsel, including "Ideas to Discuss" and "Ideas in Action" at the end of each chapter. They're presented as a teamwork process; this is something you do WITH your child, not TO your child. The Tips call-outs enhance the value of this volume.This book is small (5.5 by 8 inches), but powerful. You can make a difference with the knowledge you gain in these pages-for your child and for yourself.