Parenting That Works: Building Skills That Last a Lifetime

by Susan Mortweet VanScoyoc, Susan Van Scoyoc, Edward R. Christophersen, et al.

Book Overview

A guide to building parenting skills so that children can grow up as happy and compassionate adults.

Being a parent is probably the most important job many of us will ever have. We recognize that it is not enough to simply raise a child who does what he or she is told or gets good grades. In this book, clinical psychologist Dr. Edward Christophersen and his colleague, child psychologist Dr. Susan Mortweet, show parents how to raise...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1557989249
• ISBN13: 9781557989246
• Release Date: September 2002
• Publisher: American Psychological Association (APA)
• Length: 356 Pages
• Weight: 1.20 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.9" x 5.4" x 8.4"

Customer Reviews

easy to read with practical advice

good parenting tips, realistic examples and scenarios, all in all a good book to have on the shelf. The best idea from the book is that all parents should start with a 10 year plan for what their goals are for their children's behavior.....this is a practical idea that really helped us to begin a discussion about how to parent our energetic 2 year old.

preparing for parenting

This book is excellent preparation for anyone who is expecting a child. There is practical help for challenges parents face in managing common child behavior problems, such as getting toddlers to sleep and reducing temper tantrums, but the main advantage of this book is that it also teaches parents how to prevent common problems from developing in the first place. It is a must read for prospective parents, especially first-timers.

Highly Recommended

I've recently been reading parenting books, trying to find good ones to recommend to my patients (I'm a child psychologist). This is easily one of the most comprehensive, well written, and useful books I have come across so far. A very useful guide for parents with or without difficult children.

A must read for all parents!!

A must read for all parents. This parenting book encourages you to get on the "ten year plan." No, this is not a financial or business plan but a way to learn how to play with your child, to go into public with your son, and to develop language skills by talking to your daughter. The skills taught in "Parenting that Works" will assist you with teaching your child now, what most parents hope to see in their adolescents in 10 years. Christophersen and Mortweet suggest that these skills must be practiced and taught over time, typically 3 months, before they become a part of your parenting style and part of your daughter?s behavior.This is an excellent book that is easy to read and understand. The examples described by the authors resonate with what parents experience. With practice, patience, and your support; your son will be able to develop the ability to play independently, manage his moods and "self-quiet," and respond appropriately to requests and expectations. These concepts are explained well, are clear and easy to implement, but do take time and energy to practice and get good at!Another great parenting book by Christophersen and Mortweet. These skills can be used with young children and adolescents.

Easy to follow advice for raising nicer kids

I saw Dr. Christophersen in a New York Times article about how to teach kids to handle their anger, so I looked to see if he had any books out on the subject. I was very happy to see this book of his! Even better, Dr. Christophersen tackles problems like kids that interrupt too much, as well as divorce. The book -- which is really all about how to raise nice kids -- is easy to understand, and the advice is easy to follow. Dr. Christophersen doesn't believe in punishing a child who gets angry -- because kids learn from their parents. Who hasn't slammed the door when they're mad? Well, if my son is watching that display of temper -- or worse -- I'm teaching him to do what I do when I get mad -- throw a temper tantrum! Look on any highway, and you can see all kinds of temper tantrums -- it's called road rage, but it's just an adult form of temper tantrums. In this book, Dr. Christophersen explains how what we do teaches our kids what to do. If WE learn ways of controlling our temper, such as breathing deeply when WE get mad, we can help our kids to the same. Another good part is about talking with our kids. We all lecture kids -- even when they're too young to understand. Instead, he says, we should listen to our kids and answer their questions. What a fantastic way to get through to a child. If he asks questions, I've got his attention, and he's going to listen to me! The other thing I really like about this book is that it has the backing of the American Psychological Association, which means I can trust Dr. Christophersen's advice -- he's not the child expert "flavor of the week."