Product Details

• Actors: Ph.D. Thomas W. Phelan
• Format: NTSC
• Language: English
• Number of tapes: 1
• Studio: Child Management, Inc.
• Run Time: 120 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• ASIN: 0963386131
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #99,377 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Must see for all parents with kids, July 1, 2009

By 

knittingcircuit (San Francisco, CA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: 1-2-3 Magic: Effective Discipline for Children 2-12 [VHS] (VHS Tape)

I checked this video out from the library and it is very good. I have used counting and time-outs with my kids and have always worked, but I didn't know this method was the 1-2-3 Magic method until I saw this video.

The video has 'STOP' behavior method for 30 min. then Q&A with reenactment on the 'STOP' behavior method for 1 hour and lastly 'START' behaviors for 30 minutes.

The first time I gave my oldest child a time-out, he was a little over 2 and you would think I was torturing him, the way he carried on. I told him that he need to calm-down and to sit in his room to think about what has happen. I know that this is 'Little Adult' behavior which I'm not suppose to do, but he listen and sat for awhile. I didn't know about the required time for time-outs (5-10 minutes per this video), but when he was calmed, he ask to leave his room and I allowed it and that was the end of to the disciple. I wished I saw this video earlier, so that I had some type of reference to what I was doing.

I read the negative reviews for the book and hope others will review this method and draw their own conclusions. Kids are allowed to talk to their parents and have an opinion. The method DOES NOT allow kids to 'talk-back' to their parents.

I plan to share the video with my sister and sister-in-law who are both single parents. My 12yo neice does the 'moaning & groaning' when her mom ask her to do something. Her mom would immediately become sarcastic and yell at her in front of us! I know she is stressed with work and then have to deal with her daughter. Hopefully, she will watch this video.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The voice of experience, April 23, 2010

By 

K. Aszman "KBA" - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: 1-2-3 Magic: Effective Discipline for Children 2-12 [VHS] (VHS Tape)

I just purchased this video for a relative of mine. About 12 years ago I borrowed the VHS version from my son's guidance counselor because my son was what one might call, "a handful". We were living overseas and my husband traveled 50% of the time so more often than not I was single parenting him. His behavior was getting out of control both at home and at school. I watched the video with my husband one evening and the next day, sat my son down and explained that things were going to change. I explained the new house rules to him and just told him that was it - no more fighting, yelling, crying (from either of us!) This video basically teaches the PARENT how to behave and if you follow it faithfully I promise you can change your unruly child into a well behaved, happier child. It's not easy! My son is very bright and when I told him the "new rules" he immediately fired back with, "What if I'm waiting for the school bus?" (One of the zillion places that he would act up.) I had to think fast and remember saying, "Do you see that telephone pole? Well, that's where you'll be doing your time out and if you're still doing it when the bus comes, so be it." The first two weeks he tested me and I just did what the video said. I stayed the course. Eventually he knew the boundaries and knew when mommy said, "You've got a one!" that a time out was on it's way. I'm happy to say he became a very well behaved child and is now at University studying to become a Chemical Engineer. There's hope out there and this book/dvd/vhs tape is it! I can't say enough about it. I would recommend this to any parent who has a problem handling their child. That's why I'm sending it to one of my nieces. It works!

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars So simple and yet so transforming, April 8, 2010

By 

Carolyn Marshall (New London, NH) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: 1-2-3 Magic: Effective Discipline for Children 2-12 [VHS] (VHS Tape)

I first saw this video about 15 years ago and it dramatically changed the way I managed my children's behavior. Right away I became more consistent and I could see clearly what to do. I and my home became more peaceful as I was calmly "in charge" in response to "stop behavior" and defiance. Like the adults on the video said, it was like magic. Since then I have recommended it to many people.

1-2-3 Magic takes what we already do, simplifies it and makes it effective. The "little adult syndrome" section especially "hit me between the eyes." Although it may be fine to explain to children (ages 2-12) why we have rules and limits, it is not appropriate or effective to do so in the middle of defiance and misbehavior.

The brief acted out illustrations are very helpful. One thing I disagree with Dr. Phelan about concerns what to do after a child is done with a time out. He said it is over and we should not talk about it with them. I appreciate that he probably doen't want the parent to rehash it all with excess words and emotion. What I did was calmly say, "Why did you have to go to your room?" Sometime I had even forgotten the details but they could always tell me. If they were too angry to be able to do that, then they needed a bit more time. It was quick and seemed effective for closure.

I highly recommend this video, especially the first version from the early 90's which combines start and stop behavior into one two-hour video. A later version has two videos. Children may also like and benefit from watching the video except there is one section that has the "bi..." word as an example of a particular "stop" behavior. Sometimes they think it's funny to see other kids misbehaving. Even if you just see the first 20 minutes, it can help your parenting like magic.