Customer Reviews

The Gentle Art of Communicating with Kids

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I admit. The publisher eventually gave me the institutional bulk discount, I bought so many copies.

If you want to talk to a child, if you are a child who wants to talk to an adult, if you want gentle conversation rather than anger, if you want to understand, this book deals with the tools and skills you need.

Elgin may have sold well over a million books, but this is one of her best, and it is clear, direct, and easily applied.

If you aren't familiar with the Verbal Defense system then this book will change your life significantly and forever. Elgin puts together a few of the top ideas in practicing good communication. Some of these ideas are hers, others she credits to different experts, but all of them really are quick, able to be practiced and mastered, and very, very effective toward handling bad situations and relieving lots and lots of stress in relationships of all kinds.

The method is about a few key 'moves', very much like the martial arts, which are immediately useful, but can become very effective with practice. What is more, practice develops for an individual a kind of communication calmness and confidence that becomes a very proactive part of everyday life.

I used these methods as director of a youth program, and while there were plenty of challenges and miscommunications, I almost never had an outright breakdown in communications with youth...I can only think of twice in five years. Of course, having had excellent parents myself also played a large part in this...yet Elgin's method has become part of my nature--almost part of my personality--since I first studied it in college two decades ago.

This text continues the author's Verbal Defense system into the world of communicating with children from the age of wanting to run wild in a restaurant on through early reproductive years.

You won't find anything especially new if you are already familiar with the Verbal Defense system, but the examples here are some of the best in the series.

If you have children and your conversations don't just naturally sound like the script from the TV program "Parenthood" then by all means read this book.

If you do customer service in any capacity, try Elgin's "The Gentle Art of Verbal Self-Defense".

Really. Truly. This is the BEST advice on raising and living with kids. It got me through some tough times, and I even use Ms. Elgin's wisdom when working with teens. Suzette Hayden Elgin is brillant!