Homework: A Parent's Guide To Helping Out Without Freaking Out! [Paperback]

Neil McNerney (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 26, 2011

Neil McNerney, a licensed counselor and parenting expert, will show you ways to help your child do better in school without arguments, yelling, or guilt. In his 25 years working with school-age children and their parents, Neil McNerney has developed a simple and powerful approach that will increase achievement and decrease aggravation!

HOMEWORK: A Parent's Guide to Helping Out Without Freaking Out! will guide you through a simple process to find a way to help your child based on which faulty coping pattern your child is using. Most homework books are focused on study techniques. Homework focuses on how parents can be powerful leaders in their kid's education. It answers the most common questions parents ask:

1. When do I reward and when do I punish?
2. How do I give advice about studying without getting backtalk?
3. How much should I review homework?
4. How do I help my stressed out child who takes school too seriously?
5. What do I say when my child says "I don't care" about school?
6. How do I help my disorganized child without feeling like I am his secretary?

Praise for Homework

"Whether you have an anxious, disorganized or defiant child when it comes to doing schoolwork, McNerney's C.A.L.M. method allows you to tailor your intervention to the specific style of your child. A great way to avoid nightly homework wars!"
   - Thomas W. Phelan, PhD, author of Surviving Your Adolescents

"Neil is a gifted communicator, able to introduce ideas in a way that make perfect sense out of complicated dynamics, and leaves parents feeling renewed and ready for action. Neil is a professional worth watching and learning from. I know I have."
   - Hal Runkel, NY Times bestselling author of ScreamFree Parenting

"I've never read a book like this one I will keep it on my professional shelf & continue to recommend to parents and professionals. Thanks for the gem of a book, Neil McNerney! No wonder its flying off shelves!!"  - Laura Chernow, Book Reviewer for The Purcellville Gazette

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Whether you have an anxious, disorganized or defiant child when it comes to schoolwork, McNerney's C.A.L.M. method allows you to tailor your intervention to the style of your child. A great way to avoid nightly homework wars!"

   - Thomas W. Phelan, PhD, author of 1-2-3 Magic and Surviving Your Adolescents

"Amazing book stuffed with ideas I can use right away!"

   - Robin Mong, Mother and Director of Loudoun Education Foundation

"I've never read a book like this one I will keep it on my professional shelf and continue to recommend to parents and professionals. Thanks for the gem of a book, Neil McNerney! No wonder its flying off shelves!!"
                     - Laura Chernow - The Purcellville Gazette - 3/30/2012

"My favorite part in the entire book is Chapter 9 which is through your kids eyes. I think it is easy for us to forget what it was like to be their age, and I know I didn't have as much homework then as some of the kids today have." - Amanda Nethero - multiplesandmore.com

From the Author

I have developed a parenting model that has helped hundreds of families deal with issues of motivation, student stress, disorganization, and a number of other things that get in the way of doing well in school. My approach is based on what the student is doing (or not doing). I have learned that there is a clear path to understanding when to reward, when to punish, when to give advice, and how to be the best supporter.

I hope my book: "Homework - A Parent's Guide to Helping Out without Freaking Out!" will show you a clear plan that will help.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 165 pages
• Publisher: Integrated Press (December 26, 2011)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 098399000X
• ISBN-13: 978-0983990000
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (43 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #616,676 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

As a school counselor, and a licensed counselor in private practice, I have seen many kids and their parents struggle with homework issues. In the last twenty years I have developed a technique that has helped hundreds of families deal with issues of motivation, student stress, disorganization, and a number of other things that get in the way of doing well in school.

I hope my book: "Homework - A Parent's Guide to Helping Out without Freaking Out!" will show you a clear plan to increasing your child's success while decreasing your own frustration.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

21 of 21 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars When to Step In, When to Step Out! March 23, 2012

By Grady Harp HALL OF FAMETOP 50 REVIEWERVINE™ VOICE

Format:Paperback

Neil McNerney is a parenting expert. In this often hilarious, and at all times pertinent parental guide about how to cope with the ever-present problem of being present in the right way for supporting your children's adaptation to school work, he offers some of the most practical tips imaginable. It is far wiser than expected after reading through the helpful asides and points of information about the quality of parenting in addition of how to cope with homework. McNerney starts off with suggesting that there are several types of parents - the calm parent, the anxious parent, the angry parent, the supportive parent, the blaming parent, the consultant, the perfectionist, and the boss. By allowing (with a great sense of humor) how to recognize into which category we fall, he can then demonstrate how these mindsets affect the child as they face the work of school meant to be accomplished at home.

Later on in his book he poses lists of `what do kids really want from us?' and follows this inquiry with two sections, easily absorbed and frank: 'I wish my parents would'.... and 'I like it when my parents ...' and from these long lists he summarizes that kids feel the following: Trust me more, I want to succeed, Don't freak out, and I want your help...Except when I don't.' Along the way he drops some pungent statements, such as 'Self-control is more like a fuel tank than a muscle. It can become depleted. And when it's depleted, it is very hard to have any willpower.' Statements such as this as well as his debunking myths about how parents and students interact lead the caring parent into solutions to solve that ageless conundrum of how to be supportive and caring about a child's progress through education and how to back off and not freak out with what is a natural progression in maturing. McNerney is smart as a whip - without the pain of the blow! Grady Harp, March 12

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Practical Applicable Help February 21, 2012

By Bowers

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

I pre-ordered this book before it came out because I knew it would be practical and filled with options I could try. It is not a book that you can sit down and read from cover to cover in one sitting. You will want to read it one chapter at a time so you can think about it and apply it. As a busy Mom, that is about all I could read at a time anyway. Many times as I was reading, I felt like I was sitting and having a conversation with Neil. I like that the emphasis was on the parent and not on the child because we can really only change ourselves. As I read, I was reminded of the times when I handled a situation as Neil suggested and also of the times when I didn't. My own experiences validate much of what Neil suggests. As a family, we do not have any major homework issues, yet I was still able to gleam some great suggestions and I was encouraged to keep doing what I am doing. Staying calm is key!

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Helpful book for tips on calmly dealing with homework issues March 10, 2012

By Linda A.

Format:Paperback

I loved this book. It helps you figure out what your child needs so that you can empower your child to do what he/she needs to do. It also helps you figure out the degree of help your child might need in different situations, and when it's best to step back. It certainly helps you realize common mistakes that every parent makes and better approaches that are more effective in helping kids succeed. I definitely think this book will help someone who is struggling to find a way to calmly and peacefully help their child with homework.