How to Handle a Hard-to-Handle Kid: A Parents' Guide to Understanding and Changing Problem Behaviors [Paperback]

C. Drew Edwards Ph.D. (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 15, 1999

Some children act out, argue, disobey, and throw temper tantrums more frequently than others. If you’re parenting one of these high-maintenance kids, this book is for you.

Clinical child psychologist C. Drew Edwards doesn’t just tell you what to do with a hard-to-handle kid. He also explains why some children are especially aggressive and disruptive—because understanding is key to helping them become responsible, competent, and content.

He spells out specific strategies for building a solid, positive relationship with your child—and ways to take care of yourself (parenting a difficult child can be stressful!).

And he encourages you to become an Authoritative Parent: balancing nurturance and support with structure and direction, blending positive and negative feedback, including children in the discipline process, using family problem solving, and guiding your child toward greater responsibility.

Packed with practical information and real-life examples, written with authority and compassion, this is a book you’ll turn to often for advice, insight, and good news: Parenting a hard-to-handle child isn’t an impossible task. These strategies really work.

Editorial Reviews

Review

“A critical book for parents who find themselves with a challenging child… presented in a clear, straightforward, and practical manner. Frustrated parents can find this book a useful resource.” —Parent Council®

“Strong on strategies for surviving tantrums, disobedience and negative attitudes.” —Boston Herald

“Anyone who deals with children will find this an important addition to their library.”—Children’s Literature

Independent Publishers Book Awards

Parenting Category Finalist

Parent Council® Selection

About the Author

C. Drew Edwards, Ph.D., has practiced clinical child psychology for over 30 years and co-parented two children to adulthood. In addition to his clinical work, Dr. Edwards speaks on the topics of parenting, childhood behavior problems, and ADD/ADHD. Dr. Edwards is Adjunct Associate Professor of Psychology at Wake Forest University. He lives in North Carolina.

Product Details

• Paperback: 232 pages
• Publisher: Free Spirit Publishing (January 15, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1575420465
• ISBN-13: 978-1575420462
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6.1 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.3 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #341,607 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

25 of 28 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Hard-to-handle behaviors not children., March 6, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: How to Handle a Hard-to-Handle Kid: A Parents' Guide to Understanding and Changing Problem Behaviors (Paperback)

The title of this book is quite misleading to a parent who is looking for help in raising their challenging child. The author does a good enough job with dispensing advice on how to generally deal with hard-to-handle behavior. However, he completely misses the mark on hard-to-handle kids.

Dr. Edwards begins the book with a clear enough discussion on temperment and how it should be taken into account when dealing with children's behavior. Unfortunately, he does not follow his own advice throughout the remainder of the book.

Even the chapter on dealing with specific hard-to-handle situations fails to discuss temperment. Dr. Edwards ignores that mealtime difficulties, for example, can be played out differently in children with varying temperments. He speaks in vague generalities. These hard-to-handle problems cannot always be boiled down so simplistically.

For parents of children who are less intense and a bit more flexible, Dr. Edwards advice may be enlightening, but it is of little use to a parent of challenging child.

13 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Changed our Lives!, January 19, 2001

By 

"suechea" (Malaysia) - See all my reviews

This review is from: How to Handle a Hard-to-Handle Kid: A Parents' Guide to Understanding and Changing Problem Behaviors (Paperback)

I was looking for a book to help my boy and me (he was in Grade 1 last year and was having real terrible problems in school to the point the headmaster and teachers found it hard to handle him). I have been having problems handling him myself eversince he was 3 years old. After reading this book, it has really opened my eyes to my type of parenting (authoritarian) and to what "type" of child he is. He is hyperactive and after applying the many advice and parenting techniques, his behavior (and mine) have changed a lot for the better! The "Support through Listening" has given us a breakthrough. My son, knowing now that I understand him, has such a confidence that it had brought him out of a lot of his temper tantrums at home and it had also helped in his low self-esteem. The positive and negative feedback had been truly helpful and the reward system has made life a lot easier. Though I have not put everything that was suggested into practice, I am keeping this as a handbook - will be incorporating bit by bit the productive parenting techniques into our (my husband and I) lives. I thank God for this fantastic book and am deeply grateful to Dr Edwards for his brilliant "workable" strategies and for the encouragement that we've (the whole family) benefitted from it! I have recommended this book to some of my friends.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Good concrete advice on how to deal with today's children, February 12, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: How to Handle a Hard-to-Handle Kid: A Parents' Guide to Understanding and Changing Problem Behaviors (Paperback)

Like the author said, if you don't spend time with the kids when they are young you WILL spend an inordinate amount of time when they are older. Nip the problem in the bud by reading this book. Start to develope good parenting skills as early as possible. Learn some very practical day to day parenting skills involving homework problems,temper tantrums,difficulty in social situations,the dangers of harsh punishment,the real price of rewards, etc. This book has been very helpful to me, although my child doesn't have behavior problems at this time, by reading this book I feel as if I can recognize problems before they get out of hand.