Customer Reviews

What Did I Just Say!?! How New Insights into Childhood Communication Can Help You Communicate More Effectively with Your Child

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"What Did I Just Say" will give the reader hope early on. It is well written, easy to understand, and for once offers real. simple, and useable techniques for parents and teachers. In a time when character education is severly lacking at home and in schools, this gives parents and teachers tools and makes them aware. Donovan and McIntyre point out in a matter-of-fact way and with humor, that adults defeat themselves just in the way we say something to a child. Adult language becomes so automatic that we don't even hear what we say. When we start listening to ourselves we find that we are inviting debate with the child, and help them to avoid ownership of responsibility, honesty, and respect. We tend to take on the resposibility for our child's choices and carry the guilt. The insight in this book is basic and simple. The techniques are easy to understand, and best of all DO-able! I am seeing the results at home and in my classroom. "What Did I Just Say" is a gift. Get a highlighter, and some peace!

This book is written with wit, warmth and a true concern for children and parental communication. The authors guide parents and others through the simple frustrations of child rearing, as well as the more difficult,and truly challenging situations. Children are considered as individuals, not generic"labels," that need to be treated according to their own specific needs. This book gives all care-givers hope in their ability to handle whatever their child may face, by giving them a fresh approach to their communication skills. I highly recommend this miraculous book to all those who deal with and care about the future of our children.

If you want to understand how your child's mind really works, if you want to get past the blindfolds imposed by such labels as Attention Deficit Disorder, Hyperactivity, and Learning Disabled, if you want to be able to make rules and structure part of a meaningful relationship with your child and not just another source of arguments, read this book.

"What Did I Just Say! " by Denis Donovan, M.D. and Deborah McIntyre, M.A., R.N. is a book on how to communicate effectively with your children. This is a must in this day of computer wiz kids. It gives you phrases and practical statements to say to your children to help them process what you really want them to do. Children don't always hear what we meant. This book will change the way you communicate and interact with your children. Pick this one up today and be on your way to a better, more insightful relationship with your kids.

I am a therapist working with children and their parents in rural Oklahoma. Most of the children I work with have some sort of behavioral problem that brings them in for counseling. Any kind of realistic help that I can give the parents in dealing with these problems is greatly appreciated and more often than not the key factor in the success of the treatment. "What Did I Just Say!?!" is loaded with useful ideas and perspectives that can help parents get back in the driver's seat with their very challenging children.I used the book recently to supplement my 16 week parenting class. Even though the information came late in the course (when people were tired of learning new things) and was delivered in rather sloppy fashion (I had just gotten the book), the ideas were well received. One single-parent mother started using "the Five Minutes" and within four weeks swore by it. The Donovans are very thoughtful, caring professionals and it shows in their work. "What Did I Just Say!?!" is a valuable book for both parents and professionals who work with parents.

Dr. Spock and all the others have nothing on this team. For the first time after reading and implementing parenting methods I have finally found one that truly works. The changes in our family are remarkable. In a world full of self help books on parenting, it is very confusing as to what is right, wrong or simply ineffective. This book however is not only effective but will teach parents common sense things we just could not see on our own. It is simple and even obvious now. Wonderful parenting guide for any parent whether working through a crisis or just wanting to make sure you and your child start out in the right direction. Its never to late to make a change and its not only effective, the results are quick and rewarding. Our quaility of family life has surpassed my wildest dreams!! Frued has been surpassed. We recommend this book to all of our friends, and to anyone reading this review. You will be amazed and grateful. Thanks Denis and Deborah!

This book has changed my life, it has given the spoken language new clarity from the eyes of the young. I now have control of how words are spoken, interperted and understood, before I always assumed my child understood what I meant. My children have responded very well to this easy to follow and understand guide. We have also been fortunate enough to be in therapy with Dr. Donovan for the past 1 1/2, as we live in St Petersburg, Fl. Read the book, absorb the book, implement the book and change your world and your childs.

"What Did I Just Say" is a book with a fresh and hopeful approach to improving children's behavior. After years of dealing with the barrage of conventional, negative labels, e.g. ADD, CAP, I felt disenchanted as a parent. There seemed little hope for my "quirky" children; the labels confined our family to a bleak future. Then this book arrived. It offers me a means in which to challenge "conventional paradigms" and it provides me with insightful and practical guidance, at last! The authors offer effective guidelines in understanding and managing our children; the description of using clear/concise language when communicating with children and the 5 Minute technique are excellent hands-on approaches. In addition, the authors provide an enlightening concept: children can "adapt" and "cope" with new experiences, without the use of mind altering drugs, e.g. Ritalin.Our children don't need drugs, just "structure, rules and boundaries", as the authors reveal. The brain is "plastic"; it can change with experiences. The authors emphasize that our children's brains are not confined to a dismal diagnosis from the moment they are born. "The door isn't closed and the circuits are not hard-wired." Also, "there is no one "right" or "correct" schedule of development."Since exposed to this concept, I, as a mother, can stop worrying about a doomed diagnosis and concentrate on meaningful, logical interactions with my children. This book certainly challenges me to think about children in a different and refreshing manner. I strongly urge anyone (parent,teacher, physician) to read this book and discover this fresh approach.

As both a parent and an educator, I wish I had read this book years ago! This book is amazing! It is full of common sense insights and displays a profound understanding of children. I will be recommending this book to every parent & teacher I know!

"What Did I Just Say" will give the reader hope early on. It is well written, easy to understand, and for once offers real. simple, and useable techniques for parents and teachers. In a time when character education is severly lacking at home and in schools, this gives parents and teachers tools and makes them aware. Donovan and McIntyre point out in a matter-of-fact way and with humor, that adults defeat themselves just in the way we say something to a child. Adult language becomes so automatic that we don't even hear what we say. When we start listening to ourselves we find that we are inviting debate with the child, and help them to avoid ownership of responsibility, honesty, and respect. We tend to take on the resposibility for our child's choices and carry the guilt. The insight in this book is basic and simple. The techniques are easy to understand, and best of all DO-able! I am seeing the results at home and in my classroom. "What Did I Just Say" is a gift. Get a highlighter, and some peace!