Customer Reviews

Living With Children: New Methods for Parents and Teachers

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I first encountered this book while working on my masters degree in counseling. It was one of the required "text books" for my Child Development Class. I have used the principles presented in the book with my own children with great success, and have recommended it to many other parents. As a guidance counselor in a grade 7 throught 12 school, I continue to recommend this book to the parents of our students who need some practical advice on changing their child's behavior in a positive way. Patterson provides straight forward, easy to understand strategies which are easily implemented by average parents -- no psycholygy degrees reguired.

Gerald Patterson and his colleagues have been researching families and effective parenting practices for well over 20 years. Living with Children gives a clear, concise explanation of reinforcement principles as applied to child behavior management. This book belongs in every parent's resource library along with Your Child's Self-esteem and Why Children Misbehave and What to Do About.

Are you a new parent hoping to raise a well-behaved child from the start? An experienced parent trying to correct day-to-day behavior problems in your son or daughter? A teacher or coach struggling to manage a group of children, or improve the behavior of an unruly child? This short, easy-to-read guide is the best I've found at presenting basic behavioral management principles in a clear, simple, and engaging manner.

Although the book is directed at parents, many others will find it useful. The first few chapters, such as "Social Learning," "How Can We Use Reinforcers?" "Children Train Parents," and "Retraining," make basic concepts clearly understandable to anyone learning them for the first time, and remind those who are well versed in learning theory of the sometimes-overlooked principles important in practical applications. The concept of Accidental Learning (or Training) is especially useful to anyone trying to correct misbehavior.

As a Clinical Psychologist I have used this book with parents seeking help in changing the misbehavior of their children, and with teachers learning to manage the behavior of difficult students in the classroom. I have also found it useful in reminding myself, as a mother, to keep basic principles in mind while raising my own children. It should be required reading for every parent!

- Dr. Lynn Daugherty, Bestselling Author of the Award Winning Classic Why Me? Help for Victims of Child Sexual Abuse (Even if they are adults now), Fourth Edition

I used Patterson's workbook with my two sons with great success. They are now over 40 years old and I'm buying the book for them to use with their children. My kids turned out to be wonderful human beings and they are great parents. I know Patterson's ideas will be helpful to them too.

This book was recommended by the child psychiatrist that I work with. I bought two copies of it, one for my daughter who is raising 4 children, and one for myself. I highly recommend it.