Making Children Mind Without Losing Yours [Paperback]

Kevin Leman (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 2000

This bestseller equips parents with 7 principles of Reality Discipline--a loving, no-nonsense parenting approach that really works.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

As the title indicates, Making Children Mind Without Losing Yours is a book with a friendly, lighthearted approach. Author Kevin Leman (The New Birth Order Book) speaks directly from his experiences as a father of five and a practicing psychologist. While you won't find specific studies or statistics here, you will find straightforward, practical suggestions that often get right to the heart of troubling situations.

Leman's technique, which he refers to as "reality discipline" is based on a particular passage from the Bible, and his book is liberally sprinkled with his religious beliefs. These references will make this book a particular favorite for some readers; his stance that parents' authority comes directly from God is a fundamental principle of his text, and some parents may prefer a less evangelistic approach. That said, it's hard to disagree with suggestions such as "train yourself to be a good listener" and "give your children direct eye contact." Nearly every suggestion is coupled with a real-life example of the behavior in discussion, making for an easy read, and every chapter ends with questions labeled "to review and apply" as well as a short section of concepts to put into practice. The section dealing with divorce suggests you make a list of the chapter's suggestions you find difficult and create a plan to implement them. Leman assumes that anyone reading this book can find the time to create such plans themselves, and doesn't provide his readers with any step-by-step charts. If you're not up to creating your own action plans, you may prefer a more detailed form of help than this book offers. --Jill Lightner

Review

I found this book to make for interesting reading and saw a lot of valuable suggestions in it for creating harmony in the home and teaching children to mind their parents. It also has valuable suggestions for teaching a parent."--Gary Dreher, East Central Illinois Baptist Association --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 272 pages
• Publisher: Revell; 2nd edition (August 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0800757319
• ISBN-13: 978-0800757311
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.4 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (70 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #171,943 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Dr. Kevin Leman, an internationally known psychologist, radio and television personality, and speaker, has taught and entertained audiences worldwide with his wit and commonsense psychology. The best-selling and award-winning author has made house calls for hundreds of radio and television programs, including "The View" with Barbara Walters, "The Today Show," "Oprah," CBS's "The Early Show," "Live with Regis Philbin," CNN's "American Morning," and "LIFE Today" with James Robison, and he has served as a contributing family psychologist to "Good Morning America." He is the founder and president of Couples of Promise, an organization designed and committed to helping couples remain happily married. Dr. Leman is also a charter faculty member of iQuestions.com. He has written over 30 best-selling books about marriage and family issues, including "The Birth Order Book" and "Sheet Music: Uncovering the Secrets of Sexual Intimacy in Marriage." Dr. Leman and his wife, Sande, live in Tucson. They have five children.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

96 of 98 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Yeah for Dr. Leman!!!, February 3, 2005

By 

marciebaby (Charleston, SC United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Making Children Mind Without Losing Yours (Paperback)

I love parenting books because they are always full of good ideas, even if you don't necessarily agree with everything in the book. THIS book, however, was fantastic. I'm a pretty easy-going person, so as long as their safety wasn't at risk, I would generally allow my kids to have way too many liberties.

Dr. Leman describes pulling the rug out from under the little buzzards. If a child begins whining about dinner, then simply throw dinner down the garbage disposal and excuse the child from the table.

Yikes, that seemed a little harsh to me, but I felt as though my little ones had way to much control over me, so I gave it a try. WOW. It worked.

He also discusses the necessity of making your relationship with your spouse a priority. The best gift you can give your children is a strong marriage! And they will feel more secure going through life with parents who show love and respect to one another.

I'm a huge fan of Kevin Leman now. I can't wait to read what else he's written!

78 of 79 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Best parenting book I have read yet!, September 1, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: Making Children Mind Without Losing Yours (Paperback)

And i have read a lot! I am a full-time mother of very active three-year-old twin boys. My mother was a yeller and I swore I would not parent that way. However, once the boys hit two I found myself beginning to fall into that pattern. If I didn't yell or vent, I carried around anger at them which spilled over to my husband when he came home from work. I wanted nothing more than to escape from my life and even considered going back to work even though I really wanted to raise my own children. This book didn't just tell me what to do in a certain situation, it gave me a change of perspective. Now I can figure out on my own what to do before I get angry. Both of my boys are responding beautifully and we have a lot more fun together than ever before. There is also a lot more affection between all of us. BUY THIS BOOK!

48 of 48 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Best ever, June 6, 2001

By 

Jodi Sloboda (Butler, PA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Making Children Mind Without Losing Yours (Paperback)

I've read a LOT of parenting books. This is the best one I've read by far. His methods teach a balance of respect and discipline that make so much sense! And it works! I have been trying to move away from so many punitive measures in disciplining my kids, but I could never buy into the completely positive discipline style of discipline. This book (and video series) was a true answer to prayer for me and my husband. It teaches a balance of punishment and discipline with self control and respect. We have been trying to apply this philosophy in our family, and this book gives great practical examples. I have seen a real difference in my kids and have felt it in myself.