Customer Reviews

For Mothers of Difficult Daughters:: How to Enrich and Repair the Relationship in Adulthood

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

This book was very helpful in many ways. I thought it was very up to date with today's parent and adult child thought patterns and reads very nicely. It offered various alternatives to reconnect with your adult daughter whether she lives with you or has been out of your life for years. It offered various strategies for many types of situations that sounded reasonable and workable for both parties. It also helped solidify several areas I was already working on; some of those areas were to stop asking questions, stop offering unsolicited advice, and get involved in your own life. Overall, I found it very helpful and highly recommend it.

How could I explain one child that was easy to get along with and another child that was not? They were raised the same way. I made parenting mistakes, but there weren't severe. Our home was loving, our marriage healthy, the children loved. Why was it so hard? This book offers solace to mother's who feel lost and terribly saddened by their difficult relationship with their daughter. It also offers excellent tips for improving your relationship with your daughter, without blaming either party. In my case, it was as simple as learning to hold back on offering advice and learning how to make sympathetic noises instead. Within just a few months, her screaming outbursts had stopped and I was no longer being wounded. One and a half years later, my daughter calls me her best friend. I learned how we all have a "perfect" daughter imagined in our mind and we must let go of those images and learn to love who our daughter is. It sounds simple, but it is not. People are born with different personalities and some people are naturally prickly and irritable. I appreciate the author who helped me see this and helped me see that I did not fail the daughter I love so much.

As a mother of a very difficult eighteen year old daughter, I found this book to be direct, honest and very helpful. I felt very alone and upon ready I realized that I was not alone at all. The upset and pain was easier to handle just knowing that other Mother's had been through similar situations. I would strongly recommend this book to anyone who has a daughter.

This book provided me with much needed advice in dealing with my "dissatisfied" college age daughter. I had reached a point where I actually felt sick each time my cell phone buzzed fearing my daughter (my own daughter!) was calling to complain, vent, or argue about some other new negative drama occurring in her life. No matter what I tried, these phone calls and face-to-face conversations always ended up with my feeling terribly guilty, upset, angry, and/or completely stressed out. Dr. Charney Herst's 'permission' for me to take back control (limiting these vent sessions to five minutes tops) has lifted a huge weight off my shoulders. I was, and I am, a good mother (flaws and all)! And with the practical advice provided in this book, I'm learning to 'mother' adult children. If you are dealing with a "difficult" daughter my heart goes out to you and I strongly recommend that you read this book. Chapters cover daughters who are dependent, dissatisfied, and distant. You don't have to follow all the advice, just take the parts that fit your own situation. Kudos to Dr. Herst wherever you might be now - this book has been a tremendous learning tool for me.

How could I explain one child that was easy to get along with and another child that was not? They were raised the same way. I made parenting mistakes, but there weren't severe. Our home was loving, our marriage healthy, the children loved. Why was it so hard? This book offers solace to mother's who feel lost and terribly saddened by their difficult relationship with their daughter. It also offers excellent tips for improving your relationship with your daughter, without blaming either party. In my case, it was as simple as learning to hold back on offering advice and learning how to make sympathetic noises instead. Within just a few months, her screaming outbursts had stopped and I was no longer being wounded. One and a half years later, my daughter calls me her best friend. I learned how we all have a "perfect" daughter imagined in our mind and we must let go of those images and learn to love who our daughter is. It sounds simple, but it is not. People are born with different personalities and some people are naturally prickly and irritable. I appreciate the author who helped me see this and helped me see that I did not fail the daughter I love so much.

For Mothers of Difficult Daughters is especially touching to me for a number of reasons. First, it offers practical analysis on types of mother/daugher relationships that are difficult. Second, it provides guidelines. How should mothers and daughters should act toward one another when their relationship is strained? Thirdly, Dr. Charney Herst is my Aunt and makes reference to experiences and a town in Maine that are near and dear to my heart. I'm proud of her work and found the book non-technical, informative, energetic, to the point, with worthwhile guidance. Whether your relationship with Mom or Mom's relationship with you is wonderful or strained, "For Mothers Of Difficult Daughters" is well worth reading.

I saw this book on Oprah and rushed out to buy it. It is so comforting to know that I'm not to blame. Thank you Charney Herst. I was up to page 83 before I found out that mothers of daughters with drug and/or alcohol problems needn't buy the book. BUT - it is a very helpful book. I wanted to help a friend whose daughter has a drug problem. I could still get a great deal of benefit from it for my own relationship with my grown daughter

I ordered several books from Amazon when my relationship with my adult daughter went south! This is my favorite by far. No need to get another book, this one is so helpful. The author helps you understand why things went bad and then she gives you a plan to try to fix the relationship. She gives you a great deal of comfort and sound advice. Excellent choice!

I had a difficult relationship with my daughter when she turned 18. This book is and has been a constant companion. It helped me through a most difficult 2 year separation from my daughter. This book helped me cope and I still read it to remind me how fragile mother/daughter relationships can be. It was such a crucial help with our reunion and serves as a constant reminder of the changing mother/adult daughter relationship. I am so thankful to the author.

Very thought provoking. Offers courses of action for dealing with your daughter in a healthy productive way.