Customer Reviews

The New Strong-Willed Child Workbook

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

 

 

Very good and helpful. I learn a lot more if I write them out, but the workbook made me think about what I read then take it a step more and helped me apply it to my life. Very good buy!

This book is right on the money and this workbook is perfect if you want to go through the book in a group setting.

This book recommends parenting behavior such as hitting children, which is NOT the advice most Christian Counselors would give to parents. There are some fabulous parenting books out there which are scripturally based such as Dr. William Sears, which advocate nonviolent parenting and follow scripture's themes (like Jesus's admonitions never to harm a child), and don't prooftext metaphorical verses about using a shepherd's rod the way that this book does. This book does not do an adequate job of explaining the real truth of God's word for parenting children... it simply takes the advice to hit your kids and gives you some excuses to make you feel better about doing it. If you are a Christian, please PRAY and ask God to guide you toward which parenting books to follow...and listen as He speaks to your heart...Listen to God...not the author of this book who is not God. I am praying for the Holy Spirit to intervene in the hearts of those who read this book, and for them to have the spiritual attunement to hear the voice of the Holy Spirit and the courage to stand up for what Jesus really said about children...which is to protect them.

The actual The New Strong-Willed Child book is excellent and of great help in walking the razor-edge life of parenthood. The workbook is really too extensive and too time consuming. I got this book to help me be a better parent, not to "show my teacher" that I applied the principals. The book is absolutely great but this workbook is an unnecessary money-maker for the author.

This workbook is well worth the price to help families with those difficult children. My son has some really bad behavior and it has helped us.

Since its only a workbook there isn't much depth to the ideas presented. You are mainly left to ponder various questions posed by the workbook.

Although not mentioned in the product description, there are a lot of references to scripture and religion. Also, the philosophy presented includes corporal punishment of children.

I always heard this book was so wonderful, but I really didn't find it helpful at all. All the ideas on how to deal with a strong-willed child were things I was already practicing, pretty basic ideas. Also, the author staes the importance of being loving, but doesn't really go into that in the book. I mean that he never tells you HOW to show that love while still being firm in your discipline, and if you don't already understand his simple techniques for discipline, chances are you need help with the showing love part too. I believe that many parents have a hard time really showing their children how much they are loved, or understanding the child's need to be shown that love, and this problem is only increased if you have a child who is constantly getting into trouble! Instead he focuses on how you need to be firm, which is very true, of course, but that needs to be tempered with tenderness (particularly with a sensitive child like mine), and his meathods aren't all that tender.
Beyond that, I have to say I'm not wild about the Focus on the Family ministry anyway. I find it to be lacking spirituality, and it seems to be mostly based on secular ideas and a watered down version of biblical thinking. This book follows that vein. The biggest help I've had in my short experience (parenting a 3 1/2 yr old and a 16 month old, both very strong willed) has been the Holy Spirit. There is no mention of Him in this book. I think that's very sad.
If you have a strong-willed child, a better choice would be Kevin Leman's "How to Make Your Child Mind Without Losing Yours" (or something like that). I found it helped me change the way I thought about discipline, and focused a lot more on the love part, while still being VERY firm. Lots of good ideas, and detailed explanations of the thought behind them. Also I recommend books by The Sears Family of doctors. While their books are not categorized as Christian, they are Christians themselves. I am particularly in favor of their practice of attachment parenting. It doesn't go into that "spoiling your child" place that other promoters of attachment parenting may. Combine their loving approach with the firmness found in Kevin Leman's book (both based on biblical wisdom) and you will have a recipe for a peaceful home. Well, relatively speaking :-)