The Power of Positive Talk: Words to Help Eery Child Succeed [Paperback]

Jon Merritt (Author), Douglas Bloch (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 2003

Affirmations are more than just words. They can heal hurts, build self-esteem, and empower us to face life with confidence and courage. In a world filled with stress, pressures, and fears, children need support and encouragement from adults—and they need to know how to affirm themselves.

This revised and updated edition of a beloved classic makes affirmations easy to understand. Douglas Bloch leads readers step-by-step through the process of helping kids turn off the negative voice within and activate the powerful "yes!" voice. Kids learn affirmations for all kinds of situations and challenges: school and academics, athletics, facing fears, feeling angry, getting teased, being depressed, and more. There are affirmations for specific developmental stages (from infancy through adolescence) and for special needs including learning differences, behavior disorders, and family problems. Bloch also includes affirmations to help adults deal with their own issues and better help the children in their care.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"...a must-read." —Marguerite Kelly, Washington Post -- The Washington Post

From the Publisher

The Power of Positive Talk has been honored with the following distinctions: MIPA Book Award winner (2003), Independent Book Awards finalist (2004), and a NAPRA Nautilus Award finalist (2004).

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Product Details

• Paperback: 358 pages
• Publisher: Free Spirit Publishing; Rev Upd edition (March 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1575421275
• ISBN-13: 978-1575421278
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 5.9 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #324,230 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars GREAT Book!, March 16, 2005

By 

K. Robbins (IN) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Power of Positive Talk: Words to Help Eery Child Succeed (Paperback)

Actually, this is a wonderful book. While yes, stating several obvious, key ideas through out the book, some people actually need to be told that 'duh' stuff (hello, have you seen the state of our children recently?). And this book is about believing in the power of words... NOT using them as a cure-all for everything but rather believing your attitude and your outlook on life has a huge impact on what happens in it.(And for the record the child in the book with the flu merely used an affirmation for good health and noticed a decrease in symptoms and seemed to be rid of the bug quicker than normal). The reason it's broken down into a more simplistic dialogue is because we're using it as a tool to communicate to our kids and help them communicate for themselves, and having it in a simple language makes it that much easier to put into practice. Quite frankly, this book speaks to me and I wish a parent of mine would have cared enough to have picked it up when I was young (I'm sure many parents out there aren't as in tune with their children and their feelings as others... and maybe their kids are the ones who will wish their parents would have given a book like this a chance some day)

8 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars No new ideas here, September 1, 2003

By 

Ann Jasper (USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Power of Positive Talk: Words to Help Eery Child Succeed (Paperback)

If you've ever seen Stuart Smalley ("I'm smart, I'm good, and damnit--people like me") on Saturday Night Live, then you know all there is to know about this book. The authors do nothing but state the obvious by saying that we shouldn't tell our kids things we might have heard growing up, like "You're a loser." Thank you, Captain Obvious. There is some comedy here, though I don't think they intended for readers to laugh. For instance, he says that when he starts feeling sick (eg, with the flu!) he just says "My flu bug is gone. I am healthy and well." Mr. Bloch gave this advice to a twelve-year-old, never mentioning the value of a flu shot. Even worse, the authors carry this simplistic theme throughout the book. They actually believe that kids need only repeat positive statements in their heads to solve complex problems, like making new friends. Apparently, by saying things like, "I can make new friends" over and over in one's head will bring instant popularity. The underlying complexity of the social fabric and the individual characteristics are never discussed. I did learn one thing from this book, though--anyone with time and money can get a master's degree.