Raising Happy Kids: Over 100 Tips For Parents And Teachers [Paperback]

Elizabeth Hartley-Brewer (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 23, 2003

Parents know that what really matters is that they help their children grow up feeling secure and good about themselves, enabling them to take pride in-and eventually take care of-themselves. Indeed, knowing and liking oneself are the keys to success in life, affecting personal relationships, general motivation, and success in work. So, what can parents do to ensure that they give kids the best possible leg-up in this respect?Demonstrating the use of praise, play, time, touch, and talking, expert and popular author Elizabeth Hartley-Brewer speaks to new and experienced parents alike, helping them encourage their children to develop into well-adjusted and happy people. With clear and simple advice-in the form of tips, techniques, and tools-Raising Happy Kids is an essential guide for parents striving to be nurturing and influential in this crucial role.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"A must-have guide...for parents who truly want to raise happy, healthy and fulfilled children." -- Curled Up with a Good Book March 2004

"Great advice...The book shows parents simple ways to make their children feel secure." -- Boise Family Magazine February 2004

About the Author

Elizabeth Hartley-Brewer writes extensively on parenting topics and conducts workshops about guiding and motivating children.

Product Details

• Paperback: 192 pages
• Publisher: Da Capo Press (December 23, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0306813165
• ISBN-13: 978-0306813160
• Product Dimensions: 7.9 x 4.9 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,098,191 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars 167 Pages of Fluff & Nothing, January 27, 2007

By 

J. Lebakken "wishing I could read even more" (Austin, TX) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Raising Happy Kids: Over 100 Tips For Parents And Teachers (Paperback)

My wife, an elementary school teacher heard about this book and bought it. We're not big advocates of the "child rearing instruction manuals" to begin with but this doesn't have a shred of useable advice. The author takes a management consultant approach and cops out of offering any specific, actionable advice in her introduction. She doesn't draw on any research and illustrations of her own experience are rather vague. Then there's the writing style. Prosaic and circular meanderings like this one, "Trust is a key element of self confidence. The Oxford English Dictionary defines confidence as: . . . " then goes on with the revelation that "People cannot develop self-confidence if they neither trust themselves . . . . " Yikes! That goes on for three paragraphs. I guess because her editor told her there was no way they were going to be able to market a 14 page pamphlet of trite bullet points for $13.95 US. It did help me fall asleep while I was traveling. But so will Ambien.

0 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars You already know the stuff, December 26, 2009

By 

Baharak Moshir "mo" (seattle) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Raising Happy Kids: Over 100 Tips For Parents And Teachers (Paperback)

Things you already know.
it is just a review.
Good book short review... to remind of how short and important these little minds are.
It starts from the day 1.

0 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Kids are Important, March 8, 2009

By 

Kimberly M. Olver "Author of Secrets of Happy... (Chicago, IL) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Raising Happy Kids: Over 100 Tips For Parents And Teachers (Paperback)

Raising Happy Kids is a book that espouses conventional wisdom about democratic parenting. It measures whether or not something is effective with kids by whether it will increase self-esteem, self-confidence and self-reliance. It speaks in favor of parents retaining their parental role and providing boundaries for their children. It also is in favor of helping kids get their needs met.

Where this book departs from Empowerment Parenting is that it basically says that parents' needs are more important than the child's and that parents sometimes must exert their will over their child's simply because they are in charge and they are the parents. Many parents operate under this assumption.

What Empowerment Parenting says is that every person, parents and children alike, must get their needs met in some way. If parents decide that their needs are more important than their child's in a certain situation and impose their will, then that child's need goes unmet. This sets up opportunity for all kinds of problematic behavior to occur simply because the child is attempting to get their needs met in that situation.

Occasionally, parents will need to impose their will particularly when a child's safety is at risk. Sometimes parents will choose to make their needs more important when they are pressed for time. This will most likely be all right as long as it doesn't become a regular routine. However, parents must be prepared to manage the fall out.

Raising children is one of the hardest jobs you will ever undertake and there is no instruction manual. We just do the best we can. Working together with your children so you can both get what you need in a responsible way is the primary message of Empowerment Parenting. It will take more time and require more patience, but the reward of cooperative children far outweighs the effort.