Customer Reviews

Raising Humane Beings

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Reading this book opened my eyes to what we were missing. Thank you Jane for this book and all that you have given my family. What we have learned from you can't be measured. Our lives have changed so much for the better it is hard to believe the way we were :)

Chrismatic Jane loves children. She is a masters-level therapist whose private practice has helped hundreds of families raise better kids in a kind, loving and "humane" way. Highly recommended.

I can really feel Jane's passion for children and family issues in her book. I have five children and though my children do not have ADHD, I use many of her concepts that help me to raise wonderful children and enjoy it! My favorite concept is her "Yes, after you...." concept. Instead of saying, "No you can't go to the movies because your room isn't clean" say "Yes, you can go to the movies after your room is clean." This is highly effective, it works great even with my 2 year old. Thank you, Jane!

Parents, there is help! This is the book for you if you want results, are sick of the Dr. Bills, the medication bills and sick of not getting anywhere. With Jane and this book, in a very short amount of time I have seen results in my children 6 & 10 yrs. This book is well worth the money, a hundred times over! Try it, amazing things will happen!!! :)

We need more healthcare providers like Jane Fendelman who can teach us ways to give our kids the unconditional love and acceptance our children so desperately need from us. This insightful book has been an inspiration to me in my quest not only to be a better parent, but to be a stronger, happier person. Most importantly, this book dispels any misconception that parental authority is in any way undermined when we treat our children with respect and dignity. The author gives wonderful illustrations to show us how we can strike a balance in our lives that yields far-reaching benefits to our relationships with our children. "Raising Humane Beings" is a wonderful gift for any one you know, not just parents. I can't recommend it highly enough.

I find "Raising Humane Beings" even more relevant then when I first read it several years ago, as psychiatrist, physicians,school administrators and teachers seem more intent each year to promote medication as the solution to behavior and learning differences.

I went looking for my copy of this book and realized I'd loaned it out and never got it back. In other words, when I originally read it, I thought it was good enough to share with other parents because it is not so much a "parental fix-it" book but a parental philosphy, one that (from what I've seen) is fairly unique on the shelves of parenting books.
Many parenting books are the "do this, say that, and you'll whip your kids into shape" type, but Jane's work is an earnest attempt to help parents find a constructive balance between love and discipline, nuture and structure, both within themselves and in their parenting, so as to be better able to guide their children. In a round-about way, this is a book that requires something of parents for the sake of their kids. The only reason I haven't given it five stars if that most all of these books are anecdotal and can't cover every parental challenge, and this one is no exception, but for some people, this book will be an eye-opener and so is a must read.

Raising Humane Beings is a grow yourself up book, I think applicable to everybody parent or not. Jane's sound instruction creates a bridge to a new way of living for the health of your home, family and our world!

First, the less positive: I feel a little misled by some of the reviews that made it sound like a behavioral treatment for ADD. Very little is said relative to ADD. And I felt a little misled by the Dr. Addair quote on the cover (you learn in the book that he is a personal friend and teacher - and most of the other reviewers are from the author's hometown). Also, a lot of the material is directed to feeding the parent (which is good, as long as you know what you are buying. I was hoping for more, very clear tips on my child and how to work with him, and a little less "self help" for parents.). What I don't like at all is one of the last chapters on some feministic thing that doesn't seem to fit in here at all (just someone on a soapbox getting something off her chest.).

Despite the above points, I recommend this book because it has some very good useful information and would be a great general parenting book for regular families (no particular issues). It could easily be subtitled "spiritual parenting" and I do like the reminders that parents do have to feed their own souls. And I really like, as the title suggests, the focus on raising humane beings. We get so caught up sometimes on labels and it is a great reminder to focus on just raising decent, happy kids.

I thought the book was primarily geared toward parents but once I began reading it I realized that pretty much everyone can use the tools and techniques Jane offers. We all need a little help growing up, even those of us who are adults already!
I found practical tips on handling everyday stressors as well as info on what to do with other people's kids when I run across them in situations I used to see as negative.
I love that this book is written in clear, conversational language, too. It is so easy to read and comprehend that I started using some of the tools the first day of reading. And my eleven-year-old responded just the way Jane promised she would. Our relationship is better now than it has ever been.
It's the best twenty bucks I've ever spent! Now I give the book as a gift to all the moms I know, for every occasion I can think of, especially on Mother's Day.