Six-Point Plan: for Raising Happy, Healthy Children [Paperback]

John Rosemond (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 1, 1989

Today's parents have been sold a bill of goods on so-called "quality time." They've been led to believe that children require constant attention. Psychologist John Rosemond knows that being a good parent is really about helping children get out of our lives. His easy-to-understand, easy-to-follow Six-Point Plan brings out the best in every family member.

Listen and learn how to:
1. Put your marriage first.
2. Expect your children to obey.
3. Establish responsibility by assigning chores.
4. Don't be afraid to tell your children "no"
5. Eliminate unnecessary toys.
6. Encourage creativity by minimizing TV viewing.

Parents who practice this simple plan can free themselves from guilt, exhaustion, and anger--and free their children to lead happy, responsible lives of their own.

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Psychologist and syndicated columnist Rosemond ( Parent Power! ) asserts that rearing children can be "relatively easy and enjoyable" if parents follow his advice: take care of your marriage first, then the kids; expect children to obey and they will; make children accept responsibility for their behavior and for household chores; say no to your child and you will build character; restrict toys--too many will limit a youngster's imagination; and keep television-viewing to a minimum or youths will become passive and won't develop an interest in reading. Each chapter includes questions from parents, with Rosemond's replies. He is dogmatic ("I don't believe there's any justification for letting a preschool child watch any television at all"), prone to psychobabble ("give yourself permission to be creatively selfish") and excessively cute (instead of using the word "no" he writes about "Vitamin N"). Nonetheless, the book succeeds in presenting fresh, reasonable strategies that should help parents to resolve family conflicts and raise well-adjusted children.
Copyright 1989 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal

Urging parents to become "benevolent dictators," psychologist Rosemond advocates, among other things, that parents should put their marriage first, children should not be paid for helping with routine household chores, and toys should be kept to a bare minimum. Ironically, he blames parenting books for leading society to become too child-centered, resulting in children who are no longer self-reliant. In a logical, well-articulated manner, Rosemond devotes each tape side to a single concept such as teaching responsibility or asserting parental authority. Many examples are provided, making this a practical rather than philosophical reference. Although his ideas seem at first impractical or old-fashioned, Rosemond's thorough explanations, real-life examples, and calm delivery make this a valuable resource for parents of both young and older children. Because parenting material is always popular, this will be useful in any collection serving adult populations.?Susan McCaffrey, Haslett H.S., MI
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 204 pages
• Publisher: Andrews McMeel Publishing; 1 edition (January 1, 1989)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0836228065
• ISBN-13: 978-0836228069
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.4 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (30 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #326,692 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

John Rosemond is a family psychologist who has both directed mental health programs and been in full-time private practice working with families and children. Since 1990, he has devoted his time to speaking and writing. John's weekly syndicated parenting column now appears in some 250 newspapers. Along the way, he's also managed to write eleven bestselling books on parenting and the family. As if that wasn't enough, he is one of the busiest and most popular speakers in his field, giving over 200 talks a year to parent and professional groups nationwide. He and his wife of 39 years, Willie, have two grown children and six well-behaved grandchildren.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

26 of 28 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent, science-based, and common sense approach., May 16, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Six-Point Plan: for Raising Happy, Healthy Children (Paperback)

Dr. Rosemond is clearly a scientist-practitioner, unafraid to say what is scientifically supported in spite of what may be unpopular. He delivers the message in common-sense terms, however, with very clear examples for implementation of some solid parenting principles.

I'd have to agree with about 95% of what is said in this book. My only reservation is that he might overstate his case on some issues... but that is OK, in my opinion, because so many of the social pressures and pop-psych influences on parents today need to be countered with good, well-supported approaches.

What I know of behavior (I am a psychologist) indicates that his approach is sound; the perfect guilt-removal tool to help parents help their children develop independence, creativity, and conscience. He alludes to some of psychology's best research to support his claims, much more than many other "parenting" books can even hope to do.

If you have or are having children, READ THIS BOOK! It will prevent a lot of problems down the road.

30 of 33 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent, easy-to-read advice for parents, March 18, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Six-Point Plan: for Raising Happy, Healthy Children (Paperback)

I have read several of Rosemond's books on parenting, and this remains my favorite. I have followed his advice in eliminating tv from my kids' lives and have never regretted it. Both are excellent readers with long attention spans and vivid imaginations. Rosemond's advice on putting one's marriage before the children may seem harsh, but it is really GOOD for children to know that they don't run the show. Kids are happier, better adjusted, and less spoiled this way. His views on toys, chores, and discipline have also greatly influenced me. I strongly recommend this book.

34 of 40 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A great common sense, basic values approach, October 28, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Six-Point Plan: for Raising Happy, Healthy Children (Paperback)

John Rosemond has hit the nail on the head. This book addresses most of the problems we were having with our own kids (ages 6 and 3),including why they were increasingly difficult and disrespectful even after we were giving them the extra attention we thought would bring them out of it. We've been complaining for a long time that our oldest child wouldn't play by himself, and never realized that the toys we bought him to play with were actually part of the problem. We especially liked that Rosemond, after recommending a method for correcting a behavior, will tell you that it's probably not going to work the first couple of times -- he's a realist. Most other books offer "try this and you'll be successful right away" quick fixes. No wonder we felt like nothing would work. John Rosemond writes in an easy to read, straight-forward, learn by example method. This is a great resource, and a great empowerment tool for parents who feel controlled by their children.