Temper Your Child's Tantrums (Pocket Guides) [Paperback]

James C. Dobson (Author)

Book Description

Series: Pocket Guide | Publication Date: April 15, 1986

Does it sometimes feel like your child’s moods are controlling you? Have you ever been embarrassed in public by your kids’ behavior, but weren’t sure how to handle it? Do you long for a more calm and peaceful home, without yelling and fighting? This is the book for you! In Temper Your Child's Tantrums, parenting expert Dr. James Dobson offers the essential keys to correcting a child in a firm, loving, and understanding way.

Product Details

• Paperback: 121 pages
• Publisher: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.; Revised edition (April 15, 1986)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0842369945
• ISBN-13: 978-0842369947
• Product Dimensions: 6.1 x 3.3 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 2.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (29 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #343,421 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

James C. Dobson, Ph.D., is founder and chairman emeritus of Focus on the Family, a nonprofit organization that produced his internationally syndicated radio programs, heard by more than 200 million people every day. A licensed psychologist and marriage, family, and child counselor, he earned a Ph.D. from the University of Southern California in the field of child development. The author of more than 30 books, including his most recent bestseller, Bringing Up Boys, he has been heavily involved in governmental activities related to the family. Dr. Dobson is married to Shirley and they reside in Colorado.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

100 of 121 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Lets Not Stretch the Truth Here, September 2, 2005

By 

Christian Father (Texas, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Temper Your Child's Tantrums (Pocket Guides) (Paperback)

I am amazed to see what has been written in some reviews comparing Christians to sadists. I don't believe that you will find the term "beat your child" in Doctor Dobson's advice. The term used here is spanking and it is interesting to note that his advice is that spanking should be applied to a situation early on when the parent is not angry and is well in control of their own emotions. He also warns against things like yanking a child up by their arms and other things that might physically injure a child. Nowhere does it imply that a parent should take out a board and beat a child senseless. We are more than willing to say that we "spank" our child. We have used a paint stirring stick. It is about 3/16 of an inch thick and about 12 inches long. The spanking is applied to the child's buttocks which we all know is quite well padded. Nowhere does Doctor Dobson advise parents to beat their child on the back or an area that could cause physical damage. Nowhere does he say to use a baseball bat or any object that could cause permanent physical damage to the child.

We have a two and a half year old that is in that difficult stage where she wants to say no and pitch fits. Unfortunately we have not been diligent enough to apply proper punishment. Let me make this perfectly clear. We DO NOT enjoy spanking our child and it is very painful to us but we know the alternative. It is to allow a child to grow up without discipline and wreak havoc.

It is interesting to note that since becoming more diligent in applying spanking IN THE RIGHT MANNER, our little one has become much more managable and we tend to be in much less of a stessed out situation where we could possible do something that we would regret. It is also interesting to see the attitude of our little one after the discipline. She settles down and climbs up in our lap for some of the most tender moments. She feels secure knowing that she has boundaries that are well established.

I would encourage those with negative attitudes toward these methods to ask themselves a question. What keeps you from robbing a bank or doing whatever you please? It is knowing that there is punishment for the things that you do wrong. How in the world do people expect a child who knows very little of right and wrong to make the decisions that an adult would make. They simply have to be taught right and wrong and that is done through LOVING discipline.

I would also like to make this comment. If those with such negative comments have purchased a book like this, then they must be going through some of the struggles that the book addresses. Maybe one should attempt to try the advice before labeling it as sadistic.

I would also like to see people use fact rather than poorly thought out rants. Point people toward actual studies that show that spanking your child is unhealthy. I might add that discipline in schools is a mess. Isn't it interesting to see the amount of school shootings we have not compared to the times when there was actual discipline. Leave spanking out of the category of child abuse and be open to an option that does actually work.

I would highly recommend this book and the advice that it gives. It is working in our lives although as a loving parent it is difficult to punish our child. We know that left to themselves the pain will be much worse if we allow an undisciplined child out into the world to make a mess.

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars It worked on me!, February 7, 2009

By 

Bosco - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Temper Your Child's Tantrums (Pocket Guides) (Paperback)

I was raised using the exact methods that Dobson recommends. I am a well-adjusted, happily married, mother of a five year old boy. I've attempted to use these exact principles to raise my son and so far he is one of the happiest, confident little boys I know. I think many people who reviewed this book have not read it in it's entirety. One of Dobson's strongest points is love. I guess I don't need to expound. The strongest argument for a book is the product of its application. Speaking of which, my sister and many of my friends were also disciplined this way, and they all turned out great :)

22 of 32 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This is an excellent guide the will HELP parent and CHILD!, August 3, 2005

By 

cayzar (United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Temper Your Child's Tantrums (Pocket Guides) (Paperback)

[...]

About the book. This is an excellent guide to help parent and children. As Dr. Dobson has said elswhere children crave structure and stability and that comes from disapline and love. In todays society we have forgotten the disapline aspect and liberals have developed a philopsophy of hate calling disapline abuse. What do we have to show for it. A nation of little monsters. Disapline has always been meat to be tempered by love and when the two are given together children respond.
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