Winning Cooperation from Your Child!: A Comprehensive Method to Stop Defiant and Aggressive Behavior in Children (Developments in Clinical Psychiatry) [Paperback]

Kenneth Wenning (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 1, 1999 | ISBN-10: 0765702312 | ISBN-13: 978-0765702319 | Edition: Revised

Winning Cooperation from Your Child provides parents and therapists with a comprehensive, home-based behavioral recovery program for oppositional, defiant, and aggressive children. In response to the national epidemic of defiant and aggressive behavior, Kenneth Wenning offers a range of specific techniques to promote cooperative behavior in children. This unique book can be used either as a self-help resource for parents or to support a collaboration between a parent and a therapist toward a common goal—a child's rapid behavioral recovery. These methods will enable parents to help defiant children develop "psychological armor" and behavioral and emotional control when provoked, teased, or frustrated as well as prevent parents from overreacting or underreacting to the child's disobedience. The aim is to nurture in the child the capacity for accurate self-reflection, a prerequisite for taking responsibility for his or her own actions.

Editorial Reviews

Review

This book beautifully applies the theory and practice of Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT) to the parenting of difficult children. It does so clearly and soundly and is short in length but long on great advice to parents. (Ellis, Albert Ph.D )

This is an extremely readable, engaging, and informed book. (Alan E. Kazdin, Ph.D. )

This book succinctly communicates crucial information for parents of disruptive children. Despite its brevity, it focuses not just on behaviors, but also on thought patterns; not just on children's compliance, but also on their skills in dealing with the world; not just on reward and punishment, but also on modeling and other methods of influence; and not just on what parents should do, but also on how they can overcome the barriers to doing these things. This book will help both parents and clinicians who wish to prevail over the behavior problems that pervade our society. If all parents could incorporate these suggestions into their behavior, the world would be a vastly better place. (Joseph Strayhorn, M.D. ) --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

About the Author

Kenneth Wenning received his MSW (1980) and Ph.D. (1988) from the Smith College School for Social Work in Northampton, Massachusetts. For the past fifteen years he has specialized in the evaluation and treatment of children who are oppositional, defiant, and aggressive. Currently he works in New Haven at the Clifford W. Beers Guidance Clinic where he teaches, supervises, and conducts research. Dr. Wenning also maintains a private practice of child and family treatment in Hamden, Connecticut. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Paperback: 188 pages
• Publisher: Jason Aronson, Inc.; Revised edition (September 1, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0765702312
• ISBN-13: 978-0765702319
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.4 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.1 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,090,934 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

30 of 33 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This book is a MUST for all parents., October 29, 2002

By 

"cherivon" (Tualatin, Oregon United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Winning Cooperation from Your Child!: A Comprehensive Method to Stop Defiant and Aggressive Behavior in Children (Developments in Clinical Psychiatry) (Paperback)

I have read SO many parenting books and this one rates up in the top 3, along with Parenting with Love and Logic and Raising Your Spirited Child. This book isn't just for parents of defiant/aggressive kids but for all parents. It is comprehensive, but simple to read without alot of redundancy to wade through. The author doesn't have any elaborate, complicated plans for you to follow, just practical, realistic but excellent parenting advice. If you are ready to follow his guidelines, you are ready to have a closer and healthier relationship with your child.

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Winning Cooperation from Your Child!: A Comprehensive Method to Stop Defiant and Aggressive Behavior in Children, November 12, 2006

By 

Nancy K. "keke0116" (Miami, FL USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Winning Cooperation from Your Child!: A Comprehensive Method to Stop Defiant and Aggressive Behavior in Children (Developments in Clinical Psychiatry) (Paperback)

An absolute MUST READ for any parent of an ODD child. There needs to be a warning: THIS IS NOT FOR THE SQUEAMISH OR FOR PARENTS NOT WILLING TO CHANGE because the author does spend time 'talking to' the parents about how THEY may first have to change in order for the child to change. Some people may take offense to this, thinking they are being 'blamed' for their child's behaviors. However, the message isn't one of finger-pointing. Instead, what the author is saying is that as the 'adult,' we may need to change our behavior and/or approach to this child in order for the child to change. Typcially, parents and ODD kids find themselves in a perpetual cycle ... the child misbehaves (albeit out of his control,) and the parent responds with traditional punishments and consequences; the child's frustration level increases (as s/he was not in control of the behavior to begin with) and then continues to misbehave, which results in additional punishments and consequences, leaving the child with a sense of doom and total failing, thus losing an 'incentive' to behave, and the parents feel like failures as they can't control their child. At some point, the cycle needs to be broken ... a change is needed. As the adult (the person in control, in charge) we are more in a position to change ... to break the cycle. It is not saying that the parents are at fault or are to blame. It is saying that as the ADULT person in the relationship, we need to take a different tactic or approach with the child. If we do, our child can/will change. To not be willing to do that, the parent is expecting the child to do all the changing (but not teaching them how to do that.) The book needs to be read to be totally understood, and read with an open mind. What I can and will say that I read this initially when my child (now 15) was 7 or 8 ... and it changed my life. The book became my bible, and I've recommended it to others over the years. I've read it and re-read it, and implemented the techniques. I went from having a child with such severe rage that the doctors were talking hospitalization ... to having a teenager who gets good grades, is a nice kid, is an avid baseball player and a black belt in karate ... who will become a loyal and productive member of society. For anyone to disregard this book for fear of being told that part of their child's behavior MAY be contributed to their own behaviors or their reactions to their child's is a shame, because anyone who can read this book with an open mind has a far greater chance of success ... for their child ... and it is their child that is the subject of the book and should be the focus of their attention.

5 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars "Winning Cooperation..." has not won me at all, July 17, 2006

By 

Book Lady (WI United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Winning Cooperation from Your Child!: A Comprehensive Method to Stop Defiant and Aggressive Behavior in Children (Developments in Clinical Psychiatry) (Paperback)

To be honest, the only reason I have given this book one star is that I could not give it zero stars. I have read many, many parenting books and am totally unimpressed by this one. First of all, the book places 100% of blame on the parents of these children for their defiant behavior. While this may be the case in some situations, it ignores situations where parents are fostering or adopting children that have been damaged by previous caregivers, and it does not acknowledge in any way that brain dysfunction may be present and responsible for the behavior of many oppositional and defiant children today. Secondly, the strategies presented in this book are not applicable or appropriate for children that are not attached: only a child that is appropriately attached to an adult figure would think and problem solve in the manner described by this author. Strategies presented in this book rely heavily on praise and positive social enforcement; a child that is unattached and lacks conscience is unlikely to respond to such attempts to "win" them. In fact, these oppositional and defiant children are not motivated by praise at all! I am an educated professional individual, parenting a very difficult child, and I found this book to be insulting and a complete waste of my time and money.