Take Back Your Kids: Confident Parenting in Turbulent Times (Paperback)

by William J. Doherty (Author) "We are facing an epidemic of insecure parenting..." (more)
Key Phrases: parent today, confident parenting, raising responsible children, Building the Village, Confident Fathering, Insecure World (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
Childhood may be changing, but todays cable-ready, all-too-worldly kids are still just kids and should be treated that way. William J. Doherty does not want to recreate childhood as it was in simpler times, he merely wants to help parents adapt to the changes and create an even better future. Dohertys new book, Take Back Your Kids, offers a blueprint to do just that.

Too often, Doherty believes, parents merely provide services and opportunities for children, who in turn consider themselves "consumers of parental services." Hierarchy has diminished. Parents regularly make sacrifices in time and money they perceive to benefit their children. Take Back Your Kids shows occasionally saying no to a childs wish, denying a costly and time-consuming opportunity, allows for more meaningful family moments together at meals, church services and volunteer activities.

Take Back Your Kids gives parents a clear picture of what they should expect from themselves and their children. Doherty describes the skills necessary to be a confident parent--the importance of firm boundaries on behavior, an understanding of when to be flexible, and the courage to express constructive anger and endure the consequences. A good parent may be unpopular from time to time, but children respect and appreciate the exercise of authority in the context of loving family relationships.

Doherty concedes that maintaining those relationships may be difficult amid modern media distractions and fractured families. Take Back Your Kids describes how to monitor media exposure in a culture of constant television and Internet-literate eight-year-olds. He explains why responsible fatherhood may be the most untapped resource in raising children. And he offers advice for co-parents, single parents and step-parents alike to transcend their individual situations and discover the path to loving, respectful and productive relationships with their children.

From the Back Cover
"We may be the most child-sensitive generation of parents the world has ever known--and the most confused and insecure."

But it doesn't have to be that way.

We can be both sensitive and in charge.

William J. Doherty, Ph.D. shows you how. Take Back Your Kids is a timely, confidence-building book that backs up fresh insights with personal experience and advice you can rely on.

Take Back Your Kids shows how to protect children from the me-first, consumer culture by giving them the love and limits they need. I recommend this wonderful book without reservation. Laura Schlessinger Host of the "Dr. Laura Schlessinger Show" and author of Ten Stupid Things Women Do to Mess Up Their Lives

Doherty is clearly a guy who has been around kids and parents. His stories are fresh and apt, his writing is clear and entertaining. His work helps harried and confused parents-which is all of us by now-raise well-adjusted, productive kids.
Mary Pipher

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Product Details

• Paperback: 158 pages
• Publisher: Sorin Books (March 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 189373207X
• ISBN-13: 978-1893732070
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.4 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #429,380 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

35 of 35 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Every Parent Should Read This!, March 17, 2000

By A Customer

This is one of the most direct and honest books I've ever read about raising children in "turbulent times." The author, William Doherty, gives parents helpful, and sometimes shockng insights into how they have contributed to their children's self-centered, entitled attitudes. As the mother of three kids, I was surprised to see myself on so many pages. But Doherty doesn't stop there. He tells us how we can become more confident and secure parents in a me-centered society. His eleven strategies for expecting and getting respect from our children is indispensible and has already been used with positive results in my own family. Every chapter helped me to see more clearly as a parent and gave me the strength to stay firm with my children when it comes to their responsibility to family, school and society. Thank you, Mr. Doherty for giving me back my kids.

18 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars TAKE BACK YOUR KIDS, April 10, 2000

By A Customer

I thought the book was excellent. As a single parent I feel this book will be a companion of mine as I raise my son. How important it is for our children to learn about respect for their parents and their family. I, too, am guilty of some of the mistakes the author mentioned in the book but am thankful that I now have a book to guide the way. We as parents, especially single parents have to get away from the guilt that we feel when we can't provide our children with everything they want. To teach a child respect is an invaluable gift every child should receive.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Clear Thinking on Parenting, May 16, 2003

By A Customer

Let me share a short story about why this book made such good sense to me.

I have two friends, who I'll call Candace and Mary. Candace is the kind of mom who jumps every time her daughter says boo, no matter how demanding or rude the request. Mary, on the other hand, was less 'conscientious.' Her husband was, at times, downright gruff with their kids when they got obnoxious. I always assumed that Candace, because she worked so much harder, was the better mother. Then one day it hit me like a bolt of lightning: Candace's daughter was a whiny, unhappy little girl, whereas Mary's were much happier.

For some reason, many parents of my generation feel we must give our children our constant, undivided attention, must protect them from all forms of disappointment, and never, ever be angry with them. Doherty shows why that's a recipe for disaster. He looks at these misconceptions and gives good, sensible guidance. Probably one of the best parenting books I've ever read.