Customer Rating: 
Summary: This book is an excellent resource for parents!
Comment: I bought this book along with "Siblings Without Rivalry: How to Help Your Children Live Together So You Can Live Too", by Adele Faber and think they complement each other. Positive Discipline has given me the crucial tools that I have been lacking for years. I've had to struggle to bring my girls up while trying to avoid an overly strict upbringing, but found myself struggling one too many times to try and find good solutions. Now I have the tools and I feel wonderful! We never had big problems (everything is relative) but the problems we were experiencing were unacceptable for our family. We've only had about three months of non stop bickering, but we simply couldn't imagine going through that for years!
One review commented negatively on the author "blaming parents" or something to that effect. I agree with the author. We are responsible for our children. We are supposed to show them effective ways of communicating their feelings. So of course we have to take the responsibility. I could have gone around thinking, "I'm the best parent that I can be, so not much to do there", but what about personal growth? It's a never ending process. I can ALWAYS be better, no matter how good I think I am. So yes, we must take that responsibility and educate ourselves so that we can teach our children to the best of our abilities.
I sincerely believe that the author was just asking parents to take responsibility for their actions and words. Blame is a word which I've learned serves no purpose, however, looking for solutions will achieve positive results and this book teaches you everything you need to know to achieve those positive results!
I've seen a significant difference between all of the relationships in our home and it hasn't even been two weeks yet! This is another wonderful thing about the book. I've found that my relationship with my husband has improved too. "Sore subjects" are now discussed in a way that we just never managed before. I feel free from frustration. I haven't raised my voice since I started reading this book! A good amount of anger and frustration has just vanished! This book, if you read it thoroughly "forces" you to look at your own childhood and deal with left over issues from that time. Just an amazing read - I could write about it all day! :o)
Customer Rating: 
Summary: Positive Discipline Audio
Comment: I haven't listened to the cd's yet but have been listening to the podcasts and have several of the books. I look forward to hearing them. I received them in excellent condition.
Customer Rating:
Summary: A must-read for parents everywhere
Comment: The entire concept of positive discipline runs contrary to what most people think of when they hear the word "discipline". I was given the book when I took the workshop. I have a very high-needs 12 year old and parenting him has been very difficult. Nothing we tried seemed to help. Everyone else was focused on consequences for "nad" behavior and praise for "good" behavior. The idea was to get him to behave the way we wanted him to. Something about this never felt quite right to me, but I couldn't figure out a better way.
This book offers some amazing ideas that I believe children everywhere would greatly benefit from. It explains why "kids these days" don't have the same sense of responsibility and respect that they had in the past. There is a strong focus on letting go of the idea that making a child feel worse will then make them do better. The focus is on solutions and long-term outcome...not punishment and immediate behavior. It is not, however, about "letting them get away with it" (whatever it may be). It explains the difference between praise and encouragement, a difficult but important distinction.
Not only do I recommend the book, but I recommend the workshop.
Kids don't come with instructions, but every now and then, somebody comes along with ideas that really make sense and work. I believe the concept of positive discipline is one of those ideas.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Not just theory
Comment: The most important part is, Nelsen writes from experience. Most of the would-be "authorities" writing about childrearing turn our to have raised only two or three, or maybe four, children of their own. Nelsen raised seven! So if she says spanking is unnecessary, that other techniques do indeed work, I say she has enough experience to know this.
The original edition of this book was written in a format suitable to be used in parent discussion groups -- Nelsen intended for parents interested in her methods to get together, seminar-style, and discuss their successes and failures in using the techniques in this book. There are no quick-fixes here. Raising children takes work and commitment, no way around that. In fact, Nelsen warns parents that when they first switch to her methods, the children's behavior will temporarily get worse before it gets better, as they test the parent's resolve; to succeed at Positive Disciplne, you must be willing to stick it out through this short-term setback, and hold out for the long-term success.
Customer Rating:
Summary: A Great Place to Begin
Comment: There is much to recommend about this book. It explains, for example, why discipline based on punishment and fear doesn't work in the long run. Every parent ultimately must determine their own parenting style, adopting those techniques that work for them. This works for me and is an excellent place for any parent to begin.
|
