Secret of Parenting Book

Essential advice from the author of the bestselling Get Out Of My Life

Today's children—from toddlers to preteens—challenge their parents in ways that would have been unthinkable a generation ago, notes Anthony E. Wolf, and parents are often uncertain about how to cope.

In his new book, Wolf presents a fresh perspective on this less pleasant behavior and a surprisingly simple method for dealing with it. He argues that punishments and rewards don't work and may even be counterproductive. Instead, parents must act swiftly and decisively following Wolf's easy but powerful technique. Using numerous examples of effective and ineffective parent-child interactions, he offers practical advice on a wide range of basic issues, from tantrums and back talk, to getting kids off to school in the morning and eliminating sibling fights.

Humorous and easy to use, The Secret of Parenting is guaranteed to dramatically increase the joy parents get from raising their children.

Publishers Weekly

In this eminently practical and often humorous volume, Wolf outlines a system for putting the brakes on such unpleasant behavior as whining, temper tantrums and sibling rivalry. Beginning with a firm stance against harsh punishment ("Parents have great power with their children, separate from any leverage based on fear. They just need to learn how to use what they have"), he explains the difference between what he terms the "baby self" and the "mature self" and demonstrates how to deal with "baby self" behavior calmly, firmly and consistently. Using an abundance of realistically scripted examples, he covers a laundry list of topics, such as "No--How to Say It," "Picking Up Rooms" and "I Won't/You Can't Make Me." His commonsensical, non-reactive approach to discipline will resonate with any parent struggling to curb misbehavior in their children. Peppered throughout with the author's own whimsical cartoons and wry asides (after describing a theoretical child's angelic response to a disciplinary tactic, for instance, he notes "there is an unconfirmed story that on March 18, 1977, a child from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, responded in this manner"), this book distills Wolf's 30 years of wisdom and experience as a clinical psychologist. It could easily be subtitled Parenting 101. (Sept.) Copyright 2000 Cahners Business Information.|