How to Handle a Hard-to-Handle Kid: A Parents' Guide to Understanding and Changing Problem Behaviors Book

Some children act out, argue, disobey, and throw temper tantrums more frequently than others. If you’re parenting one of these high-maintenance kids, this book is for you.

Clinical child psychologist C. Drew Edwards doesn’t just tell you what to do with a hard-to-handle kid. He also explains why some children are especially aggressive and disruptive—because understanding is key to helping them become responsible, competent, and content.

He spells out specific strategies for building a solid, positive relationship with your child—and ways to take care of yourself (parenting a difficult child can be stressful!).

And he encourages you to become an Authoritative Parent: balancing nurturance and support with structure and direction, blending positive and negative feedback, including children in the discipline process, using family problem solving, and guiding your child toward greater responsibility.

Packed with practical information and real-life examples, written with authority and compassion, this is a book you’ll turn to often for advice, insight, and good news: Parenting a hard-to-handle child isn’t an impossible task. These strategies really work.

Children's Literature

Childrearing, under the best of circumstances, is becoming a more complex undertaking, or else it seems that way in our fast paced society. Life is not as simple, and childrearing, especially difficult children, is not simple. This book seeks to promote understanding of the complex issues involved in developing guidelines for childrearing within a family. Children are neither good or bad, though many parents and school professionals often tend to view them as such. Dr. Edwards discusses, in easy to understand language, behaviors with which parents should be concerned, and the outcomes of ignoring certain behaviors in dealing with hard to handle children. The results can troublesome long after these children grow up. There is emphasis on understanding the factors which influence a child's behavior such as temperament, family stress, outside influences and parenting patterns, as well as understanding the factors which cause one to parent one way or another. Children need both nurturing and caring as well as direction and structure. Various strategies are discussed to deal with children in these areas without championing any one way. Charts, checklists and role playing tips are provided to help parents practice improving their skills. An added bonus is a discussion on child development, and how understanding what your child is capable of at a certain age can help make child rearing more realistic. There are tips for every parent, no matter your style, in a format that is easy to read and not at all preachy, even when to know when to seek professional help. Anyone who deals with children will find this an important addition to their library.