Reviews for Have a New Kid by Friday: How to Change Your Child's Attitude, Behavior and Character in 5 Days

The average rating for Have a New Kid by Friday: How to Change Your Child's Attitude, Behavior and Character in 5 Days based on 2 reviews is 3.5 stars.

Review # 1 was written on 2008-09-04 00:00:00 William Perry By the end of the summer I was losing my mind with my older daughters, ages 9 and 7. This book suggestion popped up in a weekly e-mail, and I really needed new kids by Friday - if not sooner! A few chapters in, (I read more than one a day - I need to get the program going!)I really like the common sense approach, and the fact that you are shaping attitute, behavior and character - they are all intertwined. I started changing my approach already today, and we made it all the way to bedtime with no yelling or crying - hooray!! Now, seven days later, my house is a new place. I haven't raised my voice all week, my children have been apologizing for bad behavior, my three-year-old is staying in her bed at bedtime, and they are picking up after themselves. WOW. If you really stick to your guns, and FOLLOW THROUGH every time (with Leman's method of B doesn't happen until A is completed), instead of 'threaten' punishment (a mommy bad habit), the kids really learn that mom means business. Read this book if you really mean business, and are willing to be punished yourself a little bit (like, if you were going to take the kids to the movie, and you need to take away the movie,it does mean no movie time for you - not, well, we'll still do this one thing and then I'll take away the next thing.). Consistency goes a long way and I'm surprised at how quickly I earned my childrens' respect back. I've even seen a lot more hugs from my nine-year-old. I know new challenges will come, but these principals have prepared me to deal with them - and the cool question/answer section at the back of the book touches on topics I'll need to reference as the children grow. I think I've read my final parenting book - hooray!

Review # 2 was written on 2014-07-12 00:00:00 David Monroy Confession--this was a book my husband INSISTED that I read, not one that I picked out by choice. I have to say that overall, I felt that Leman only made two valid points throughout the entire book, and that the rest was just filler (or letters from "grateful" readers, plugging this book). The first point that I felt merited some thought was to not encourage/engage in arguing with your child. Later, when they want some favor or treat, you say "no"--if they ask why, you explain--once--that you did not appreciate the way they spoke to you earlier. The second valid point, IMHO, was "B doesn't happen until after A"; obviously used for a variety of scenarios. I felt that most of this book was redundant after the first 1/3, merely hammering in points that the author already stated. If you actually pay attention to what you're reading, you've already gotten his points by then. It was also filled with "real-life situations" to simulate the points, that I felt were a complete waste of time. After all, everyone's situation is different, and what someone else's child says to their mother isn't the same things my child are saying to me. The biggest turn off (after the redundancy factor), was the letters from people exclaiming how great the book is--seriously, if it is that great, I don't need 1/2 of the book filled with other people saying that--just give me the facts. For 2 valid points, not really recommended.