True story: Sara, a precocious four-year-old, came with her parents to their first counseling session. Her teacher referred them because Sara bit other kids when she didn’t get her way. There were also lots of behavior challenges at home. Midway through the session, I playfully asked Sara, “Who’s the boss in your family?” She pointed to her dad. Her mom burst into fit of laughter, exclaiming, “That’s so not true.” Sara started to giggle, then threw her hands on her hips and proclaimed “Mommy’s right.
I’m the boss! But mommy wants to be the boss. That’s why we’re here.”Sound familiar?
§ Do you have to raise your voice, lecture or repeat yourself to get your child to behave?
§ Do your kids ignore normal, everyday requests when they just don’t feel like listening?
§ Do you want to avoid spanking and yelling but nothing else seems to work?
§ Would you like to learn ways of breaking these negative cycles and endless upsets?In short, does it feel like you are no longer the parent in charge, the leader, the captain, the boss? Welcome to the club. Millions of parents are struggling with children that are defiant and strong-willed—kids who need to learn how to listen better.
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“Who’s the Boss” (96 pages, B&W, soft cover, $9.95) presents a concise and effective method to turn things around and create an even closer relationship with your child and set limits in a way that helps the whole family.Recently winning an Eric Hoffer Award for Independent Publishing, “Who’s the Boss” is written by psychologist Don MacMannis, Ph.D. and Debra Manchester MacMannis, M.S.W. Ideal for parenting 3 to 10-year-olds, the program they outline is the result of over thirty-five years of study, teaching and clinical practice. Hundreds of families have successfully used the Win-Win Way to make a shift.
“Strong-willed kids require special parenting skills,” says Dr. MacMannis. “Even though you will benefit greatly as a parent, it won’t be at your kids’ expense. With this approach, your child can wind up being happier, more loving, have a higher self-esteem and feel less guilty and anxious. Best of all, you can have more fun together and resign, most of the time, from that role of ‘bad cop.’”
“This little gem of a book is simple, concrete, and best of all—effective!” –Richard Kravitz, M.A.
For more information about “Who’s the Boss” visit www.strong-willedchild.com.
About the Authors:
Married for 35 years, Don and Debra have simultaneously served as co-directors of the Family Therapy Institute of Santa Barbara, a nonprofit organization. In this capacity they oversee the clinical work of fourteen therapists providing help to hundreds of clients each year. They are also co-authors of How’s Your Family Really Doing? 10 Keys to a Happy Loving Family.
Don has a bachelor’s degree from Dartmouth, a masters in school-child psychology from University of Virginia, and a Ph.D. in clinical psychology. Also a musician, he has been music director and songwriter for the PBS hit, Jay Jay the Jet Plane. More recently he wrote and produced Happy Kids Songs—over 50 award-winning songs and activities that help boost kids’ character, social and emotional skills.
Debra got her bachelor’s degree in psychology with distinction from Stanford University and a masters in social welfare from U. C. Berkeley. Both Don and Debra have taught a variety of undergraduate and graduate level classes in psychology and family therapy.
Okay so I like to check out parenting books. I am always curious about other styles of parenting and advice that other parents, and professionals in the area of parenting have to offer. You just never know when you might get a tip or trick to make life easier or give you a different approach with your own kids.
I was pretty interested in checking out Who’s the Boss. It was a short and quick easy read. The book is a 96 page paperback comprised of 18 chapters, that I think applies to parenting kids between the ages of 3 and 10 years old.
The book covers areas such as:
*problems at school or home
*reducing negative emotions
*the big picture
*roadblocks to change
*sleep and exercies
and more…..
I like that the book acknowledges that not only are not all families alike, but not all children are alike. There are designated chapters on these two topics.
I had a few favorite chapters in the book and I really liked how the book talked about sleep and exercise. I totally believe that good sleep and regular exercise are very important for children both for their health and in helping reduce stress and anxiety.
Whether you are feeling like you are the one in charge or not, I think that this quick read is a good read and will get you thinking about parenting styles and techniques. You might even end up finding a tip that you fall back on in those parenting times of need.
To find out more about Who’s the Boss visit the following…
Website
YouTube
LinkedIn
Disclosures: MomMomOnTheGo was provided product for the purpose of conducting this review.
Photo Credits are to Who’s the Boss.