Summaries and Customer Reviews are supplied by Amazon.com

Average Customer Rating:

There are much more respectful and effective resources out there

Customer Rating:

I am a child psychologist with expertise in how to effectively discipline children so that they can learn to be respectful, cooperative, and caring individuals. About ten years ago, I posted a review of this book, recommending that parents use other, more effective parenting approaches. I was contacted by Dr. Dobson's wife via email and she informed me that I was not a Christian because I had posted a critical review. This told me that I'd done the right thing, trying to steer parents toward a different, more respectful resource. For parents in search of a Christian parenting resource, I would suggest 1-2-3 Magic for Christian Parents. Parenting is no joke. It's really difficult and I wish all of you the best in finding the guidance that you and your children need.

This book is a must have!!!

Customer Rating:

I am a huge fan of Dr. Dobson, and it was pretty clear from the day I brought my son home from the hospital that I was going to have to read this book! I love how he had different sections for the different stages of a child's life. I also enjoyed the stories that he integrated into the different sections as examples. I found them humorous and could relate to them. I also like that he advises parents to be firm disciplinarians while at the same time loving their child. Contrary to what others may say, his advise is NOT to spank, spank, spank. He does give specific reasons when spanking would be appropriate, and specific instances where it would not be appropriate. And he does not believe that every act of defiance deserves corpal punishment. I particularly enjoyed reading the chapter "Protecting the Spirit" where he discusses using care with our words. He makes the point that children can have lifelong damage with something that we shouldn't have said and that we (hopefully) immediately regret. I couldn't agree more and I am so grateful for this book.

Deeply divided & very emotional topic

Customer Rating:

This book touches on the very personal, emotional and controversial topic of child spanking. Naturally there are many supporters and opponents. The people who dislike spanking tend to ignore the sound and Biblically correct discipline theories, and jump to condemn Dobson's entire book. I personally grew up in a family who my parents spanked, all the way to my teenage years. It was no doubt painful and humiliating experience, and at one point I vowed not to spank my own children. It's not until I became a Christian and a parent myself that I understood how proper, consistent, swift and balanced discipline means in rearing children. There is a way to do discipline with love not anger. Children are beautiful, but they are not as innocent as they might seem. Where does a 18 month old learn to push and hit even when he/she is growing up in a loving family? They are born with all the intelligence/brain they're ever going to have, and all the sins and virtues they are going to have. We need to stop being irrational but sensible in being strong parents. If we don't protect our children not only from outward evils but also inward self-destructiveness, that's doing them a terrible disservice. Our daughter is a very happy and high-energy 2-year old who shows very little of the terrible-2 syndrome. We only spank her when there is a safety issue or she is showing open defiance. For a girl who is in high gear all day long, I don't see how time-out will work for her. We started discipline before she turned 1, with gentle guidance and occasional spanking on the leg or bottom. We always make sure we explain to her before and after, and tell her how much we love her but we can't let her continue that behavior. It has worked wonders. For those parents who think their kids are too young to understand discipline, you're just looking for excuse for yourself to avoid the unpleasant part of being a parent. They won't understand if you never teach them. It's not time to be a friend with them when they are young. Toddlers need parents, not friends. They can make friends in many places but they only have 1 mom and dad. I don't want to wait til they are teenagers and be despised by my own children because they think I never try hard enough to lead them.

How much better off this world would be if parents would read this book!

Customer Rating:

I appreciate Dr. Dobson's insight into children. This book has absolutely helped me not to be a "screamer" anymore and to be a more confident parent to my two-year-old. He is not as strong willed as some of the examples in the book, but my husband and I can definitely already see a positive difference in his behavior. Even if your children aren't all that strong willed, I'm sure they enjoy testing the boundaries. Please, please read this book.

3 year old with a strong will

Customer Rating:

I have a 3 year old that I have had trouble dealing with from the time she was born. She held her breath out of anger when the nurse gave her a bath and put that tiny shirt on her just one hour after birth. She cried for the first 4 months from a combination of colic and wanting to be able to do whatever she wanted to do, like walk. I thought after she learned to roll, then, sit, then crawl, then walk, etc that she would be less cranky; well that didn't happen. She continues to be fussy, demanding, and insists on getting her own way. She wants to control the people in her world. Discipline and punishment have been difficult and have yielded little results; at home and at preschool. I have suspected for some time that she is strong willed and her teacher this week, after a full week of time outs from not listening, stated she did not know what to do with my daughter. I have read Dr. Dobson's book. It has great insight into how these children think. I don't fully understand how they think because I do not think that way. Dr Dobson opened my eyes on some issues and brought to my attention the fact that my daughter seriously needs direction, before her teen years. I liked the book, but wish he had been more specific and listed more detailed ideas/tools to use when punishing/disciplining besides spanking. I am not opposed to spanking but I find most discipline, including spanking, timeouts, taking privileges away, and offering rewards, do not work for my daughter. My daughter wants to do what she wants to do and that is the bottom line for her. This book has opened the door for me into her world and I have since been researching the subject online and have ordered 2 more books to help teach me how to deal with her. All the opponents to spanking, that I have read, use inflammatory words to get their point across. I was spanked as a child. I very vaguely remember maybe one of them. What I found harmful and hurtful to me was the yelling, screaming, being put down, controlled, belittled, and being worried when I would have to endure any of those things again; not being spanked. I can understand their passion, but controlled spanking needs to be put into perspective. All children need to be punished differently according to their temperament.