Different Children, Different Needs: Understanding the Unique Personality of Your Child

by Charles F. Boyd, Robert A. Rohm

Biblical parenting involves encouraging, exhorting, and empathizing with children according to their unique needs and character. This re-release of Different Children, Different Needs clarifies what the Bible means when it commands us to "train up a child in the way he should go" (Proverbs 22:6). It teaches moms and dads how to understand the personality God has given each of their children and how to tailor their parenting styles to meet their children's needs. Pastor Charles Boyd uses the popular DISC personality assessment model to help parents better recognize, accept, and appreciate their kids' temperaments.

IF ONLY YOUR PARENTS HAD READ THIS BOOK...

Do you know whether your child is determined, influencing, soft-hearted, or conscientious?

The key to effective parenting is knowing what motivates your child.

The information and tools provided in Different Children, Different Needs will take the mystery out of the way you interact with each other. You'll begin to realize things you never understood about the best way to relate to each unique son or daughter.

Your children will come to realize how God has designed and gifted them, growing in confidence and finding a sense of belonging. And you'll enjoy the fulfilling parenting experience you've always wished for.

Story Behind the Book

Based on the biblical teaching of Proverbs 22:6, the principles in this book can become the backbone for everything you do as a parent. If you don't practice the "big picture" principle presented in Different Children, Different Needs , your kids will be negatively affected. But if you take Proverbs 22:6 seriously and seek to apply what you find in this book, your children will come to understand how God has designed and gifted them. They will grow to have both a sense of confidence and a sense of belonging. Just when you master the art of parenting one child, here comes another—and they're "different as night and day." You must learn how to tailor your own unique parenting style to meet your children's special needs more effectively.

This simple resource helps you understand, accept, appreciate, and enjoy your children…and their God-given temperaments.

Genres: Parenting, Nonfiction, Education, Self Help

256 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1994

Reviews

[Jennifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thought this was a great book both for people with kids and without (more on that later). First, It focuses on the fact that there are four different type of people and that children should be raised true to their type and appreciated for who they are instead of being raised to feel that something is wrong with them and they need to change. This book isn’t saying you should allow your children to do as they please, but that children shouldn’t be made to feel bad for being perfectionistic, slower moving, emotional, social, etc. This book gives techniques for determining your type and your child’s type and includes advice for how each parent can get along better with each type of child. I was easily able to type my parents as well and learn, even as an adult, how to better get along with them as well as why I may have some of the issues I do at them moment. It also includes comments you can give your children to make them feel good about their best qualities. These comments can be good as well for helping friends and relatives to feel good about their qualities. I don’t have children myself but I still found this book to be a big help .The author states that if children are brought up to feel good about who they are they will continue to be the same type in adulthood. I took both the children’s test and the adult’s test to type myself in both periods, and the results were much different. This leads me to the conclusion that instead of living true to who I really am, I’m living true to who others (mostly my parents) want me to be. The detailed descriptions of the types, both as a child and as a parent along with the descriptions in the back of the book, further confirmed that I am still the type I was as a child, just trying to be someone different. This is probably a huge part of why I’m not as happy as I should be. I can’t say for sure how effective this will be until I start living more true to the type I was as a child, but I have high expectations :). I would recommend this book

[Dianna Byrd · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of favorite parenting books. You learn how you and your spouse parent based on your life speed and priorities and how each child also has their own speed and priorities. The key is to learn to "dance" together! It's a must read for marriages and parenting.

[Patience · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very interesting and impressive with practical examples that one can relate to. An amazingly great read for Parents /Couples raising kids, I could find all 4 of my kids as well as hubby and myself ,as I identified all the frustrations that takes place through personality misunderstandings or rather missing links.
Absolutely love it...

[Jen Liu · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reading this book not only can you understand what your kids are thinking but also know more about people around you, how they response and why they act like that. Once you know the reason , u won't be disturbed by their behavior.

[Carlee Neumann · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the best books on parenting I’ve ever read! Fantastic!!

[Joyce · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good book to place children in perspective and why they react certain way. Good to stay positive and focus how God made us all different. Not 1 type is better or worse than the others.

[Mariam · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great insight and advice. I'm a big fan of MBTI myself, but this DISC personality rubric was helpful for parenting/ family life.

[Aniqua · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good, but hard to finish. Was not as engaging as I would have liked.

[Talai · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked this book as far as the information it gave me to help me understand my parenting style, my kids behavior style, how we mix together, what our strengths are, and what I need to watch out for. I find myself studying my kids a lot more. I worry often if I'm doing my best to recognize my children's strengths and if I am adapting my parenting style to their different needs, which is why I sought out a book like this. It was a great reminder to me that just because my children may find a solution to a problem different then I would or may only have one friend instead of ten it does not mean something is wrong with them. They are born with certain traits, strengths, and weaknesses and I need to respect that. I'll refer back to this book often to help me to understand my kids.

[Mimi · Rating 5 out of 5]

So insightful! I wish I had had this book at the beginning of parenting but I think it works any time with anyone! A book to read and read and read again. I've been using this book as a reference in leading a teen girls small Bible study group to help them understand how special they are just the way they are. Based on the DISC profile

[Elizabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this book and feel it is a must read for parents. It takes your personality and your child's personality and shows how each child has to be disciplined one way and each parent needs to discipline differently.

[Lori Johnson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a great resource to help you understand how your children are wired and how to best communicate to them based on that wiring. I had the opportunity to help Charlie write the study guide to this book.

[Linda Goldfarb · Rating 4 out of 5]

Used this book in my parenting class, Parenting Awesome Kids. Everyone enjoyed the book and it's practical concepts.
It's a great beginning to understanding why we're different from each other and how to find that blend as a family.

[Natalie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was really hoping to love this book, but I just couldn't ever figure out where to place myself or my kids in the DISC model, which is the whole basis if the book. So, while there were some good tips, I just couldn't really apply them.

[Brita · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the most practical parenting books I have read.

[Lori · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an excellent resource for anyone to read especially if you are around children in your life. I am reading it again with my husband.

[Heather]

This is good. I was reading it fast at first because I felt I knew what he was trying to say and I skipped the inventory. But I may go back and take the inventory because it really was a good book.

[Cheryl · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great insights into how to provide encouragement for our kids. Thankful I've read this.

[Rae · Rating 3 out of 5]

A Christian-oriented look at the four communication/behavioral styles and how parents can be more effective and understanding in raising their children. Quite good.

[Emmanuel · Rating 3 out of 5]

Grounded and practical with many specific examples and realistic scenarios.

[Betsy · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the best "learn about your kid" books I've read. A must read for parents! Practical and helpful.

[Robert Murphy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent summary of DISC as applied to Christian parenting. Well laid out and useful for a book club, complete with questions at the end of chapters. Only a tiny bit of Christian cheesy schmarm.