Parenting with Dignity: The Early Years

by Mac Bledsoe

Explains how to instill a sense of responsible decision-making even in the youngest children through the use of five important rules of parenting, covering such key issues of the toddler and preschool years as acting out, eating problems, manners, sibling rivalry, discipline, potty training, and more. Original.

Genres: Nonfiction, Parenting

Paperback

First published January 4, 2005

Reviews

[Karin · Rating 5 out of 5]

I gave it a 5 because the advice is soo good. The book starts off by saying that 'the ideas in your head rule your world' so how a child sees the world affects how he or she responds to it. Then he states his 5 'rules'.

I liked how he talks about teaching a child how to behave BEFORE they are taken to a restaurant, store or library. If they practice at home first, then they can more readily show their 'good' behavior at the new environment rather than having to be repremanded for not spontaneously using behaviors we as grown-ups expect them to use but they either don't know or they are too distracted to pick up by watching others at the time.

Fav. quote: It is not the duty of adults to create new punishments but rather to point out the negative concequences of negative actions.

It reminded me a lot of Barbara Coloroso's book Wiining at Parenting but focused towards preschoolers/ young children in it's advice. And also Mary Kurchinka's book "The Spirited Child".

[Susan · Rating 3 out of 5]

I only had one problem with this book! Yes! One! Can you guess what it was? Yes! The author needs an editor! Or someone should erase the exclamation point from his keyboard!

Seriously, there are two to three exclamation points per paragraph through the entire book. It's incredibly distracting.

Content-wise, though, it's a good book. The basics are pretty simple -- (1) your kids learn from *everything* they see you do, even when you don't think you're teaching them, and (2) they do what gets rewarded, even if you don't realize you're giving any kind of reward.

I skimmed a lot of the book because I'm not having any parenting crises these days, but even so had more than a few moments of realizing "Hey, *that's* how I can make mealtimes better" or "Right, I'd better be more aware of that other thing."

[Linda · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is so good that I want a copy of it given to the guardians of my children, with my will, if I should die. It's how I want to raise my kids, the attitude I want to have, and all the wisdom I could imagine in parenting, all in one book. I saw Mac Bledsoe speak and was just as impressed. It's practical and full of common sense, written in a way that will smack you in the head with good ideas. Love it.

[JJ · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked his 5 rules but it went downhill from there. I found him too vague on details. Book seemed to be a collection of articles rather than a comprehensive book and ended without a good summary. Wish he was a bit more realistic about how to handle some real parenting challenges.