The Encouraging Parent: How to Stop Yelling at Your Kids and Start Teaching Them Confidence, Self-Discipline, and Joy

by Rod Wallace Kennedy

Would you like to end temper tantrums, sibling rivalry, and other unacceptable behavior without resorting to threats, shouting, or spanking?

Let Dr. Rod Kennedy show you how to become an Encouraging Parent.

Remember that time when you were down on your knees, holding out your arms, and shouting out encouragement as your toddler took those first steps? When your child stumbled and fell, you didn't shout, spank, or reprimand -- you smiled, soothed, encouraged. You motivated your child to succeed. You can recapture that positive and effective attitude and harness it to raise a confident, self-disciplined, and happy child. The first step is to realize that the problem isn't how to "fix" your child, it's to understand how your own attitudes and beliefs get in the way of effective parenting, then learn how to fine-tune your emotional and communication skills.

Based on his popular workshops, which have trained more than 100,000 parents, Dr. Kennedy's book contains a wealth of practical information on how to teach kids self-discipline. Topics

         ¸  A self-test to help pinpoint where you need to refine your parenting skills
         ¸  Establishing daily routines that are easy to remember-- and that will end the chaos
         ¸  Teaching kids to get along and resolve their own conflicts so you don't have to micromanage
         ¸  Real-life parenting lessons from the parents who attend Dr. Kennedy's workshops

This warm, empathetic, and practical guide will help you nurture your child's positive development and create the loving, supportive atmosphere all kids need to thrive.

Genres: Parenting

272 pages, Paperback

First published January 16, 2001

Reviews

[Terri D. · Rating 2 out of 5]

The title sounds great, but this is a book written by a man with a Ph.D. in communications who has no academic or professional experience with children. It shows-- his tone is clearly that of the self-righteous parent who "did everything right" rather than someone who has experienced a wide range of childhood difficulties and problems. Frequently overly simple and self contradictory. Don't read the book, and certainly don't pay big bucks to attend one of his seminars.

[Melissa Hernandez Oliver · Rating 1 out of 5]

1.5 stars. There is some decent advice in here, so I kept reading, but I'm giving up halfway through. Some of his advice is completely unhinged.

This is the direct quote that made me put the book down: "If your son's 4th grade teacher calls you at home and says, "I need to tell you that your son, by himself, has me considering early retirement," make an appointment to see that teacher in her class the next day. Make sure Dad takes off from work, in the middle of the morning, and goes to his son's class. Walk into the class. Don't even look at your son. Spend about three minutes talking with the teacher. Leave the classroom without ever looking at your son. The nonverbal message--I'm here to communicate with the teacher and not the child--will be powerful."

What the actual fuck? That's not encouraging. That's emotional manipulation.

He also contradicts himself. On page 30, he talks about not making negative assumptions about your children, and then on page 91 he literally makes a list of negative assumptions about children.

I also super loved the part where his teenage daughter was having an issue slamming her bedroom door so he punished her by literally taking the door off its hinges. Like doesn't even say anything to her. Just walks to her room, takes it off, and walks away. Absolutely not.

I'm an actual trained professional in this field and this book is garbage. Don't bother.