Hide or Seek: Self-Esteem for the Child

by James C. Dobson

This book is intended to help parents and teachers raise self-confident, healthy children. By applying the strategies outlined here, youngsters need not hide in shame but can gain the courage to seek the best from their world.

Genres: Parenting, Christian, Family, Nonfiction, Religion, Counselling, Self Help

159 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1974

About the author

A licensed psychologist and marriage, family, and child counselor, Dr. James Dobson was a clinical member of the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy. For 14 years Dr. Dobson was an associate clinical professor of pediatrics at the University of Southern California School of Medicine, and he served for 17 years on the attending staff of Children's Hospital Los Angeles in the Division of Child Development and Medical Genetics. He earned a Ph.D. from the University of Southern California (1967) in the field of child development.

He was the author of more than 50 books, including The New Dare to Discipline, The New Strong-Willed Child, When God Doesn't Make Sense, Night Light: A Devotional for Couples, Bringing Up Boys, and the New York Times bestseller Bringing Up Girls .

Heavily involved in influencing governmental policies related to the family, Dr. Dobson was appointed by President Ronald Reagan to the National Advisory Commission to the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention. He also served on the Attorney General's Advisory Board on Missing and Exploited Children, the Department of Health and Human Services' Panel on Teen Pregnancy Prevention, and the Commission on Child and Family Welfare. He was elected in 2008 to the National Radio Hall of Fame, and in 2009 received the Ronald Reagan Lifetime Achievement Award.

Reviews

[Garrett Behrends · Rating 4 out of 5]

A bit dated at times, but a good look at building self-confidence in kids and adolescents.

[Michael · Rating 4 out of 5]

Though a bit dated, and certainly very Dobsonesque, this book is well worth the read for parents in the modern cultural context. Some of his suggestions that include reliance on public schools should be well planned and cautious. Not every public school is appropriate for socialization. The book is particularly relevant to the teenage years.

[Kathryn · Rating 3 out of 5]

He's got 2 main things that he thinks cause inferiority in people: beauty and intelligence --the lack of them. He has many practical strategies for particular cases to help children feel self-worth. It's good - a little outdated - some i disagree with. I like his focus on Christ.

[The Book Distiller · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent book on building your child's self esteem, as well as navigating the adolescent years. I highly recommend for parents, grandparents, and even school teachers, as James Dobson addresses the huge impact these teachers can have on a child's life.

[Maryann]

Excellent Godly principles for raising kids!

[Marisa Gatjens · Rating 3 out of 5]

A mi me dejo un sin sabor. Creo que le hizo falta profundizar mas en el titulo del libro.
Como criar niños seguros, y no de algunos problemas externos que lo ocasionan.

[Dianne DiFrisco · Rating 3 out of 5]

I believe this is the best of JD's books. Every child is a gifted child, one of our important jobs as a parent is to help them find what they are good at, and then to help them develop that.

[Bethany Hansen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don't agree with everything he says, but I think his main point is right on.

[Rebekah Sheppard · Rating 4 out of 5]

Early in the book discusses the 5 areas that a child can feel inferior and then how parents can help child break though to overcome.

[LAMONT D · Rating 4 out of 5]

From my personal library. Originally published in 1974, the version I bought was expanded and updated in 1979 just in time for my marriage and eventually my role of being a parent. As Dr. Dobson stated in the epilogue, the goal for a parent is to send your pubescent son or daughter into the teen years with the concept that they possess incredible value because they are a child of the Creator, who has a specific plan for their lives. As he states in the beginning the book it is dedicated to the proposition that all children are created worthy and must be given the right to personal respect and dignity (just as Tim Tebow reiterates everyday through his ministry this relates to all, even to those that are most vulnerable). Every child is entitled to hold up his or her head and this book gave the practical tools to help parents with that task.

[Jonathan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Useful not just for parenting, but with respect to interpersonal adult relationships as well. Key takeaway is that we must value individuals as individuals, not for their looks, intelligence, or status. The latter are false values that lead to destroyed self-esteem. That said, to enhance, strengthen, or establish self-esteem, the best antidote, especially for youth, is to give them compensatory skills from which they can derive a sense of personal pride and worth.

[Giulietta e libri · Rating 1 out of 5]

В мене одне слово для цієї книги - крінж! Вона добре показує як змінився світ за останні 30 років. Вона була написана в 90-х і методи виховання, нащастя, дуже змінилися. Щоб розуміти про що ця книга - ось декілька тез: один із методів виховання це побої, фемінізм - радикальна організація, яка загрожує світу, а гомосексуалізм, за думкою автора, це епідемія... Немає слів! Дуже небезпечна книга.

[Yingyi]

No matter what, don’t attack the child’s self worth. Let him/her know that you’re proud of him/her regardless of their achievements.

[Christina · Rating 3 out of 5]

I ended up skimming most of this book because I have the original copy (1974) and not the updated version. I will say a lot of this book is still relevant! It's amazing how things have really not changed that much. This book does a great job explaining why a child might have low self esteem and what are the options for how it would manifest itself (hide, fight, deny, etc.), but it doesn't offer a lot of practical tips on how to actually build their self esteem. It's very frustrating to read a book and understand a parenting problem and finish without any tools to fix it. I'm curious if the updated version (2003) will offer more, so I will look for it.

[Gladys · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not so good!

[Michael E. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent Read

[Laura Jimenez · Rating 4 out of 5]

A pesar que el libro tiene varios años de escrito y que las circunstancias han cambiado, las estrategias que plantea aún siguen vigentes.