Setting Limits with your Strong-Willed Teen: Eliminating Conflict by Establishing Clear, Firm, and Respectful Boundaries

by Robert J. MacKenzie

From the bestselling Setting Limits series comes an invaluable guide for parents of strong-willed teenagers that explains how to effectively enforce discipline, encourage healthy growth, and create rewarding relationships with teens.

Parenting modern teenagers is an enormous challenge. Teens have always been prone to rebellion and limit-testing. But in today's world of Twitter and Facebook, enormous academic and extracurricular pressure, and corrosive media influence, raising a teen to be well-adjusted, respectful, and mature enough to make good decisions is tougher than ever. Fortunately, Setting Limits with Your Strong-Willed Teen offers powerful, time-tested tools for moving beyond traditional methods that wear parents down while getting nowhere, and zeroing in on what really works so parents can use their energy in more efficient and productive ways. By understanding how to draw clear limits without lapsing into punishment or permissiveness, parents will be able to foster good judgment, build stronger bridges of communication and mutual respect, and end destructive power struggles. This is an invaluable resource for anyone wondering how to effectively build a positive, respectful, and rewarding relationship with their teen.

In Setting Limits With Your Strong-Willed Teen , you will learn how

-Understand your Strong-Willed Teen
-Set firm and meaningful limits that your teen will respect
-Motivate your teen to cooperate and communicate respectfully
-Develop your own patience and a better tolerance for natural changes
-Hold your teen accountable with instructive natural and logical consequences
-Determine your teen's readiness for new freedoms and privileges
-Teach your teen valuable lessons about character and trust
· And much more!

Genres: Parenting, Nonfiction

352 pages, Paperback

First published February 10, 2015

Reviews

[Evilincarknit · Rating 1 out of 5]

Pretty useless. So much verbiage is spent determining whether one's child is really actually strong-willed (chapters!) and on advice that isn't realistic. An example, and I'm definitely paraphrasing here: if your strong willed child is testing you by running late for school in the morning, simply leave on time and let them walk. Boy, will that teach them! Apparently this author hasn't really interacted with a strong-willed child, because if I tried that, my kid would just go back to bed.
Glad this was a library book and not a purchase.

[Kristen · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book reads like an infomercial. “Stay tuned to the next chapter and you too can learn how to set limits with your strong willed child! “Pretty much if you’re not brand new to parenting, this book is not for you. I was recommended this book by a neurophysiologist and I’ll be letting them know my thoughts about it.

[Dana · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is one of those books that gives lots of examples of people in situations and what they did and how they reacted. I don't really like slogging through all of the situations to get to the advice, but if you like that sort of thing, you will enjoy this book. The advice given is reasonable and I think it should help parents and educators of teens to set limits in respectful ways. I received this book free to review from Netgalley.

[Meggins Scheel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent advice on dealing with teenage children. The most helpful parts are examples of problematic behaviors and logical responses to these behaviors that will effect positive changes. Every parent should read this book.

[Ross · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really good at pointing out some of the dumb things I've done as far as discipline is concerned. Good at giving alternatives for what I've been doing and how to do it. Very repetitive though (why it lost a star).

Here's the gist: cut through all the crap you do to get your kids to do things, and present clear choices and consequences that are related to the behavior you are trying to correct. Be consistent, and create logical consequences for their inaction.

For example: if your kid is dawdling getting dressed for school, set a timer for, e.g., 10 minutes. Check in after 5 minutes. Timer goes off. Take clothes and place them in a bag. Take kid to car. They can get dressed in the car in the parking lot at school.

The examples were actually helpful in this book. Usually I hate the examples, but these were useful (especially since my kid did/does so many of the things he provided examples for).

[Hilarie Stone · Rating 5 out of 5]

This should be required reading for all parents of teens! GREAT advice!

[Sonia johnson]

Very insightful I am putting some things into effect

[Eric Johnson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book!

This book really helped me understand how my teen thinks and that it’s natural for them to test me and I should not be reactive and get upset. Responding with clear limits and natural consequences is the best way to handle my teen and not engage in power struggles. It’s really changed my perspective and made me understand what we are going through is normal. I loved the book and would highly recommend it.

[Julie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed reading this book, it gave me lots to think about regarding my strong-willed daughter.
If you find yourself in the same situation, give the book a go, it may or may not help you but if definitely won't hurt.

[Angela Kreais]

I recently got custody of my step-son and this drastically changed the dynamic of our house. My other teenagers are used to the rules, tried to push limits and were cut off at an earlier age. Now I'm trying to prepare my 16year old son for adult hood after years of living with little or no consequences or supervision. It has been very trying keeping up with everything and enforcing what I say. The book is helpful with ideas on what to do in different scenarios that DO happen in my house. Repetition, cut off disrespectful outburst, and natural consequences. Such a good read with helpful information for any parent than thinks they have tried everything.