Ain't Misbehavin': The 10 Discipline Issues Every Parent Faces and How to Resolve Them [Paperback]

This book has been an enormous help to me and I've read a lot of books....The Strong willed child, the difficult child, etc. They either encourage brutal force or hand-holding, neither of which I agree with. This is just straight forward, don't be stupid, you're the adult, parenting. And I like that. I got so tired of reading books that enouraged me to talk my child down gently from his or her tantrum.Please!!! Dr. Garvey puts it right out on the line, if you're child is over the age of about two or three and is still having tantrums, then it is quite clear who is in control of the child/parent relationship....the kid!! Then there have been books I've read that made me think that if my child is out of control that maybe she is ADHD. I knew this could not be possible since her teachers do not have a problem with her....the problem seems to be just with me. Dr. Garvey talks about why kids do the things they do. (Why they talk back, why they're bossy, why they whine) He refers to them as "oppositional styles" Basically, they do these things because it works for them. Dr. Garvey explains in the book how to handle these oppositional styles and how once you correct one style, the other styles will correct themselves. It's all about what you expect from your child. I think too many parents are "enablers." We've all become a bunch of wusses. We've forgotten who's in charge, myself included. And Dr. Garvey helps to remind you that you are in charge. Although let me say, he also encourages family meetings and giving kids choices to create a feeling a fairness in the home. It's like democracy with a firm reasonable leader at the helm.

I have read many good and helpful books but this is the only one which gives an effective strategy on where to start. With a demanding and misbehaving child,a parent can be easilly overwhelmed when they try to change unwanted behaviors or wear themselves out tackling the symptoms of the problem. This book focuses on the way children talk and relate during discipline which is easily overlooked when trying to correct a misbehavior. It also lists the many parenting styles that do not work and why. I have recomended this book to several friends who have found it very readable with very easy to work with. We used this book in conjunction with "The manipulative child" and our child is now happy, confident and fun to be around. People are constantly remarking on the positive changes.

This book seemed more like a compilation of other discipline books that I've read and didn't provide any new insight. I didn't think the book was in depth enough to be effective and really didn't offer any suggestions for children too young to reason with.