Some children act out, argue, disobey, and throw temper tantrums more frequently than others. If you're parenting one of these high-maintenance kids, this book is for you.

Clinical child psychologist C. Drew Edwards doesn't just tell you what to do with a hard-to-handle kid. He also explains why some children are especially aggressive and disruptive—because understanding is key to helping them become responsible, competent, and content. He spells out specific strategies for building a solid, positive relationship with your child—and ways to take care of yourself (parenting a difficult child can be stressful!).

He encourages you to become an Authoritative Parent: balancing nurturance and support with structure and direction, blending positive and negative feedback, including children in the discipline process, using family problem solving, and guiding your child toward greater responsibility.

Packed with practical information and real-life examples, written with authority and compassion, this is a book you'll turn to often for advice, insight, and good news: Parenting a hard-to-handle child isn't an impossible task. These strategies really work.

232 pp., illust.

Tired of arguments, acting out, and attitude? Then take a quick journey through this easy-to-read handbook that lays out a solid foundation for parents on how to understand and change their children's most challenging behaviors.

Dr. C. Drew Edwards shares from his 25 years of clinical practice helping worried and frustrated parents. His strategies are based not only on the experiences of these parents, but the most current and proven practices in cognitive and behavioral psychology. His approach balances encouraging positive behavior with avoiding negative behavior. The target population is parents with children 3-12 years old, ages when disruptive behavior can have a significant impact on children's emotional, social, and physical development.

Although the parenting techniques in the book are useful for most problems, his intent is to show how they can be applied with especially difficult behavior. In fact, he spends one chapter clarifying what constitutes truly serious problem behaviors from the more usual ones. In the process, he addresses important questions on how difficult behaviors develop, what the warning signs are, how they differ between boys and girls, how they affect children's development, and how parents and families influence these behaviors.

Dr. Edwards' parenting approach is supported by two powerful pillars: one is making sure that parents know how to nurture themselves. Simple as this may sound, it is often overlooked or not a practical focus. The book provides a well-rounded look at this idea and offers a helpful blend of skills and attitudes. The other pillar is "authoritative parenting," a well-known term in psychology that refers to parents who know how to gain control of their children's behavior by staying involved with them and using effective parenting skills. In contrast, exerting physical or emotional force to control is authoritarian parenting; and giving in and giving up is permissive parenting.

The main content and contribution of the book is how to make authoritative parenting a practical reality. That includes knowing how parents can support their children, how they can give children the direction and structure they need, and how they can respond to children's hard-to-handle behavior. The approach and the skills come together in a chapter on the "home economy," which describes a step-by-step process of identifying problems, tracking them, using a point system, and giving rewards.

The remainder of the book follows through with chapters on how to maintain the home economy, handling specific kinds of problem behaviors, and issues relating to siblings and school. Written with authority and compassion, this is a book parents will turn to often to build a more positive, loving, respectful and enjoyable relationship with their children.

- Caesar Pacifici, Ph.D.
Format: Book, 217 pgs
Audience: Parents, counselors, child welfare professionals
Author: Dr. C. Drew Edwards
Publication Date: 1999
Publisher: Free Spirit Publishing
Cost: $15.95

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