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Works by Andrew D. Gibson

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“Got An Angry Kid? We have a solution. Parenting Spike: A Seriously Difficult Child” by Andrew D. Gibson, Ph.D., is a book that outlines P.A.C.T. – The Parenting Angry Children and Teens Training Program. This book is for parents of a child who is in a constant state of anger and the parents feel like they are fighting a losing battle and losing control of their child. Dr. Gibson came up with P.A.C.T. when he was dealing with a son who had anger issues. He can definitely relate to how parents are feeling with an out-of-control child.

Dr. Gibson illustrates what he means by an angry child by telling us the story of “Spike” throughout the book and then talking about what parents can do based on these situations. He offers 28 steps that the parent will need to implement to bring about some peace in the household. As he states, “Your task is not merely changing your interaction with Spike. You must change your interactions everywhere so that you don’t run the danger of bringing them back to Spike.” It isn’t about just changing the behavior of the child, but the parent has to change his/her behavior also. Only by the parent willing to change will the child be able to change.

Dr. Gibson uses real life stories to demonstrate the bad behavior and then how to use P.A.C.T. to implement changes. He holds your hand throughout the process and gives encouragement along the way. By using this training program, I can definitely see how it would positively affect the lives of angry children and their family. By incorporating the 28 steps into your daily life will give you the skills to deal with some of the challenges that you encounter with other people.

It definitely takes a commitment to follow P.A.C.T., but Dr. Gibson shows that if you are committed, then things can and will change for the better. It won’t happen overnight, but it will happen if you have patience.
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HeatherMS | 1 other review | Mar 10, 2012 |
Rivalry in families causes stress and breakdown. When a parent loses control of a child and a child is angry and unresponsive, parents get desperate and things get out of hand. Is there a solution?

Dr. Andrew D. Gibson definitely thinks there is an effective one and he's written a book about it. Got An Angry Kid is a self-help 28-step PACT (Parenting Angry Children and Teens) parent survival program. Out of everything I have seen in this field, this is one of the best behavior management programs for families willing to do all they can to help their child and improve their family situation.

What makes this program so good? It can best be summarized by what the author himself states in Chapter One: “This program requires self-discipline in the name of love.” Whose self-discipline? The parents! This program asks parents to change the way they interact with their children. It deals fully and profoundly with the fundamentals of good parenting: No yelling, no threatening, no nagging, no accusing, no name calling, no sarcasm, no arguing, etc. Does any of this sound familiar? Even the best of parents get caught yelling and screaming at their kids in moments of stress.

Dr. Gibson is honest and forthright. He says, “Nobody wants to be dysfunctional, but a lot of us are. Practically no one is spared.” He is never negative, only realistic and hopeful as he continues to say, “Forgiveness is at the heart of banishing dysfunction.”

The book is divided into two parts. The first part is about understanding Spike, a fictional child that represents the difficult child. This section helps the reader understand what makes this child abnormal, the portrait of a dysfunctional family, what psychological experts say about the Spike child and portrays case studies. Because of my professional background, I really liked reading this part, and as a parent it was a good wake-up call. I recognized some tendencies in me that could be changed. Part II is the PACT program explained step by step. A parent could skip some of the info in the first part and go directly to the program, or go back and forth between the two parts. It's an easy book to read with no psychological jargon and a layout that makes it easy to scan when looking for info.

Even if you don't have an angry, problematic child, this program is worth following. It will test your parenting skills, your patience, your love for your child. Is it easy? No. It's hard work, and it takes a lot of effort because, guess what? parenting today is challenging. One of the reasons I'm impressed with this book is because I saw instant results when I followed its advice but also because its advice is Bible-based, whether the author knows it or not. And I believe knowledge based on God's wisdom is the best.

I highly recommend this book for all families, whether you have a difficult child or not. The advice is invaluable and can nip the bud of any problem that creeps up on families as they work on raising their children successfully.
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LauraFabiani | 1 other review | Jan 7, 2011 |

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