Robert J. Mackenzie

I learned two things from this book:
1. Reinforcements on limit-setting, and
2. That many people apparently did not receive the memo about not hitting children that went out in like 1973. Seriously. All his anecdotes were like, "And the parent tried spanking their kid..." which, ugh, just NO. WHO FUCKING DOES THAT.

I have a three year old. Therefore, I've gotten interested again in reading some parenting books, both about discipline methods and child development books, so you'll all be seeing some of that in my reading this year.

This particular book really resonated with me. The method of discipline seemed very natural to me - but gave me a way to get out of the constant reminding, nagging, and second chances that I've fallen into giving my 3 year old. Basically, you stay calm and matter of fact while show more disciplining, use logical consequences or unemotional time outs, and be consistent. That's the limit setting section. There is also a section on how to teach your child to make better choices and practice good behavior.

The author includes tons of real life examples, many of which I experience on a daily basis, and I can see this method working for me and my son. The book is well thought out and clearly explained. I had several friends recommend it to me and I'm glad they did. show less

I agree that most of the common-sense classroom management techniques reviewed in this book are effective. As is true of a lot of these types of books, the strategies (and anecdotal examples) are geared towards elementary school students. Some of the ideas are ludicrous when applied to high school students: "Fun Fridays" and PAT are a misuse of class time on the secondary level and most of the real life situations that Mackenzie uses are with smaller children.

While a little long, very well put together, clear, and easy to read. Without guilt, MacKenzie lets parents know what they could be doing differently, and offers clear alternatives.