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Book Review: Beyond Time-Out from Chaos to Calm

10 July 2008 One Comment

41pm8lihbzl__sl160_.jpgBeyond Time-Out: From Chaos to Calm aims to send parents on the correct path to dicipline, calming fears, taming tantrums, instilling good sleep habits, ending food battles, and overcoming pottytime problems. I liked this book, right out of the gate, it really makes you take an honest look at your parenting techniques and see either the right or wrong in them. Let’s face it, we can all use a little help when it comes to figuring out this parenting thing, it sure isn’t easy! The thing is, a lot of this book is really common sense once you read it and realize it, but with all the different advise coming from every direction and everyone trying to out do eachother and have the BEST kids we have kind of lost sight of the basics of parenting and really need this reminder. Beth Grosshans Ph.D. is a child psychologist and a mom with a good grasp on the family dynamic of today. We’ve become parents with children who rule the roost, and it’s not just those families you see on SuperNanny either, I know, you watch that show and think, ”WOW, thank GOD my kids are not THAT bad!” Well maybe they are not THAT bad, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t running the show in your house, chances are, they probably are and you don’t even realize it.  Honestly, I thought I was doing pretty good, till I read this book and realized, wow, they sort of are taking over slowly and sending me to the looney bin or something!!!Dr. Grosshans breaks down the 4 parenting styles and many people don’t fall into one particular style, but are a combination of several of them. She outlines what is good and not so good about each parenting style. She goes on the present a “ladder system” that can be used to turn the balance of power in the family back over to the parents in a gentle way.

This book actually really compliments the last parenting book I reviewed, I Just Want My Kids to be Happy by Aaron Cooper Ph.D. Both books present the fact that we should not be striving to be our children’s best friends, but be their parents, and hey, it’s ok for them to be sad or angry with us once inwhile. Kids need us to be parents and to be in control, they really don’t have the capacity to be the ones in control.

Beyond Time-Out: From Chaos to Calm gives you the tools to turn things around and take control making a much more pleasant home life, but it’s not easy. The system and steps are straightforward and seem simple enough, but putting into practice takes a serious effort and willpower to stick with it. I’ve yet to manage the stick-with-it-ness part of it, but it really has not been a great time to start it either.  I do believe if you can stick with it, this system can and will work, probably in just a few days time. I’m mapping out a good chunk of time when I can really put this into action full-throtle with my boys. I shall be back with more once I succeed.


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One Comment »

  • David Friedman said:

    I would love to hear if you have a good result or not using these techniques. I have just finished the book and now my wife is reading it. We are considering trying it with our 6 1/2 year old daughter who is still having full-out tantrums.

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