It is a print version of taking the class. :)

This book is an excellent one-stop spot for parents wanting to discipline their kids in a loving and empathetic manner. It presents a series of skills to cultivate in order to deliver loving guidance to your children. The result is a set of very practical ideas for connecting with your children in a loving but assertive manner, avoiding the extremes of being too aggressive or too permissive. A must read for any parent wanting to raise confident and emotionally secure children.

Like this much better than Love and Logic. It has been helpful and made things better when it comes to a certain child of mine.

Parenting / Self Help

Some good parenting techniques, but mostly the focus seemed to be on "fixing" yourself first. Calm down, love yourself, then discipline. Definitely plenty of practical strategies to apply though!

I listened to this because a couple people whose parenting I respect and admire mentioned that this book was a helpful resource for them. It is not written from a Christian perspective, so the worldview doesn't align perfectly (some reviewers mentioned that this is Christlike parenting and while I agree on some points, she does have some unChristian beliefs, like the belief that children are inherently good), but I appreciated some of the helpful "scripts" she suggested for various interactions and the mindset shifts she suggested for going into potentially tense parenting moments.

This book is helping me to examine my relationship with my kids, especially my 9-year-old son, who is going through a bit of a difficult time shining his light in 4th grade. I'm thoroughly impressed with the tools presented in this book, as I'm seeing the kids and their needs through a new lens. For example, I'm learning how to be assertive, when I once was forceful and controlling or even demeaning and cruel. I feel readier than ever to manage the stresses of parenting with grace. Wow.

It had the same basic connect then teach style of discipline as the other parenting books I’ve read recently but I didn’t like this one.
The tone felt condescending and the example scenarios felt clinical and unrealistic. She really lost me when she got to her “choices” section. Say...Your child doesn’t want to put on clothes. You offer her a “choice”.
“Do you want to put on your pants or your shirt first?” “Oh yes, mommy I want to put my shirt on first!”
Really?? Has this ever worked for I anyone? Does this woman even have children?
My kid likes to run around outside(in winter) with out shoes or a jacket. It’s been pretty much a daily struggle. I Have to put my foot down, he is not to go outside without shoes and a jacket. I gave it a try though, I offered him the “choice” of putting on his shoes or a jacket first. You know what he says, “Don’t worry mommy, I promise I won’t be cold.” That worked real well...
Then the author basically goes on to say that if your child doesn’t just choose option A or B then there’s something wrong with them. If this tactic worked for you and your child I’m happy for you.
If you have an option C child you might not find this book so helpful. I recommend “Raising Your Spirited Child” or “No Drama Discipline”.

I think this an excellent book, and a great way to raise your children. For the theory and practice itself, I'd give five stars, but the book itself seemed problematically put together at times. She kept referring to chapters to come and left a lot of situations without examples of what to do for your child or only half completed. But she does pull together a number of well-fleshed out examples at the end.

A lot of the phrasing seems kind of over the top, but I really think it's what kids need and want. I've already been using the two positive choices method with the boy and he's responded really well to it. Mind you, this is NOT a cure all book to make your child behave. This is a book that helps you raise your child and make it more likely for them to make good decisions for themselves through your teachings. It's a really well-rounded approach and I applaud it.

Best book on discipline I've read. Has changed my parenting style 180 and brought us a much happier, healthier home environment as well as a more self-disciplined child.

Although a little "self-helpy" at times, I needed this book right now. A great reminder of the importance of modelling the behavior we expect out of our children. The words we use with our children really matter in helping them to process their world and their feelings.

I haven't read all of it, or even most of it yet. It was a library book and the due date was approaching, and fiction was calling... But the first few chapters I have read of it gave me a lot of useful information, and I'm going to buy this book. I can tell it's one that I can use to refer back to, plus it comes with activities parents can do to hone their parenting skills. The importance of assertiveness (as opposed to passive or aggressive parenting, or a combination of both), and the imperative of parents to teach through love rather than manipulate with fear, are two of the biggest messages I've taken away so far. As parents, we need to focus on what we want our kids to do, not on what we don't want them to do. And we need to let go of the wish/desire/belief that we can control kids, when we can't control anybody but ourselves. Teaching ourselves how to behave better will automatically model better behavior for our kids.

This is my favorite parenting book of all time, hands down. I have read it several times in the seven years I've had it. Yes, it is a kind of a self-help book. But guess what? You have to learn how to calm yourself down and stop screaming before you can tell your kid how to act. There are many practical applications, where she tells you HOW to use the skills she is teaching. My sons' school is a charter school that uses these techniques with kids of varying needs and they are very effective. This book has made me a better mother, but it has also made me a better person and even a better employee. She discusses how to be assertive without being aggressive, how to communicate effectively, and other skills that can be applied to every area of life.