What parenting book has most influenced how you parent in your day to day life,

1. 67

   twosevenposted 13 years ago

   What parenting book has most influenced how you parent in your day to day life, and how so?

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2. 77

   Collisaposted 13 years ago

   Shepherding a Child's Heart by Tedd Tripp. It taught me to trace the behavior back to the heart intent, and communicate effectively while maintaining boundaries. This is the book I refer to most. I also like Boundaries with Kids, as I didn't have good boundaries as a child and really need them as I raise my three.

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3. 61

   shea duaneposted 13 years ago

   This is my real answer... No Bad Dog, a book about dog training. When I adopted my dog, Io, she was almost 2 and had been in a no kill shelter for her entire life. She had no clue how to be a pet, and I was at a loss about training her. I read No Bad Dog and learned that she needed a purpose, a job. I spent time training her to bark when the phone rang, howl when someone walked by my home and police my cats (two boys used to fight). As soon as she realized she was a 'working' dog and had a purpose, she adjusted to being a pet. She was the best dog I've ever owned (may she rest in peace). How did this help me with my son? I made lists of tasks or jobs for him as soon as he was old enough to understand symbols and simple words. I made him feel important with respect to his 'jobs' like put shoes in closet and wash hands. As he got older, I would give him 'jobs' when he got upset or angry; for example, 'please put these books in your room' or 'please put this garbage in the garbage can." This always calmed him down. Then there is the daily 'love mom hug' that is still his job: 10 minutes of hugging necessary for mom's sanity. I know this sounds crazy, but giving him jobs has made him feel like a partner in our household and a contributor to our good lives.

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4. 65

   urgurl_briposted 13 years ago

   The only parenting books I've read are the "What to Expect" books.  When I was pregnant with my son my doctor gave me the first book "What to expect when you're expecting."   When he was born I bought the 2nd one, "What to expect the first year."  and after that "What to expect the toddler years."   They're really very informative and helpful and they have just about every answer to any question you could have.

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