Parenting the Strong-Willed Child
Review by Jennifer Heimenz, Ph.D., Neuropsychologist
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Resource: |
Forehand, R., & Long, Nicholas (1996). Parenting the strong-willed child. Chicago: McGraw Hill/Contemporary. |
This book is a wonderful resource as an introduction to basic behavior management techniques that are appropriate for two- to six-year-old children. The material is organized such that it can be used as a five-week training program for parents and other professionals working with children. The first section of the book is particularly nice, in that it discusses the reasons for behavior management, the role of the child’s temperament in behavior, and the effects of family stress on behavior. In the second part of the book, the main strategies of attending, rewarding, ignoring, giving directions, and time-out are explained, with helpful exercises that can be done between the weeks that focus on one of these strategies. What I like about this book is that it really goes beyond stating “do this, this, and this, and your child will ‘behave.’” There are chapters on communication style and parental expectations as well, that mediate how behavior management will be carried out by individuals who work with different children. This book is equally applicable to all professionals who work with children in this age range, and the techniques apply well to children of various developmental levels and who might have various developmental disabilities.