Adel Faber & Elain Mazlish: How to Talk so Kids Will Listen & Listen so Kids will Talk

Review: How to Talk has been in print for 30 years. My copy, printed in 1999, says it's in it's 20th edition. I remember my mother reading it and talking to me about it as she read it. Because parenting is more than intuitive I'm all for these types of books. Now, I'm not sure where I sit on the punishment issue. This book is anti-punitive. That's fine. I am anti bribery, which the opposite extreme of parents who spank or take away stuff. This book is anti-bribery. Great! Anyhow, I like this book. It teaches communication skills that are valuable no matter who you're speaking to. More importantly it encourages the reader to practice by role playing, by writing out lessons, and by having key concepts posted everywhere. Really the authors are attempting to make empathetic speaking and listening come naturally to angry control freak parents. It's a cultural revolution.

Take Home Lesson:

1. My children will talk to me/others the way I talk to them.
2. I need to give my children more physical space and stop mauling them with hugs and kisses.
3. The easy part is listening. Figuring out what to do next takes a lot of work.