Product Description

For the parents of defiant children, "Try and Make Me!" offers a seven-step programme that empowers parents to stop defiant behaviour and motivates children now only to behave but also to think and solve their own problems.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #182007 in Books
• Published on: 2004-03-26
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 224 pages

Customer Reviews

Refreshingly user friendly
Not really ground breaking, but a refreshingly readable and user friendly book, clearly written for parents. The book is written in an unpretentious manner and acknowledges that not all discipline methods work the same with all children. Many proven techniques are explained with the emphasis on developing a childs personal skills, shutting down negative behaviour, and maintainng parental authority.
Clever (and often humorously unrelated to parenting) analogies made the authors points clear to understand in a lighthearted way.
The book explains why praising and charts/rewards systems are so ineffective with defiant children. Also provided are many helpful scripts and phrases that are useful in shutting down arguing and badgering.
I liked how it was stressed to use empathy and sadness when using consequences (as opposed to anger) making them much more effective. One problem I had though, was that most of the consequences described seemed to involve forcing the child to do something. With non-compliance it is sometimes easier to take something away than to try and force an un-cooperative child to accomplish something.
The book also reminds parents that even the best discipline methods are completely ineffective without first building a strong relationship with your child.
Some other good books with similar philosophies are: "The Manipulative Child: How to Regain Control and Raise Resilient, Resourceful, and Independent Kids", Setting Limits" by Robert J MacKenzie, and "Parenting the Strong-Willed Child".

"Try and Make Me" is an excellent and very encouraging book, well worth reading.

A simple yet effective guide to resolve common parent traps.
This book should appeal to parents and to parent educators. It offers simple step-by-step solutions to common problems encountered by parents of very difficult children who are described as defiant, without imposing blame. It focusses on ways of changing children's behaviour that are positive and practical without professional jargon. Easy to read, easy to use, a must for professionals working with parents and a useful resource for parents themselves.

A very useful resource
I work with parents and teachers of children with varying degrees of challenging behaviour and recommend this book to all of them. It is written in a no-nonsense, easy to understand way and contains so much common-sense advice. It is useful because it not only points out why some parental approaches don't work, but suggests alternatives that do. It is not condescending or judgemental. I have had to buy several copies of this book over the past few years, since first discovering it, as I have lent it out and have never had it returned! Of all the resources and books I have access to, this is one of the best!