Product Description

Most parent-child relationships suffer from the same mutual lack of communication and understanding, which can be a major obstacle in raising happy and healthy children. In The Secret of Happy Children, world-renowned psychologist and family counselor Steve Biddulph gathers together over two decades of knowledge and insight to reveal what is really happening inside your kids’ minds and what you should do about it. With unparalleled clarity, common sense, and warmth, Biddulph walks you step-by-step through parent-child communication from babyhood to teens. His sensible and often humorous advice will give you the confidence to be more yourself as a parent—stronger, more loving, more definite, more relaxed. Biddulph covers a wide variety of issues important to your children’s—and your—happiness, including:

· How to stop tantrums before they begin

· The skills of fathering

· Curing shyness

· The link between food and behavior

· The effects of television

· Single parenthood

· Making time for yourself

The Secret of Happy Children will help you let go of old, negative approaches and open the lines of communication, freeing up more energy to enjoy your kids and your own life.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #143138 in Books
• Published on: 2002-06-15
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 208 pages

From Library Journal
This book by an Australian psychologist with more than 20 years' experience has sold more than one million copies worldwide, and this accessible North American edition will win over many more readers. Using the premise that children's happiness depends upon parents or other adults who share in child rearing, the author explains how to interact positively with children, from infancy to adolescence. Simple language, anecdotes, line drawings, and charts describe scientific findings related to parent-child communication. For example, Biddulph highlights the benefits of an extended family and shows how to adapt one's own situation to create one; this segues beautifully into another chapter, which explains that parents should make time for themselves and not become run-down. Some Aussie lingo may confuse American readers such as "I'll bread you!" (meaning to hit). Illustrations greatly enhance the good-humored prose, and the appendix offers tips on how teachers, politicians, relatives, neighbors, and friends can help parents. A short list of references is included. Highly recommended for all libraries. Alice Hershiser, Reedville, VA
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Review
'Biddulph! has a built-in feel good factor. Parenting books too often make one fell inadequate, but Biddulph's left me refreshed and optimistic.' Serena Alloh, The Express

About the Author
STEVE BIDDULPH, a family psychologist for over twenty years, lives with his family in both the UK and Australia. His books, including Manhood, Raising Boys, and The Making of Love, are in two million homes around the world.

Customer Reviews

Mostly good but some blind spots
Steve Biddulph has written some excellent books. "Manhood" is a classic in the canon of men's studies.

This too is an excellent book. It is mostly very wise, sound, practical advice about raising children. My two caveats are:

1. It is hard to tell what is just Steve's opinion and what is based on solid research. So it is hard to know how much reliance to place on the material in the book.

2. I think he makes a big mistake in his recommended form of praise. He recommends what others call 'generic' or 'judgemental' praise. This is praise such as "You are smart" or "You are hard working". The trouble with this is that it is a judgement and it is not specific. It puts the parent in the position of judging the child's worth. If the parent is later critical, the child is likely to take it very hard. In some cases generic praise can be very demeaning and demoralising. I know of one case where a person reacted with fury to a comment "You are a good mother" because of this judgemental aspect.

In my view it is much better to say "That is an insighful point you made in the essay" or "You worked hard on that" or "your child looks very happy". Let the other person draw the generic conslusion. Let the child maintain a sense that they are the one who decides their self worth rather than being dependent on another person's opinion.

See for example, The Six Pillars of Self Esteem by Nathanial Brandon for a good discussion of these issues.

Apart from those points, an excellent book.

Simply the best parenting book I've seen
Instead of the dense, detailed books that experts tend to write on this subject, The Secret of Happy Children is simple, moving, and practical. I go back to it again and again to remind me why I had children in the first place, and what my real mission is in raising kids.

Really excellent: smart useful thought-provoking and funny
I am huge fan. This book is full of intelligent, thought- provoking and very practical advice which make you laugh out loud and reflect. It gave me SO many ideas and different ways of looking at things, while at the same time it was so entertaining to read that I read it in one go unable to put it down.