Parenting Pointers: What Great Parents Do - 75 Simple Strategies for Raising Kids Who Thrive

What Great Parents Do is a book written by Dr. Erica Reischer, Ph.D. I had a chance to review the book, and I really liked its style - perfect for busy parents. There are 75 strategies, each briefly laid out with enough explanation to make it possible for parents to implement, but also concise enough that they're easy to remember. It contains scripts and how-to's, so parents don't have to completely reinvent the wheel, but can still tailor the tips to unique family situations.

Here are just a few of the strategies that great parents use:
- start with empathy
- resist the urge to fix feelings
- distinguish between goals and methods
- view kids as little explorers and scientists

Here are a few more tips in the author's own words.

"Basically, telling kids they can do anything creates the vision without the roadmap. It implies they should set a lofty goal but gives no information about how to achieve it. Better to acknowledge that significant accomplishments will be challenging to achieve, that luck plays a key role in life, and then give kids a roadmap for the part they can play in advancing their goals. I call this the 3 P's: practice, patience, and perseverance."

"Our ideas about how to be happy often run counter to decades of research about what really works to promote well-being. While things that promote pleasure can provide a short-term happiness boost, it doesn't last long. If we want our kids to have the best chance of experiencing a happy and fulfilling life, we must teach them to balance their preferences with what's important, good, and meaningful."

When you order the book now, you'll get a free copy of "5 Simple Steps to Get Kids to Listen *Without* Nagging or Yelling" - and I know lots of parents can use that!