“There were so many “a-ha” moments when I read Kids: The Manual. My husband and I were at the ends of our ropes. My 4½-year-old son is very strong-willed. It seemed like nothing we said to him broke through. He wasn’t listening to us or his teachers at school. There were constant power struggles in our house. After I read Kids: The Manual, light bulbs went on left and right. I had to share the book with my husband. We realized that there were many methods we were using that were counter-productive (yelling, threatening, and bribing). We have begun using the methods presented in Kids: The Manual, and we are starting to see some positive results.
My son likes to hoard toys. Last night, he was collecting all his Bob The Builder action figures. He already had four Bobs, and he was asking for his Dad to get him a fifth one that he knew was somewhere upstairs. My husband pointed out that he already had four, but my son was adamant about getting that fifth Bob. My husband asked my son, “Would you rather have four Bobs, or no Bobs?” That immediately got my son thinking, and he responded that he was fine with the four Bobs.
Your book also helped me realize that I shouldn’t really treat my son any differently than I treat anyone else. Treating my son with more respect really worked with him. I could see that he just wanted to be loved and encouraged. He has been much more cooperative because I stay calm and patient, and he can see that I’m listening to him.
Thanks for your help!”