“Firstly, I would like to take this chance to say THANK YOU, as I’ve not only read and used Kids: The Manual, but also the Sleep Sense and Food Sense programs. I love your clear and common-sense approach to parenting. Often, it is reassuring to read someone else’s ideas and know that you’re not too far off track, or need to look at a situation from a different perspective.
Our children are 4, 2, and 4 months. Alecia, our eldest, has been the “guinea pig,” and has been the first to benefit from what I’ve learned in each of your programs, and it’s become standard procedure for Taya, our second, and now Daniel, who will also benefit as the time comes.
In regards to Kids: The Manual, I’m a chronic over-talker, so have really turned my over-talking down to the bare minimum when needed. I’ve also taken more time to listen to the kids and show them attention, rather than just continuing on with what I was doing and trying to listen. Alecia and now Taya respond better to requests, and there are fewer battles going on than a few months ago.
Specifically, the girls have one room in the house that they are responsible for keeping tidy – the rumpus room. Earlier in the year, it was a constant source of angst between the kids and I to get them to keep this area tidy. There were many threats made, and much yelling, bribing, and frustration. More often than not, the room would be left in a mess and I would be cleaning it up after the girls had gone to bed.
After following the methods and guidelines in Kids: The Manual, our girls need very little asking to keep their room tidy, or they know there will be appropriate consequences. Even though Taya is only 2, she sees Alecia tidying up and is starting to help and accepts this as normal behavior to keep their play area tidy. This behavior has also extended to their bedrooms. If they know there are friends coming over and the rumpus room has to be tidy, they also voluntarily tidy their rooms as well.
I think your programs are great in that it’s “common-sense parenting” – nothing fancy or difficult. Simple, easy to follow, and back to basics – love it!”