ParentSpeak: What's Wrong with How We Talk to Our Children--and What to Say Instead

By Brand : Jennifer Lehr

Avg Customer Reviews :

"A thought-provoking read that will prompt parents of all stripes to consider what they're saying when they talk to their kids."--Booklist "Underlying her friendly, enjoyable critique of certain phrases parents use reflexively--the kind that lead us to wonder, 'How did my mother get in my larynx?'--Lehr offers a substantive and subversive message of respect for kids. The chapter about time-outs is worth the price of the book by itself, but I highly recommend you read the whole thing." --Alfie Kohn, author of Unconditional Parenting and The Myth of the Spoiled Child "Parentspeak is the antidote to all those words we find ourselves saying to our children automatically, because everyone else says them: 'Good job!' . . . 'Say you're sorry.' . . . 'Don't cry, you're okay.' . . . 'Where's my kiss?'" Lehr holds these and other thoughtless responses up to the light, where we suddenly see through them. I love Lehr's clarity, her respect for children, and her ability to make it fun for readers as they have their worldview dismantled and renovated. Important for all parents; I will be recommending it to everyone." --Dr. Laura Markham, author of Peaceful Parent, Happy Kids: How to Stop Yelling and Start Connecting "Smart, audacious, and often hilarious. Takes everything you thought you knew about parenting and turns it on its ear." --Jennifer Jason Leigh, actress, LBJ "I'm obsessed with this brilliant gem of a book. I'm sharing it with my spouse, in-laws, extended family, and babysitters as a way to start discussions about when to ask for hugs, whether 'please' and 'thank you' are always necessary, and that awful thing that constantly comes out of my mouth: 'Be careful!' What I love about Jennifer is that she deals out the most incisive, specific, modern advice, but then shares honest, authentic, and even awful true stories about her own mistakes. It's like getting on the phone with the best expert and your bes