As a retired teacher and parent of 4 this book ...
589021
As a retired teacher and parent of 4 this book is a must read. Every administrator and school district should promo it to parents at back to school nights and at teacher awareness events.
4359529
Good news parents, Vicki's got a new book!  I have taken her class, twice (lucky me cause I cant hear it enough!), Ive read her Duct Tape Parenting book and have been practicing her guidance for almost a year now with my 2 pre-teen kids  12 year old son and 10 year old daughter.  I can see a shift in our relationship. My kids don't view me as the maid anymore, because Ive given up the job.  My kids are making their own breakfast and lunch, doing their own laundry, and they have their own money to make decisions.  They now have a voice in the family with our weekly family meetings.  They feel a part of their daily life.  And, I get to give up my job as maid to my kids and be their teacher instead.  That is truly a gift for me.

At a recent introductory class, I loved Vicki's response to a parents question of what parents can do now, until class begins:
1. Shift from telling to asking "what happens next?'
2. Stop doing so much for your kids
3. Stop talking

Yeah, this is not easy stuff, but we (our sanity and our kids sanity) are worth the effort to consider a different way.  It is real work changing the way we have always done our parenting but so worth it for anyone interacting with kids, and especially for parents.

Heres another thing Vicki says that sticks with me: "A child's relationship with his or her family is the blueprint for all future relationships."  Wow, thats a kicker.  This is an eye opening approach to our role as parents.  I want to grow an independent adult, one who is responsible, respectful and resilient  Vicki gives us permission and shows us the way to do it!  Thank you, Vicki!  If you are reading this, you are draw to these ideas.  You are so worth the time and effort to step into your role as teacher and focus on your relationship with your kids.

Good luck, and remember you are not alone in this journey!
3830605
As a retired teacher, I am always interested in books that are written
 and illustrated in a style that will peek a child's interest in subjects
they may dread taking. However, these Napkins book are so interesting,
well written and illustrated that not only children will enjoy them -
but also their parents. I urge all parents & grandparents to buy these
books. Read the books together - its amazing what one learns - I learned
facts that I would have used in my teaching.
1515800
I have discovered I am not alone!  We see many children already giving up in elementary school.  This book made me realize we need to address this situation, because it's not going to go away.  THe basic need to be affirmed as a valued part of life is an understatement.  We as parents and teachers, need to take into account how important it is to give the necessary time it takes to just listen to our kids.  As a classroom teacher, it is helpful to be reminded that the children are often misbehaving out of frustration.  "Don't take it personally" takes on a clearer meaning. We as parents will probably see traits we don't like in ourselves.  When the authors says, "We're going to have to change" that smacked me in between the eyes!  Keep reading!  Of course the children are to take responsibility for their actions.  THis book gives good advice. Please remember though:  Parents have a MAJOR impact on their children.  We may be with them more waking hours, but what the parents' relationship is far more important than ANY outsider's relationship.
216864
I am a retired teacher, and I could relate so much to what this teacher was talking about.  I really enjoyed the way the author used his copies of emails to tell this story.  I believe anyone would benefit from this book and at the same time read something really worth while.  Kids are kids, but you can find the traits that one has in one part of the country will be in many more kids around the world.
437706
This book is a must read for any teacher whether you are a veteran teacher or just beginning or in any case anyone!!!!
1605310
I found this book very interesting. I would recommend all parents to read this book , not just people interested in deciding whether to home school. It gives  the parent a starting point on what it takes to be successful in home schooling. The author has been a teacher and Pastor for 45 years and clearly has the knowledge to help you decide. He is a experienced home schooler.
He uses religious stories to describe aspects of learning in conjunction with other methods and examples of popular history figures and how they applied these theories to achieved greatness. He tells us " Our children are gardens. Applying basic gardening principles, we maximize their potential and enjoy the fruit of our labor. "
He tells us that we know our children better than anyone and they are like puzzles for us to help them put together. He also shares with us to begin with an end in mind. There is so much for all of us to learn, I think it would be a wise move to read this book and keep an open mind no matter if you have children or not.  Read it for yourself and see what I am talking about. I think you would take something away from it not just about home schooling but life in general.
2025499
I have used this book for over 25 years with my preschoolers.  Still very interesting to them today..fixing to retire and will give this to my best friend &  co-worker.  Highly recommend for any preschool teacher.
3617139
I am a mother and was a school teacher (pre-k and K ) for 14 years. I know that this book is so needed for teachers, moms and the PTA. Being a mom, we might think we are doing all we can for our children's health and nutrition, but what happens for the hours they are in school? Are they given candy as treats filled with food dye and or food additives? Are they being feed nutritious meals or is it just poor food quality? The author has filled this book with many chapters that go beyond food- that talk about health class, gym class and so much more. IF you work in a school, have a child in a school or are on the PTO or PTA I urge you to read this book, and share it~ because.... It might just heal  the children.
1530054
Being a retired first and second grade teacher, this book was refreshing to me and I kept thinking, "Do you mean they are still doing that in THIRD grade?"  I think Mr. Done is very perceptive to childrens' feelings and reasons for their actions and he also has figured out parents.

I thought there were a few spots that were somewhat tacky and thought the chapter about the costume was ABSOLUTELY TACKY and not needed.
4465625
This is a must read for all parents and educators!!! Mrs. Chester speaks the truth fom both an educator and parent perspective. The book is an easy read and written with a level of simplicity that everyone can understand. I highly recommend all teachers get a copy and put it in the hands of all your parents.  She is passionate about educatiing our parents and it shows in this book.
2088371
As a teacher I have given this book to so many parents. It goes far beyond the topic of how to talk about sex. Dr. Maxwell talks about how our kids live in a culture where they are constantly flooded with desire and how this effects their development. She gives concrete, usable ways of talking to kids about desire and the value of self-control. These techniques work. I have seen the children in my class transformed after their parents implemented some of these techniques at home. I would highly recommend this book to teachers and parents of children of all ages. Even if you don't feel that your children are old enough to have a conversation about sex, this book will help you set the stage for having that conversation at the right time and in the right way.
3975298
As a middle school teacher and parent of three (younguns), I'm going to recommend this book to every parent I encounter. If you have or are going to have in a few years a middle schooler in your life at all, you must read this book. Teachers, counselors, grandparents, etc. should all read this book! It covers a variety of areas: technology, friend drama, bullying, attire, and more. Each chapter has parenting tips at the end. It is categorized as Christian Living, but it is beneficial for parents of any spiritual background. (It is not overtly Christian if you don't share those values.) It has a lot of practical examples and stories to solidify the messages. I am so thankful there is a book worth recommending to parents that covers a variety of areas so realistically. Working with this age group, I kept nodding my head, "Yep, that is so true. Yep, I've heard parents say that." Please buy this book for the adults in your life that need to hear the resounding message: being a parent is hard work, but kids deserve it.
1545333
This was another book I bought to help me with my parenting tasks.  This book is at my bedside and has been for quite some time.  It is amazing how we go back to our "Old Ways" or do what was done to us without even thinking about it.  This book has definitely taught me many different techniques in parenting my children that have HELPED tremendously in my home.  I really enjoyed watching the show in the beginning but it seems that it is the same problems.  My children have never been out of control like the children that are on the show but I have lost it myself and did things that I later felt was not in the best interest of my family. (Yell)The book helps to change that and keeping it close by-allows for you to stay on the right path so that you don't fall back into your past techniques that did not work to begin with.

The layout of the book is great.  It is an easy read reference book.  Although this woman is not a parent herself-she has very good techniques that DO work for parents and care givers.  I definitely recommend this book.
4644407
As an educator, parent, and grandparent, I am familiar with many learning theories. Likewise, I have implemented a variety in my classroom and at home with my own children. Now, as a newly retired educator, I picked up Mr. Downing's book and read with interest because I remember sitting in his U.S. History II classroom as a junior in high school. Mr. Downing's classroom exemplified a true environment for learning. There were no behavior problems. Students entered eager to learn. Mr. Downing's influence spanned my near-thirty year teaching career in the very same school where I had sat in his classroom only during my career it had become the town's middle school. The thing I remember most about his classroom is that he treated his students with respect so, they, in turn, truly respected him.

So, reading Mr. Downing's book all these years later was fascinating as I had experienced his theories first hand forty some years earlier. The one tool that I wished I had implemented during my own teaching career and parenting years is asking children "What is the rule?"  I believe this is genius making children accountable. I like the idea of a few rules and reinforcing them.

His ideas are clearly presented and easy to implement. Presenting with real examples from his classroom and at home with his own children illustrate the effectiveness of his techniques.

Wish I had read this book years and years ago!!!!!
2670758
Let me start by saying I've become thrifty since I had children.  Given that I don't work outside the home as much as I once did, I've been getting my books from the library at least as much as I've been buying them, but this is a book I have to own!

Jim Trelease is "preaching to the choir" with me, as we read to our children before they were even born, and then continued since the day they were born.  My husband and I are both big readers, and we enjoy reading to our children every day.  I initially got this book (from the library) to look at the list of suggested titles to read aloud.  I wanted suggestions that would make sense for my children and their respective ages/abilities, including titles I might not otherwise come across....I thought I'd skim quickly through the front half of the book (the research which is meant to inspire parents to read to their children) since I was already motivated to do so.  I wanted to get to the list of titles.  But I found myself stopping to read the research with excitement and added motivation.

I picked up tips about the types of books to choose, the fact that we can read (and should read) aloud to our kids until they are teens (my sister whose children are 9 and 12 had mistakenly been thinking that she shouldn't read to them much anymore in order to force them to do most of it themselves....she was thrilled to hear that she should continue to read aloud to them and went immediately to the library to get some books), the ways to present even more opportunities to our children to read, etc.  For example, this morning I read a section in The Read Aloud Handbook about how to get a 12 year old to sit still for a reading, and the author suggested reading to the child while the child is washing the dishes. The book shows a photo of the author doing this with his own son when the son was 12 (the son is now ~40). The author goes on to say that when he suggests this to parents, he gets some funny looks, and he points out to them that if there is a 12 year old in the house who doesn't have to do the dishes, then that child has a higher IQ than the parent  ! :-)

This morning, my husband read a little to my son, who is 5 1/2, while he was eating breakfast, and when I wanted to motivate my son to come brush his teeth before school, I lured him with the book. I got no complaints about coming (which I usually do), and between my husband and I, we knocked off a chapter in the book!

There are so many little tips in the book, and the book is an incredible source for suggestions of books to read aloud.  The author has a website which includes many of these book recommendations, I think, and even updated ones since the book went to print in 2006.

Yes, I got this book out of the library, but thrifty as I am, I am going to have to buy a copy of this book as it has so much information for the many years to come that I know I'll want to reference it again and again as I choose books to read to my children.
1640871
This book will tell you all you need to know to raise wonderful children.

Sandy Spurgeon McDaniels is amazing. She was my 4th grade teacher but only spent a year or so teaching before becoming a consultant. She totally turned around a kid who would otherwise have ended up a juvenile delinquent. He stands out because he used to do things like pluck out all his eyelashes at the bus stop, just to gross everyone else out. The kid went on to have a hugely successful career, a loving wife and kids and all. I remember getting to class and seeing him and "Miss Spurgeon" talking over the latest Batman episode. She really has an incredible way with kids.

If you are having trouble with yours, get this right away. I got a copy for a relative but started reading it myself.