Click Here To Purchase Smart Parenting for Smart Kids: Nurturing Your Child's True Potential

Authors: Eileen Kennedy-Moore PhD and Mark S. Lowenthal PsyD

Publisher: Jossey-Bass (A Wiley Imprint)

ISBN: 978-0-470-64005-0

I never understood when teachers or others would lament that a particular student is not living up to his or her true potential. How do you ascertain one's true potential?

Clinical psychologists Eileen Kennedy-Moore and Mark S. Lowenthal even go so far as stating that the word potential could even be dangerous. They explain in their book, Smart Parenting For Smart Kids that although you may be delighted to hear that your child has real potential, the problem arises when we perceive potential as something of a predestined calling to impressive accomplishments. Consequently, what very often happens is that parents and children can be easily seduced into focusing on performance rather than growth, “on being The Best rather than making progress.” And as they further state: “Worst of all, this one-dimensional perspective on potential creates a terrible fear of failure.”

With their Smart Parenting For Smart Kids, Kennedy-Moore and Lowenthal have put together a powerful resource for parents that understand that potential is not the end point but rather a means to an end to grow and learn. Their comprehensive manual compels parents to reconsider a whole range of situations and strategies concerning parenting their children that are based on solid research and science, as exemplified by the many selective references and readings that appear throughout the book. In addition, the authors can vouch for the effectiveness of these techniques by pointing to their own professional experiences that span many years in helping children and their families deal with a variety of emotional difficulties. As they point out, if these behavioral and emotional problems are not addressed, there will be more serious repercussions in the future.

Smart Parenting For Smart Kids is divided into seven sections and cover topics as tempering perfection, building connections, managing sensitivity, handling cooperation and competition, dealing with authority, development motivation and finding joy. Each section opens with a series of questions. For example, if we refer to the chapter or section dealing with Managing Sensitivity the questions posed comprise the following: Does your child have strong emotional reactions, cry frequently, become upset when someone else is upset, seem to feel things more deeply than other children, overreact to minor events, have difficulty adjusting to a change of plans, have “meltdown” tantrums at an age when most kids no longer do, seem thin-skinned and easily hurt, feel wounded by criticism, readily perceive injustice or betrayal, act intolerant of others' mistakes, too quickly decide, “They are not my friends anymore,” and worry about tragedies and global crises. To deal with these difficulties the authors suggest some very innovative powerful psychological tools that help parents replace their old habits that will help enhance their child-rearing proficiencies.

The authors have also included at the end of each chapter an invaluable section entitled Show The Way, wherein readers are informed as to how these challenging issues play out in adulthood and what parents can do to address them in their own lives or to model effective coping for their children.

This 275-page book is loaded with insightful smart parenting and coping skills that are imparted in a straightforward style devoid of esoteric terms. Readers will easily absorb the principles and suggestions that are enunciated without too much difficulty. The authors cover an expanse of ground with the objective of showing you the path that will help you bring up your children in a way that will result in productive and stable individuals and, at the same time, keep undesirable conduct of both children and parents to the absolute minimum. Pick up a copy of this book and begin discovering and exploring the rational approach these authors offer that no doubt will have an effective positive impact in the development of your children. You won't be sorry.

Click Here To Read Norm's Interview With Eileen Kennedy-Moore