RAISE YOUR KIDS RIGHT

by Lonnie Carton ‧ RELEASE DATE: April 25, 1980

At the opposite pole from Wright (see below), this lightweight parenting guide is based on the notion that children's attitudes and actions have understandable causes. Carton, a psychologist and radio pundit (""The Learning Center""), stresses the need to provide structure for children--to set limits to flexibility, to be able to say no. The way children behave, she feels, is largely determined by their maturational level and the patterns they have developed for satisfying their needs; and that the parent-child relationship will be enhanced by treating the cause rather than the symptom of a youngster's misbehavior. Fine, except for the suggested procedure. What Carton calls ""basic training,"" for instance, requires that the child ""sit there for a reasonable length of time, 5 or 10 minutes, while calmly being given a clear understanding of what he is to accomplish""; perhaps wisely, she doesn't specify what to say. Her faith in discourse, moreover, will amuse many a harried parent: ""Explaining to the lazy teenager that the amount of work that must be done for a family to function requires that everyone pitch in to do a fair share is the best way to get him to do his."" Much of this is set in tiresome, cutesy language (""Mothers and fathers who permit children to lead them around by the nose invariably get taken for a ride--a guilt trip"") and none of it is new; as a general discussion; though, it may be of interest to Carton's radio following.

Pub Date: April 25, 1980

ISBN: N/A

Page Count: -

Publisher: Putnam

Review Posted Online: N/A

Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 1980

Categories: NONFICTION