Raising a Responsible Child: How Parents Can Avoid Indulging Too Much and Rescuing Too Often

It has often been said: Give a man a fish, and he has food for a day. Teach him to fish, and he can provide for himself over a lifetime. Raising a Responsible Child explains the phenomenon of the "overindulgent parent"--who helps and protects too much -- and the "underdeveloped child"--who never really learns to stand on his or her own feet. Today many parents are especially prone to shower their children with love and attention and attempt to minimize stress by doing for them. In the scurry of modern life, parents often can't resist giving in to children's demands or solving their problems just to keep the peace. While this is basically a loving approach, it does not teach children how to be responsible and independent. Parents learn the hard way that their overindulgence does more harm than good: their children will only come to them with more demands and act helpless in the face of new problems. If you find yourself entrenched in this pattern, you can change by using a system of consistent, straight forward, and logical rules every day. You can teach your children to take responsibility for their actions and earn their privileges -- and you will find, perhaps to your surprise, that they are willing and ready to do so. Some of the issues this book will help you to deal with are: -- The whiny and overly demanding preschooler -- The small child who throws tantrums in public to get his way -- The older child who is inconsiderate of family members -- The teenager who is constantly late for school -- The young adult, who can't get her life together and mooches off her parents indefinitely. Many parents discover that the tried-and-true methods detailed here not only help their children handle emotions in a more mature and constructive manner but also result in higher self-esteem and a happier outlook on life.