Adventures in Parenting

I just finished reading Brenda Nixon’s newest book The Birth to Five Book – Confident Childrearing Right from the Start. I have the privilege of interviewing Brenda on my next podcast coming up next week to talk more about this book.

I found this book full of practical advice for dilemmas that parents of young children face every day. From home safety and eye protection, to dealing with temper tantrums and bedtime resistance, Brenda’s to-the-point advice is exactly what parents need.

For example, take this problem we’ve all faced: Your child dawdles and is not ready for school on time. What do you do?

Brenda uses the logical consequence to correct the situation. Tell your child that when it’s time to go, she’s going. If she’s not finished dressing, she can finish dressing on the way. When Brenda’s daughter Laura did not have her socks and shoes on when it was time to go, she got them in a bag and she walked out barefooted!

I like Brenda’s approach to raising kids. It puts parents in control, as the subtitle of the book says – Confident Childrearing. We do not have to lose control with yelling, nagging, or throwing up our hands in defeat. Brenda puts tools in our hands to handle those common daily problems.

The techniques that are given focus on discipling the child, not demeaning or punishing him. The way we handle difficult situations with our children should have the aim of guiding them to maturity.

The book is easy to read. The way it’s divided, you can pick out sections to read that relate to you. It’s a good resource to keep around and refer to when you come across particular situations. It also gives valuable principles to parenting that gives you “confidence right from the start.”

You can get Brenda Nixon’s book at her website BrendaNixon.com, or click on the picture above. Begin now to “Confident Childrearing Right from the Start!”

Make sure to check back next week to listen to my conversation with Brenda where she will share many of her wise advice with us.

Update: My interview with Brenda has been posted. Listen to it here.