Overview

There are times when what a youngster does or says is absolutely baffling to mom or dad. How can 15-year-old Sarah spend hours prepping her hair and not give one second to cleaning her room? Likewise, what's wrong with 10-year-old Mark who knows he shouldn't bully his little brother but does so anyway? Certainly parents want answers, and no one is surprised when a parent falls back on interrogating a child or teen with repeated "Why?" or "What were you thinking?" questions. Unfortunately, searching for the reasons children behave as they do by asking the ubiquitous "Why?" is ultimately unsuccessful and, frankly, irrelevant. "I don't know," "Because," or "I wasn't thinking," is the usual child response, resulting in frustrated parents and youngsters who feel embarrassed, stupid or annoyed. Drs. Charles C. Larson and John B. Dockstader, each with more than thirty years of experience working with parents and youngsters, advise parents to step back from situations such as those described and offer, instead, techniques for evaluating and solving family problems without needing to know "Why?". The authors counsel parents how to determine if a problem exists, who owns the problem and who is best equipped to solve it. Numerous real-life examples are presented to illustrate the problem-solving process and solutions. In Parenting Without Guilt, parents learn not only to solve family problems, but also why the challenges parents and youngsters face today are more demanding than ever before. In addition, parents are guided through each stage of child development, from birth to young adulthood, with attention to typical problems any parent may anticipate. Resources that parents can use to help them resolve family discords are discussed, to include working with educators, clergy, pediatricians, private practitioners and others. With compassion, humor and wisdom gained through practical experience, Drs. Larson and Dockstader offer information and advice that provides any parent with the skills to raise successful children without guilt, anxiety or distress.