Book Review- You’re Not the Boss of Me
Disclosure : I’ve recently received a copy this book in the mail after requesting for a review copy with the publisher. The title of the book ” You’re Not the Boss of Me- Brat- Proofing your 4 to 12 Year-old child by Betsy Brown Braun” really drew my attention. All opinions on this book are mine and not influenced by the fact that it is a review copy.
The boys are not getting easier to mange and can be very challenging on certain days. This book certainly sums up very well all the various challenges that parents face while bringing up their kids.
Betsy talks about how parents can installed values and instill good habits in their child through an array of topics.
She covers the topics on developing empathy, listening to your child , building independence ,
teaching responsibility , building up respect , installing honesty , creating a self-reliant child ,
developing gratitude, eliminating spoilage in your child and introducing humor into your child’s life
I personally found the topic on allowances and table manners interesting as they are the topics which I have been pondering over these couple of months.
As the boys grow older and start school it is time we implement an allowance system for them. That’s especially for Ryan as he will be handling cash on a daily basis in school from next year onwards. I like the idea of an allowance plus system which is based on a minimum base and the child receives extra based on the additional paid chores that he does in the week. In this case he is able to know how money is earned and will learn to be more prudent in managing his own finances.
In the book Betsy mentioned that
– Children need to eat with adults in order to learn table manners.
This sentence really struck a chord with me. Many a times we forget as parents that we need to model the preferred behaviour in order for the child to learn. Through repetition and constant communications which is mentioned in the book one is able to slowly instill the right values in your child.
This is a book that I highly recommend that all parents should read. There are many practical anecdotes which one can use that are highlighted in the book. I’ll be constantly revisiting this book to apply the different techniques mentioned while instilling the various values in my boys.
You can purchase your copy of this book from Amazon or at all major bookstores.
http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?lt1=_blank&bc1=000000&IS2=1&bg1=FFFFFF&fc1=000000&lc1=0000FF&t=frodomsdes-20&o=1&p=8&l=as1&m=amazon&f=ifr&md=10FE9736YVPPT7A0FBG2&asins=0061346632
June 25, 2010 @ 10:53 am
I need a book like this! I have a 3 year old that drives me batty sometimes as he doesn’t listen. But, I love him to pieces. Is he too young for the book you think?
June 25, 2010 @ 12:36 pm
@Erin,
I don’t think at 3yr old he is too young for such a book. I’m applying some of the techniques on my 3yr old boy too.