The Good News About Bad Behavior: Why Kids Are Less Disciplined Than Ever -- And What to Do About It

You know, I had to take many classes to learn how to be in my profession but no one has to take a class to be a parent. And as much as I have hunted for a “how - to” manual since bringing my first child home from the hospital, I still haven’t found one. And as my children get older, this parenting gig gets harder.I’ve heard so much conflicting information over the years and it is becoming more difficult to parse through the data. I appreciate the author’s focus on research in the first portion of the book and her presentation of the material was easy to digest. I can see how each of the proposed methods are rooted in the research presented.I also appreciate the author’s practical perspective. Too often we parents hear the lament: “oh, kids just don’t play outside like they used to.” Yes, that is true. For whatever the reasons, this kind of play simply is more limited than it used to be and there’s no going back. And rather than spending time focused on the doom and gloom for the upcoming generation - this book focuses on the: “ok, now what?”I would recommend this book to modern parents, especially if you have a rambunctious, energetic child that doesn’t seem to respond to typical parenting responses like time outs. I would also recommend this to the other anxious parents out there who are scared they are screwing up their kids. There’s a lot of good stuff here, and like the title suggests, it’s not all bad news.

I have always been turned-off by parenting books, in general, as many of the excerpts alone would leave me feeling overwhelmed. "The Good News About Bad Behavior" is finally a parenting book that offers simple suggestions and tactics you can immediately implement to help end power struggles and give your children the confidence and self reliance to handle every day situations on their own. The author clearly states early in the book that it is never too late to create a more calm, cohesive environment at home and to give your kids, no matter their ages, the tools they need to succeed in school and life. So many of the situations that Ms. Lewis describes could have been in our house, on any given day. Backed by decades of research, much of it the author's own, the book highlights study after study indicating our kids are floundering because many don't have the tools they need to manage every day situations. I highly recommend this book!

As parents of two sons and grandparents of three teenagers, we hope every parent reads this book. Katherine Reynolds Lewis gives a roadmap to raising children so that they have the tools necessary to control their impulses and thrive in an ever more challenging world. Her logical approach to child-rearing appeals to my husband as a scientist. As a lifelong educator, I especially like her structured approach focusing on connection, communication, capability, and limits + routines. Like the author, we believe that children need to experiment and to learn from both their successes and their failures. She writes, "When a child misbehaves, instead of getting angry, get curious," encouraging us to figure out what the child is trying to tell you and why. Our children will be the winners if parents read and follow this book. We highly recommend it.

I feel that the premise that we have scheduled and directed little children to the point that they don't learn problem solving, coping skills and basic human being skills is logical. She addressed some of the things I see in early adulthood and late teens in therapy. It has become a trend in youth culture to address frustration and failure with threats of suicide rather than to develop coping mechanisms and problem solving skills that lead to resiliency. She has some great suggestions on how to help children and youth deal with challenges. Good read for parents and therapists.

Terrific new parenting techniques for the rapidly changing cyber world we now live in! My three kids are 19-26 years old, so internet access and cell phones were more rare when they were at their critical ages. I relied on my parents/in-laws for parenting advice when things got tough. Someday when I become a grandparent I want to be a great resource as well, so I felt I needed to read this book. There are many thought provoking ideas and techniques explained along with the research to back them. The statistics provided regarding the dangers of the cyber world are sobering and critical to recognize so we can help our children/grandchildren avoid them. I will be buying this for my kids when they start their families!! Thank you Katherine Reynolds Lewis.

I received an advance copy and found it engaging, wise and practical. As opposed to parenting books like "Tiger Mother", this book gets into not just "what to do" but the "why" and the "how", introducing new research and ideas that changed the way that I understand myself, the kids in my life, and our relationship. This is a great addition to the research-driven yet approachable/narrative self-understanding and self-improvement genre (e.g. David Brooks' The Social Animal or Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking). I found myself taking many pages of notes about parenting techniques. But the book also revealed a lot to me about how to improve my relationships with my parents other family members, and even colleagues. Entertaining, insightful and extremely useful. Couldn't be more pleased to have read it!

Good book, worth reading. Useful practical stuff.

This book was a gift from me so I Assume it’s good- nobody said differently.