Parents' Answer Book

by Dobson, James C.

• ISBN13: 9780842387163
• ISBN10: 0842387161
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2003-11-01
• Publisher: TYNDALE HOUSE PUBLISHERS

Summary

This comprehensive, easy-to-access book provides reliable, biblically based information to help parents raise healthy, God-honoring kids. Discipline, sibling rivalry, sex education, and spiritual development are just a few of the topics covered in this extensive reference.

Author Biography

James C. Dobson, Ph.D., has devoted his career to helping children and families. He is the author of more than 20 best-sellers, Dr. Dobson is founder and chairman of the board of Focus on the Family, a nonprofit organization His commentaries are heard daily by more than 200 million people. A licensed psychologist and marriage, family, and child counselor, Dr. Dobson served on the faculty of the University of Southern California School of Medicine and on the attending staff of Children's Hospital of Los Angeles

Table of Contents

Appreciation Page	p. ix
Introduction	p. xi
Understanding the Nature of Children	p. 1
The Influence of Culture	p. 1
Temperament	p. 2
The Innate Disobedient Nature	p. 15
Testing Authority	p. 17
Raising the Preschool Child	p. 21
Fussy Babies	p. 21
Mental Stimulation	p. 22
Answering Difficult Questions	p. 24
Disruptiveness in Church	p. 25
Lying	p. 26
Violent Entertainment	p. 28
Teaching Politeness	p. 29
Encouraging Responsibility	p. 30
Disciplining the Preschool Child	p. 31
Permissiveness	p. 31
Balancing Love and Control	p. 34
Instilling Respect	p. 36
Age-Appropriate Discipline and Responsibility	p. 37
Fussy Babies and Toddlers	p. 41
Toilet Training	p. 45
Discipline	p. 46
The "Terrible Twos"	p. 51
Avoiding Confrontation	p. 52
Anticipating the Future	p. 53
Children's Health and Well-Being	p. 55
Sudden Infant Death Syndrome	p. 55
Failure to Grow	p. 56
Battles over Food	p. 57
Bed-Wetting	p. 59
Cruelty to Animals	p. 61
Nightmares and Night Terrors	p. 62
Dangers of Marijuana	p. 64
Alcohol during Pregnancy	p. 65
Eating Disorders	p. 66
Childhood Depression	p. 67
Long-Term Effects of Childhood Trauma	p. 68
Childhood Obesity	p. 70
Stuttering	p. 71
Preparing for Adolescence	p. 72
Parental Rights vs. Adolescent's Right to Privacy	p. 73
Attention Deficit Disorder in Children and Adults	p. 75
Recognizing Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD)	p. 75
ADD without Hyperactivity	p. 78
Cause of ADD	p. 79
ADD as a Lifelong Condition	p. 79
Positive Features of ADD	p. 81
Treatment of ADD	p. 81
Disciplining/Managing the ADD Child	p. 83
Effective Parenting Today	p. 87
Prioritizing Parenting	p. 87
The Challenge of Parenting	p. 89
Research on Parenting	p. 94
Discerming a Child's Needs	p. 95
Dealing with Grandparents	p. 96
Choosing Clothes	p. 97
Contemporary Music	p. 97
Teaching Courtesy in Addressing Adults	p. 98
Family Activities	p. 99
Raising the Adopted Child	p. 100
Dealing with Negative Feelings toward Your Children	p. 106
Gender Differences	p. 106
Importance of the Father-Daughter Relationship	p. 107
Sexual Attitudes and Behavior	p. 108
Television	p. 110
Video Games	p. 113
Violence in Media	p. 114
Protecting Your Children	p. 115
Disciplining the Elementary School Child	p. 119
Guidelines for Discipline	p. 119
Shaping the Will without Breaking the Spirit	p. 121
Setting and Enforcing Boundaries	p. 123
Mutual Respect	p. 128
Presenting a United Front	p. 129
External Discipline vs. Internal Control	p. 130
Recognizing the Origin of Negative Behavior	p. 131
Venting Feelings	p. 132
Inappropriate Parental Anger	p. 133
Dealing with Your Mistakes	p. 135
Teaching Respect without Instilling Undue Fear	p. 135
The Habit of Saying No	p. 136
Disciplining Other People's Children	p. 137
Discipline in Single-Parent Families	p. 138
Shaping Moods/Attitudes	p. 139
The Timing of Negative Consequences	p. 142
Confronting Disrespectful Behavior	p. 143
Connecting Behavior with Consequences	p. 144
Dealing with Morning Dawdling	p. 146
Reinforcing Positive Behavior with Rewards	p. 148
Whining	p. 151
Teaching Responsibility	p. 152
The Scriptural Basis for Discipline	p. 153
Listening to Children	p. 155
Swearing	p. 155
Setting Boundaries on Family Vacations	p. 155
Apologizing to Children	p. 156
Avoiding Adolescent Rebellion	p. 157
The Bottom Line in Parenting	p. 158
Advice to Parents of Strong-Willed Children	p. 159
To Spank or Not to Spank	p. 161
Effects of Spanking	p. 161
Dangers of Extremes	p. 164
Guidelines for Spanking	p. 166
Corporal Punishment and the Law	p. 172
What's a Mother to Do?	p. 173
Creating a Network	p. 173
Child-Care Centers	p. 174
Full-Time Mothering vs. Career	p. 176
Dealing with Fears	p. 181
Education: Public, Private, and Homeschooling	p. 183
Teacher-Led vs. Student-Led Education	p. 183
Public Schools	p. 185
Corporal Punishment in Schools	p. 188
Class Discipline	p. 188
Work/Play Balance	p. 189
Curriculum Issues	p. 190
Intellectual Potential	p. 191
Self-Esteem	p. 194
Developmental Issues	p. 195
Repeating Grades	p. 198
Benefits of Formal Education	p. 199
Disorganization	p. 200
Writing Skills	p. 201
"The Class Clown"	p. 202
School Choice	p. 203
Early Reading	p. 205
Grades	p. 206
Chaotic Classrooms	p. 207
Year-Round Schools	p. 207
Homework	p. 208
Underachievers	p. 210
Memorization	p. 213
Teaching Respect for Other Ethnic Groups	p. 214
Homeschooling	p. 215
Voluntary School Prayer	p. 218
Sex Education: Where, When, and How	p. 221
Impact of Sex Education Programs	p. 221
Coed Sex Education	p. 222
Parental Involvement in Sex Education	p. 223
Timing of Sex Education	p. 227
Encouraging Abstinence	p. 229
When to End Formal Sex Education	p. 230
"Safe Sex"	p. 231
Obstacles to Abstinence Education	p. 233
What's Missing from Sex Education Programs	p. 235
Teaching Morality	p. 236
Sexually Transmitted Diseases	p. 237
Spiritual Life of the Family	p. 243
Cultural Influences	p. 243
Parents' Responsibility to Teach Spiritual Values	p. 245
Family Devotions	p. 246
Conceptualizing God for Children	p. 246
A Critical Period in Spiritual Training	p. 248
Santa Claus	p. 249
Halloween	p. 250
"Forcing" Religion on Children	p. 251
Rebellion against Childhood Spiritual Training	p. 252
Praying for the Spiritual Welfare of Children	p. 257
Dealing with Past Mistakes	p. 264
The Role of Grandparents	p. 265
Sibling Rivalry	p. 269
The Inevitability of Rivalry	p. 269
Minimizing the Rivalry	p. 270
Fighting to Attract Attention	p. 274
Establishing a "System of Justice"	p. 275
Help for Single Parents and Stepparents	p. 279
Encouragement for Single Parents	p. 279
Blended Families	p. 281
Time Away	p. 283
Challenges of Noncustodial Parents	p. 284
Help for Single Mothers Raising Sons	p. 285
Visitation	p. 286
Helping Single Parents	p. 287
Living with a Teenager	p. 291
Causes of Promiscuity	p. 291
Development Rates	p. 293
Challenges of Early Adolescence	p. 294
Power Issues	p. 297
Fatigue	p. 303
Self-Consciousness/Body Image	p. 304
Communication "Blackouts"	p. 305
Hormonal Influences	p. 308
Channeling Energy Positively	p. 310
Parental Influence on Smoking/Drug Abuse	p. 311
Masturbation	p. 312
Dating vs. "Courtship"	p. 315
Gender Roles	p. 316
Causes of Disrespectful Behavior	p. 318
Influences of Modern Music/Media	p. 320
Preparing Teens for Independence	p. 323
Picking Your Battles	p. 325
The Bottom Line on Surviving the Teen Years	p. 329
Absentee Fathers	p. 329
Creating a Father-Son Bond	p. 330
The Father-Daughter Relationship	p. 333
Mother-Daughter Friction	p. 334
Drawing the Line on Negative Behavior	p. 336
Teen Violence	p. 337
Motivating Teenagers	p. 340
Using Action, Not Anger	p. 343
Responding to a Teenage Pregnancy	p. 345
Symptoms of Drug Abuse	p. 346
Pros and Cons of "Privacy"	p. 347
Harmful Cultural Trends	p. 348
Moms at Home during Adolescence?	p. 349
Building Self-Confidence in Children and Teens	p. 353
Causes of Low Self-Esteem	p. 353
Physical Attractiveness and Self-Esteem	p. 354
Intelligence and Self-Esteem	p. 355
Parental Influence in Self-Esteem	p. 356
Values That Support Self-Esteem	p. 358
The Influence of Painful Experiences	p. 360
The Influence of Toys and Culture	p. 361
Challenges of the Middle Child	p. 363
Negative Expectations	p. 364
Mental Blocks	p. 365
The Role of Teachers	p. 366
Teaching Empathy	p. 370
Self-Esteem and Sibling Rivalry	p. 371
Early Teen Issues	p. 372
Accepting Your Child's Basic Personality	p. 373
Humor vs. Ridicule	p. 374
The Delicate Art of Letting Go	p. 375
Impact of the Empty Nest on Fathers	p. 375
Parental Reluctance to Let Go	p. 376
When Adult Children Return Home	p. 378
Easing the Transition to College	p. 379
Endnotes	p. 381
Index	p. 387
Index of Scripture References	p. 409
Table of Contents provided by Ingram. All Rights Reserved.