Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.
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Raising the Challenging Child, by Karen Doyle Buckwalter, Debbie Reed, and Wendy Lyons Sunshine, is an excellent resource for parents who are searching for parenting advice. While I do not consider my own children particularly challenging (most of the time), the subtitle, “How to Minimize Meltdowns, Reduce Conflict, and Increase Cooperation” definitely caught my attention. I think these are things that all parents would like to do! The authors of this book work at Chaddock, a nonprofit organization dedicated to working with some of the most “challenging” kids in the nation for 150 years. I had never heard of this organization before, but after reading some of the real-life stories that are sprinkled throughout this book, it sounds like an amazing place.
The book is divided into three parts:
- Be a Leader
- Dig Deeper
- Prepare for Success
Each chapter explores different challenges that both children and their parents face as they try to navigate life together. I like how the authors offer practical advice and solutions to these various problems. What I found especially helpful is that at the end of every chapter there is a chart with two columns: “Perhaps you’ve done this…” and “Instead, try this…” Then, under each column, there are sample scenarios that relate to a specific issue. I found myself relating to a lot in the first column, so it was interesting to see the recommended words and actions in the second column. I think that Raising The Challenging Child is a book that would be helpful to all parents because it contains hands-on strategies for increasing understanding between parent and child. This understanding can lead to building stronger family relationships, which is something for which we should all strive.