Frequently parents have come to me and asked my opinions of parenting books; which ones are the best and most popular? I never really had a response for them since I myself have never read a parenting book. All my information comes from research, data, experience, and training in the field of applied behavior analysis.
So do these books work? They make us feel all warm and fuzzy, give us some good advice, and really make us think, right? I guess you have to ask yourself, did it make a difference in the way I treat my child's behavior? More importantly: did my child's behavior change as a result of what I changed in my interactions with her, after I read the book? The answer should be more than "I think so." It should be "I know it did," or "it changed my (or my child's) life."
Take for example "Parenting with Love and Logic." Very nice book, even sold over 450,000 copies. But where is the research behind the book? Does it work, does it change the lives of the families that read the book? To date, there is not a single valid study conducted to see if the techniques in the book are effective.
Where then, should parents go to find how to help their children's behavior? I took a workshop on this very topic in Phoenix in May. Next time I post I will post the books that are imperically validated.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment