"Have a New Kid by Friday" by Dr. Leman: Day Five

This chapter in the book is mostly a review. I would like to just give you some of the one-line principles from the book.

Let reality be the teacher.

Respond rather than react – close your mouth, think and respond with action.

B does not happen until A is complete. No matter what, the family comes first, so if there is a problem at home, do not look at life outside the home until the problem is solved.

Your child’s behavior serves a purpose in his life. (He’s getting what he wants, isn’t he?)

If you want your child to trust you, you must ALWAYS follow through on what you say you will do.

Do not give any warnings. (This is to say, “You’re so stupid, I have to tell you twice.”)

Do not take over what she should be doing herself.

Do not think that misbehavior will go away. (Do not nag, but do not ignore things that do not fit into the big picture.)

At the final piece from “Have a New Kid by Friday,” by Dr. Leman that I think is important:

“Do not let your child control your mood. An explosion of anger is like throwing up all over your child. The release in tension might feel good temporarily, but look at what you have done to the child. (Page 85)”

The second half of the book is actually a reference manual. It lists certain behaviors/actions of children and Dr. Leman gives his opinion on how the parent should handle the situation. The second half is exactly why every parent should own this book!