Straight Talk On Parenting

Parents these days are under a great deal of pressure to be perfect. From psychologists to social scientists, journalists to weekend bloggers, everyone has an opinion about the do's and don'ts for raising healthy, well-adjusted--and let's not forget, polite--children in today's fast-paced world. Where does this leave parents? Too often, lacking in confidence, ill equipped, and overwhelmed. Parenting expert Vicki Hoefle makes the bold claim that it's time for parents to get off the perfection path and get back to the real job of parenting: to grow a grown-up. In this no-nonsense parenting guide, Hoefle draws upon twenty-five years of experience with helping parents see the big picture and sidestep what she calls the detail drama that too often trumps everyday life with our kids. Parents learn more than just strategies; they learn a methodology that allows them to help their toddlers build a strong foundation for success in adulthood. In her trademark, tell-it-like-it-is style, Hoefle tells parents to trust their intuition and develop an intentional strategy for meeting each child's unique needs. Above all, The Straight Talk on Parenting offers the confidence-boosting reminder that parenting is about practice (and a healthy dose of humor), not perfection. Review: Bold, clear and lifesaving. Vicki Hoefle is in the business of helping parents grow good grown-ups. -- Heather Shumaker, author of It's OK Not to Share Hoefle's candid, timely, and straightforward approach is perfect for today's parents. -- Amy McCready, Founder of Positive Parenting Solutions and author of If I Have to Tell You One More Time... and The Me, Me, Me Epidemic I love this book's encouragement to stop the nagging about the messes around the home, and instead focus on my responses and how to model values; the rest will fall into place. -- Agnes de Bezenac, author of iCharacter children's books For parents who are ready to say goodbye to the role of criticizer, nagger, and servant-in-chief and hello to a more deliberate and relationship-focused method of raising children, this book will show you the way. -- David C Rettew, MD, associate professor of psychiatry and pediatrics, University of Vermont College of Medicine; author of Child Temperament