Book Review: How to Talk So Kids Will Listen & Listen So Kids Will Talk

How to Talk So Kids Will Listen & Listen So Kids Will Talk by Adele Faber
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Audio
Updated Edition Release Date: May 2, 2012
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Publisher’s Description:

Now, this bestselling classic includes fresh insights and suggestions as well as the author’s time-tested methods to solve common problems and build foundations for lasting relationships, including innovative ways to:
·      Cope with your child’s negative feelings, such as frustration, anger, and disappointment
·      Express your strong feelings without being hurtful
·      Engage your child’s willing cooperation
·      Set firm limits and maintain goodwill
·      Use alternatives to punishment that promote self-discipline
·      Understand the difference between helpful and unhelpful praise
·      Resolve family conflicts peacefully

The theme of this book can be summed up thusly: Treat your children like human beings. Sounds simple in theory but if you have kids, you know it’s not as easy as it sounds. It can be hard to treat your children like regular human beings when they don’t always act like regular human beings. Or is it just mine that can be irrational monsters at times? I really liked all the practical examples and situations that the authors used throughout the book. My husband listened to this book as well and we’ve been putting a lot of the tips into practice with our three children. So far, it’s working really well.

I enjoyed listening this book in its audio format. The narrator, Susan Bennett, was dynamic and brought a lot of inflection to her reading – it was anything but dry, which non-fiction audio can easily be. I liked this book so much that after listening to it, I bought the paperback so that I will be able to go back and refer to specific parts again and again. That’s the one drawback of wonderful instructional books like this in audio – it’s hard to use an audio book for reference. Also, the paperback version has a lot of cartoons, which of course don’t translate into the audio format. However, I did like that my first reading was in the audio format as I often digest this type of book more easily if I listen to it. And my husband never would have read the printed version as he falls asleep after reading for about 10 minutes, no matter what kind of book it is! He was able to listen to this book on his daily commute, which worked out nicely.

I highly recommend this book to all parents interested in gentle, effective alternative methods to yelling and nagging (and spanking if anyone still does that.) That should be pretty much all of us, right?

(I received this book courtesy of the Solid Gold Reviewer Program at Audio Jukebox.)