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From the moment our kids begin kindergarten, the homework cycle begins and every year it grows more intense. Whether your child is five or fifteen, homework becomes an issue for every family. Neil McNerney, a licensed counselor and parenting expert, will show you ways to deal with kids who are disorganized, defiant, anxious, blaming, and many more. In his 25 years working with school-age children and their parents, Neil has developed a simple and powerful approach that will increase achievement and decrease aggravation! HOMEWORK: A Parent's Guide to Helping Out Without Freaking Out! will guide you through a simple process to find that 'sweet spot' of parenting: Recognize your personal parenting strengths (and weaknesses) and how to harness them. Identify the individual ways your child deals with homework and other stress. Learn to use three powerful leadership techniques to help your child achieve success.
Is homework a point of contention in your household? If so, you will want to read Homework, A Parent's Guide to Helping Out Without Freaking Out. Surprisingly, the focus of the book is not about kids. Rather, it is about how parent's attitudes can cause a lot of the conflict associated with homework.
Author, Neil McNerney, a professional counselor, systematically goes through the steps parents need to take in order to effectively lead their children to success in completing their assignments. After explaining the types of parenting, types of kids, and leadership styles, McNerney introduces the C.A.L.M. method. It's an acronym that makes it easy for parents to create an environment in which children can succeed. McNerney also includes a nice chart that gives parents an idea of what leadership role to take based on the type of behavior the child is demonstrating.
At the end of each chapter, is a page with a "Don't Freak Out Summary, " a "Don't Freak Out (written) Exercise," and a "Don't Freak Out Resource" related to the chapter's topic. Chapter ten, one of the most informative chapters, is devoted to answering parents' frequently asked questions. Some of the topics include how to deal with forgetfulness, and how to handle arguments when a child asks for help and your explanation isn't exactly how the teacher explains it. (Sound familiar?)
Homework, A Parents Guide to Helping Out Without Freaking Out, is a wonderful resource for parents. It's full of good advice and helpful tips. As a parent, I've learned a few new things that I'm going to try with my children: Saying "I'm impressed," rather than "I'm proud of you," and applying the "Pomodor" technique. (You'll have to read the book to find out what that is.) This informative, easy-to-read book is a must-read for parents of school-age children. I highly recommend it.
Lorraine76
Posted March 1, 2012
This book is a quick easy read with lots of insight and advice about helping children in several areas not just homework! As an Elementary Counselor I have read many self-help books about raising kids and this one especially has great advice. I love the summaries at the end of each chapter. If you need to refer back to what you read you can find the information quickly. I have used many of the strategies with my own children and thanks to Neil our house has become more peaceful, espcialy during homework time.
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Posted February 18, 2012
This book is fantastic! It has given me so many useful ways of seeing things as well as tools I can use as a parent to help stay calm and connected during a time that causes both my husband and I a lot of anxiety. I love how the book walks me through a process of figuring out what kind of parent I need to be for each one of my four children who have very different styles. So helpful to learn ways to adapt my style and calm myself to best interact and respond to my child. Useful tips, tools and mind-set shifts for parents of children and teens.
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Overview
From the moment our kids begin kindergarten, the homework cycle begins and every year it grows more intense. Whether your child is five or fifteen, homework becomes an issue for every family. Neil McNerney, a licensed counselor and parenting expert, will show you ways to deal with kids who are disorganized, defiant, anxious, blaming, and many more. In his 25 years working with school-age children and their parents, Neil has developed a simple and powerful approach that will increase achievement and decrease ...