Laying Down the Law: The 25 Laws of Parenting to Keep Your Kids on Track, Out of Trouble and (Pretty Much) Under Control by Ruth Allen Peters

From Barnes & Noble

Families are not democracies. Discipline is not abuse. Keeping peace in the family doesn't necessitate surrender. Dr. Ruth Peters, the fearless author of Don't Be Afraid to Discipline, lays down the law for parents, offering 25 rules designed to strengthen and protect your children. Not that your kids will welcome all these dicta, especially her endorsement of daily chores and selective parental snooping.

From the Publisher

25 No-Nonsense Rules That Teach Your Kids Values and Discipline from the Inside Out

NBC Today show expert Dr. Ruth Peters shares her best and newest advice for helping families restore order and keep the peace with proven, painless methods that once and for all get your children to:

• Understand and follow your family's values
• Do their work when and how YOU want it done-- without whining
• Follow your rules, even when their friends don't
• Develop compassion and empathy

Now, you'll know:

• When snooping in their rooms is okay--and how to do it
• When making peace is the WORST thing you can do
• The 5 questions you must ask your teenager every time he leaves the house
• Why your kids should earn their privileges--and how to get them to

In Laying Down the Law, you'll learn her 25 best laws of parenting that work with kids of all ages, from preschool to high school. Firm, but fair. Tough, but compassionate.

Dr. Peters's innovative approach to parenting will help you teach your children the values and discipline they need to succeed--and give them the love they need to thrive. Her straight-talking advice is easy to follow--and works fast to improve your child's behavior!

Teach Your Kids What Really Matters (See Law #1)

Turn Whining into Action (See Law #6)

Stop Their Bad Habits (See Law #7)

Go from Suspicion to Trust (See Law #12)

Turn Rudeness into Politeness (See Law #13)

Get Your Kids to Talk Openly (See Law #16)

Teach the Work Ethic (See Law #25)

Dr. Peters will take you step by step through the process of establishing your family values and choosing methods of discipline that will work best for your family. She'll help you identify what's really bothering your child when he acts up and show you how to tailor a rewards-based plan that will bring out your child's best behavior.

Ruth Peters thinks it's time to take a stand for your family and lay down the law. When you practice her 25 Laws of Parenting, you will get the peaceful, happy home life that your kids need--and you deserve.

Plus . . . smart ways to deal with common problems--from biting to tattoos, from drug and alcohol abuse to fear of school, from bullies to sibling rivalry . . . and much, much more!

About the Author
Ruth Peters, Ph.D., is fast becoming America's new voice for old-fashioned values and positive discipline. A clinical psychologist for more than 25 years, she has counseled families in need of new methods to control difficult behavior in children and teens. Dr. Peters reaches millions more families through her regular contributions to NBC's Today show and numerous other television appearances. She's a mother of two and the author of several books, manuals, and videos on parenting.

Publishers Weekly

Don't worry about being too hard on your kids: the bigger problem, according to psychologist Peters, is that parents are too soft. The author of Don't Be Afraid to Discipline argues that refraining from imposing punishments and allowing children and adolescents to do as they please (whether it's from fear of contributing to a negative self-image or simply from weakness or indifference) produces kids that are disrespectful, uncontrollable and often disliked by peers and superiors. The key, the Today show contributor and parenting pro argues, is "for parents to take a stand, to draw a line in the sand, and to lay down the law." In a step-by-step program that explains exactly which rules are necessary to enforce, how parents can implement them properly, and why they are so integral to a child's upbringing, this guidebook is coherent, realistic, and, most importantly, makes sense-even if some of Peters's edicts ("Appoint Yourself Benevolent Dictator," "Make Consequences Catastrophic") sound a trifle harsh. Placing the responsibility squarely on parents, Peters emphasizes that it is never too late to discipline a child, and that while it may not always be fun, "effective parenting can be simple."(Sept.) Copyright 2003 Cahners Business Information.

What People Are Saying

Ann Curry
Dr. Ruth Peters gives us permission to take charge as parents and to guide our children with a nurturing and loving hand.

Al Roker
If there ever was an owner's manual for your kids, Laying Down the Law is it. When I read Ruth Peters, it's like she's channeling my parents and grand-parents with commonsense, logical advice for today's parent.

Product Details

• ISBN: 0641836007
  
• ISBN-13: 9780641836008
• Format: Hardcover, 230pp
• Publisher: Rodale Press, Incorporated
• Pub. Date: September 2002
• Edition Description: Bargain
• Sales Rank: 17,710