A Survival Guide to Life with Children Ages 2-7 - How to Talk so Little Kids Will Listen

I haven’t finished reading this, as I’ve just gotten it; however, I love it! I’ve read many a baby-book and this one is very relevant. I love the practical solutions and the real life scenarios they provide to show how to execute their recommendations!

This book is my third attempt at reading a parenting book. In the past I can't make it more than a quarter of the way through because of how dry and boring the material is. On top of that a lot of the recommendations are geared towards older children and would never work with my almost 3yr old. When I saw his book was geared towards 2-7yr olds I immediately ordered it and am so glad I did. First off this book doesn't bog you down with research or how you child's brain is developing causing them to act a certain way (great info I'm sure but really I just want to know what to do when my kid is in the middle of an epic tantrum and my leisure reading time is limited) it just gets straight down to the recommendations and why they'll likely work compared to other ways we as parents typically handle a situation. I also love how the recommendations are accompanied by a lot of dialogue examples and also real life stories of them being put to use by parents in the authors parenting classes.

I bought the kindle version of this book for myself to help me better communicate with my 3-year-old nephew. After reading about half of the book, I bought the "paper" version of the book for my brother. I very much appreciate the summaries at the end of the chapters. The summaries are are great refreshers when faced with an issue. The writing and examples are excellent so the concepts are easily comprehended. I think the book's techniques and concepts can help a child see her parent as a person who provides guidance and helps them navigate the world, versus an authoritarian disciplinarian. The book also made me pause and think how a child must feel when everyone is telling them what to do and what not to do.

This is a must read parenting book for ages 2-7. Especially great for 3.5 year olds ;)
Not many parenting books cover so many topics while giving concrete examples, respectful tools/tips/tricks to manage emotions, resolve conflicts and engage cooperation. Using the info from this book will improve your relationship to your child, make you feel more successful as a parent, and make parenting more fun! All positives. It's also a great book for parents looking for alternatives to punishment. Plus it's a fun, easy read!

Just what we needed for a 4YO with significant language delays. I'm only part way through the chapter on Special Needs kids and it's changing so much of how we were handling things. I like that it is full of anecdotal information from real parents. We have been making so many mistakes and this book is a real eyeopener.

I first read "how to talk so kids will listen and listen so kids will talk" and was highly impressed. When this version came out I was quick to buy. I currently have toddlers in my house. This book teaches mutual respect so that kids feel safe and secure. I have used these techniques and it works beautifully. Great for parents and kids alike. I recommend every version of this book to anyone who wants to raise independent, respectful & loving human beings.

This book was so easy to read and implement. There were so many examples, which is what we needed. I read the previous version of this book for all age ranges, but this one was very helpful for my 2 year old. I highly recommend it.

Thank you, thank you, thank you. I love this much-needed book. The original publication was our parenting bible when my husband and I taught parent groups fifteen years ago. As a child development specialist, I value the focus on young children, the real-life scenarios, the lightness of the book, the importance of validating feelings, the thoughts about managing the environment rather than the child, sharing power, giving I messages, and of course humor. I also appreciate the information regarding children who are "wired differently." I highly recommend this book to all early childhood educators, family therapists, and families raising young children. One exception, I see this book as a thriving guide- not a survival guide.

I feel like I am always starting a parenting book but never finishing it. I read this one cover to cover. This book is not just theory, which is a complaint I have about some parenting books. It is 50% information and 50% examples from real lives. It is so helpful to see the principles in action. The main ideas of the book are to first acknowledge your child's feelings, usually verbally, and then use one of a number of tools to resolve the conflict while still respecting your child. Then it gives specific advice about several comotmon problem areas- - sleep, lying, siblings, etc. It is down to earth about how hard it is to be a parent and never condescending. Really helpful book.

This book has great tools for dealing with little kids, especially if you have read "How to talk so kids will listen & listen so kids will talk," but feel stuck trying to put those tools to use with your three-year-old. Most of the tools are the same--and I even recognized some of the stories--but the adaptation to little kids is really helpful. I suspect parents of 'differently wired' kids will feel that same about the special needs chapter. The best thing about their approach is it doesn't require parents to become saints--acknowledging our own feelings is as important as acknowledging our childrens'.

My husband and I were looking into behavior therapy for our son. He wasn't bad, but he just would freak out about everything and we didn't know what to do! He was doing poorly in kindergarten and his spirit felt like a caged animal. My husband came across the "How to Talk So Kids Will Listen, and Listen So Kids Will Talk" book and we started listening to it on audio. Wow! Game. Changer. I got this book because our son is 5 and some of the examples in the first book were for older children/tweens. This is exactly like the first book, only the examples and conversations are for smaller children. Perfect.

It's changed how we respond to our son, and he is much more relaxed and happier. I know it's because he's being understood and listened to. It seems obvious...but for us...it wasn't. So thankful for this!

As an experienced nanny, I found this book to be extremely helpful . Caring for 2.5 yr old twins can be challenging! Their mother and I have used several techniques with the kids, and so far, it's working beautifully. I especially like the suggestion to tell the kids my feelings when redirecting a dangerous or displeasing behavior. For example: instead of saying "sit down on the couch. That's not safe!, I'll say " I'm scared that a little boy will fall and get hurt if he stands on the furniture.". This has worked so well, that the next time he started to stand up on the couch, he told himself to sit down! Another example: instead of "get back in your bed. It's nap time!, I said " I'm so sad and hungry, and I need a little boy and girl to stay in bed so I can eat my lunch. I'll be much happier after I have some food." Will you believe that this worked? Both kids looked sad, got into bed, and were quiet and napped! Even better, I stayed calmer and more relaxed, which definitely helped the kids to do the same. I highly recommend this book. Another interesting subject covered deals with " time out," and how this punishment doesn't match the "crime". I'm rethinking many of my strategies, and am excited to try some new "tricks."

Naysayers, listen up! I was raised by no-nonsense parents and am a very no-nonsense parent myself. This whole "touchy feely" parenting thing was not my bag. Kids should do what their parents tell them to do, period. Who has time to try to make the kid think it's their idea and all the other nonsense?

Enter my very strong-willed 4-year old. We have battled and fought for years, and after a particularly epic screaming match, I finally decided that what I was doing was not working. I started looking for books on how to raise a strong-willed child and came across this book. I waited impatiently for 3 days for my next Audible credit and then downloaded it and started listening to it on my hour long drive home from work.

The advice sounded good, for someone else's kid. I thought, they make it sound so simple. That's never going to work on my kid. I got home, an hour into listening to the book, and I started trying out some of the techniques. I used them to get my kid to eat dinner, get her upstairs for bedtime, get her in the bath, get her jammies on, get her to go to the potty before bed. Over and over again, this stuff was working. I was amazed.

When I have my head together enough to be able to do the stuff, it always works. I might have to try a couple different techniques, but it does end up working.

What I like about this book is that they give you many examples. They also say the negative thoughts that are in my head, like "Won't this just teach my kid that it's my responsibility to make going to the potty fun instead of their responsibility to just go to the potty?" And then they explain why it works.

I am now back to purchase the print book, just so I can have it on hand for quick reference. This book has changed my life.

So helpful, so practical, so easy to put to use right away. I've used the techniques and now I have great stories and examples to tell, just like the people in the book! I've ordered every book from these authors.

Useful ideas to guide our children to self management and self care. Easy read and a parent can concentrate on a specific issue but recommend reading the whole book eventually. The book emphasizes the need for parents to also manage themselves when confronted with recalcitrant children.

This book is not only useful, but it is also so much fun to read. I've been reading it and it makes me laugh, squirm, and nod my head. I attended a helpful course on child raising by one of the authors some years ago and it made me much more successful as a parent. When I recently heard co-author Julie King speak at our local bookstore about this book, it was easy to tell she was still on top of her game. Real parents with real problems asked questions and she fielded them easily, while at the same time referring them to specific chapters of her book. I think almost every parent of young children needs to read this book. It's commonsensical advice, easy to implement, and it works!

I read this book in a few days, many good tips but a lot to remember all at once! I bookmarked the pages at end of the chapters where it sums everything up to look back at. I've been trying out the approaches past couple days and it's def a lot to get used to but seems to be helping some. I know I won't use everything from this book but all in all I'm glad I read it and gained some pointers

I thought that I knew what I was doing as a parent until my almost 2 year old started getting sassy and defiant and I could not figure out how to get him to listen. I read this book and realized everything I thought I knew was wrong. This may sound dramatic, but I feel that if every parent read and implemented the strategies in this book the world would be full of kinder and more respectful people. I have told every mom I know to read this book and not only did I listen to the audio book I bought the paper copy and typed out notes that I put up around my house so I don't forget any technique. A MUST READ!!!!!

This was a really excellent book with lots of suggestions for communicating better with young children. My kids are 6- and 7- years-old, so they are nearing the upper limits of the book, but I really wish I had discovered this book when they were younger. I think it takes a lot of practice implementing these strategies because they are so different from what I've been doing. I like the real world examples of situations and group member's reactions to the teachings. I can especially relate to "Toni." I found that as I was listening to this audiobook, I would think of a situation that I struggle with, or think of an argument against the teaching, and I was pleasantly surprised to see each and every concern addressed. I'm really excited to try these strategies and I think that everyone who deals with young children can benefit from it.

I'd read "How to talk so kids will listen and listen so kids will talk" so in a way I wondered what this book could add, but then I recalled that the original is definitely geared toward older kids and if you tried to have a detailed problem-solving conversation with a toddler as outlined in the original you'd find yourself looking at a blank stare pretty fast. This book helps parents of younger children to begin problem-solving with and gain cooperation from children.

I do want to be clear that this isn't a book of 'tips and tricks' to get your child to do what you want. It's really so much more than that. As a previous reviewer said, if you've already started on the road of creating a respectful relationship with your baby (perhaps using tools like those described in Magda Gerber's Your Self-Confident Baby), then this book is an important tool for when your child hits toddlerhood and suddenly has opinions of his/her own that s/he is very keen to let you know about. This book helps me to get things done that I need to get done by laying the foundation for the kind of cooperative relationship that I want to have with my daughter for the rest of her life.

If you'd like to hear an interview with co-author Julie King about this book, you can find it by searching for the Your Parenting Mojo podcast on iTunes and looking for the "How to talk so little kids will listen" episode.

This is currently my favourite parenting book. The authors present a positive parenting approach, while acknowledging that it is often hard to feel positive about parenting little kids. Without judgment, they address how to help parents keep their cool in the difficult moments. The focus is on building positive relationships with kids so that the difficult moments become more rare and less explosive. The first half of the book is a description of different strategies such as Acknowledge Feelings with Words and Take Action without Insult and the theories behind them. The second part of the books is a collection of specific situations which usually result in fights or tears like Morning Madness and Sibling Rivalry and how to apply the strategies to help. The authors are realistic in their expectations of parents in our modern world, and the advice they present has already made a difference in my home. I recommend this book to anyone in the throes of toddlerdom or preschoolhood.

I am reading this book on my Kindle reader and already it has helped. I am reading this in conjunction with Jo Froster Toddler rules and combined they are amazing. I diverted two major break downs yesterday, just the first day of reading this book, by using the acknowledging feelings and then a creative way to divert those feelings. My daughter almost flipped out (she is 2) because we were in the car and she dropped her socks that she was playing sock puppets with. I said "I understand it is frusterated you can't get your sock yourself because you are buckled in, wouldn't it be cool if I had a button here I could push and all the socks would drop into your lap?" I then asked her what color of socks she would want and what types of animals would be on her socks....granted we had a half hour toddler conversation about socks, but she was laughing!!!! I did it one other time yesterday too with the dog and she laughed and for the first time wanted to play with the puppy!!! It was like I had this whole other child in my house and we were both laughing and having fun. I can't tell you how amazing this is. I am still working on some of the sentences I use so I am ont moving on in this book until I have the first part down. I love at the end of each chapter there are apges you can print out or copy so you can hang them and use them in your house when needed as a references guide. It is really helpful when acknowledging the feelings. This is truly an amazing book, for it to divert my toddler to not have a tantrum is amazing!!!

Reading is fluid, very illustrative and has even amused me a lot. It is very funny that my inner child was so clearly identified in many of the examples given by the author. Undoubtedly the book's suggestions are based on extensive experience and research, Joanna Faber and Julie King know what they are talking about and know the basics of empathy and the power of connection with proper communication. Toddlers are perhaps the least understood by parents, is a very short stage but critical to their sense of belonging, emotional development, for the first steps to socialize and humanize.
As the father of a 4-year-old, I sometimes feel guilty about losing my temper and being unable to get along when he have angry bursts. I am amazed at the importance of developing empathic skills, recognizing and connecting with my child's emotions, and talking with him expressing genuine emotional support, and how they can make so much difference to get cooperation results. It is also of fundamental importance for me to establish a relationship and communication with my children that inspires more confidence and security, since I recognize that it is key to his self-esteem, develop his ability to resolve conflicts, and be happier.
My gratitude to the Publisher and NetGalley for allowing me to review the book

I am so thankful for these authors! This book is changing the language I use with my children, and the differences in our interactions is amazing! Even my my husband has been amazed at the success that some of these techniques have. One of our kiddos is very spirited and I love that there is a section on parenting special needs children - some of that language works well with her. I listened to the audiobook, and it's very well done. I plan to listen to it again chapter by chapter...focusing on each. I definitely recommend this book to anyone with small children. I only wish I had listened to it sooner!

I really enjoyed this book. It’s useful for parents as well as counselors, who work with children. It provides very useful information on how to parent with firm but loving authority. The book teaches us how to improve our sensitivity to children’s feelings, which helps children to cope with challenges, adversity and disappointment. The book gives guidance on how to discipline without criticism, blame or physical or emotional harm to the child. Instead, it teaches parents to guide with choices, problem solving sessions and instead of controlling the child, the parent controls the environment around the child. I think it’s a very positive and loving way to parent. I have used some of these strategies and they are working better than punishment.

As a grandparent, I wanted to review this to see how the children of this series of books had found some other things to write about and help parents learn about how to talk and work with younger children. This was well thought out, readable, and a great resource. I wish it had been available when my children were little and I was parenting my now grown children. I will be sure to gift this to my children as they start on their journeys with parenting. A gift to thinking parents anywhere and a wonderful resource. We all want to work with our children in the kindest, most forthright manner possible in a way that respects them, is kind, and helps us help them develop the tools to effectively communicate and work within a framework that will give them the most success in their lives. Another winner!

People always say they wish kids came with an instruction manual. This is about as close to it as your gift. I just finished the audiobook and I’m going to listen to it again because there’s so much great information I’m sure I didn’t catch it all the first time. This is it so much a parenting Philosophy book as much as it is a tool kit. I highly recommend it to every parent of toddlers.

So this book has some good ideas to help parents relate to their children who can be overwhelmed & unable to truly communicate their frustration. However, I started to get frustrated as I went on reading bc I don’t see discipline. I see a lot of catering and coddling to kids. Of course a child will abandon a tantrum when you are down there catering to them and kissing their butt. I’m all for helping children to identify their feelings and not dismissing them when they are upset but it would take hours of my day if I tried using these tactics on every little tantrum my 3.5 year old threw. I wouldn’t have time to parent my other kids or fix them meals! I believe there is a happy medium btwn relating & talking and disciplining- bc I AM the parent- that’s why! I had a happy childhood and obeyed my parents bc they did not tolerate poor behavior not bc they catered to my every whim and constantly came down to my level. In some way, I can see why kids are growing up feeling so entitled.

I think this is a wonderful book about how to employ empathetic communication with young children. It is full of useful examples and reminders about what children can and cannot understand. The end effect in our house has been a child who better understands her feelings, and parents who are less frequently exasperated with trying to deal with them.

I would recommend this book to every parent! So many simple tools to help. I couldn’t put this book down. New baby struggles, disarming the food battles, keeping boundaries even though there may be tears and anger - the book helps in so many ways

This book is really helping so far. Nothing is perfect, but out of the several parenting books I've read so far, this one is the only one with strategies that I find doable and are working for me with my 3 and 6 year olds. It is also fairly short which I very, very, very much appreciate. It is also non-judgmental about one's current parenting, which I love. It is parenting you can feel good about too. The authors explain the how and why behind their tools and then give many examples from families who experienced this. Now the trick is for me to keep practicing these methods so I don't lose them! (Eek, the pressure!)

Congratulations Julie and Joanna on creating this practical and useful resource. As a Speech-Language Pathologist, I understand the crucial role effective communication plays in a child's social, emotional and educational development. This wonderful book offers many examples that beautifully demonstrate positive communication styles and is an excellent reference for my fellow professional colleagues. Raising children is a challenging task and the authors have given parents valuable tools that are easy to implement and will lead to your child's success.

Really enjoyed reading this and gaining new tools to deal with little ones. Still working on trying to remember them and implement them, especially “in the moment” but I’m hopeful that these will work!

I can't say enough about this book. I think it would be a great resource for all families with kids. Even though the age range is 2-7 in the title...mine are 6-11. I am using every strategy in here lately with all of them. I just wish I had been able to have this sooner. Thanks to the authors- I have already learned so much from this book.

I highly highly highly recommend this book to any parent. I really hope I can master these simple yet so brilliant and relevant skills to my everyday interactions with my step son and future children. I can't wait to read it again. I also say don't skip parents letters or the other parts in the afterword. I felt reading these stories and letters really reinforced how the approaches work.

Great book! I have a 2 & half yr old son and a 7 month baby - this book has really helped getting my son to do what I want him to do (when I’m in the mood of using the tools - often I still lose it and just screams at him)

Best book I have read so far!

My baby is only 1, so while I am super excited to try these techniques out, I can't really do so just yet. I am practicing though. Many of these techniques are so foreign to my current habit of saying "good job" as praise. I can see how these techniques will be useful to teachers as well. I am listening on audiobook and plan to listen again. I will also purchase the book for older ages. I really like the techniques and concepts here and can see how it will help with all ages.

I'm not sure why there is so much love for this book and the version for older kids. I read both and just found them to be so....basic. My kids are 2 and 4 and they would never fall for any of these diversion type tactics. Especially the parts where you just repeat and confirm what they are feeling and sympathize with them. "That hurt your feelings when they didn't want to play with you on the playground, didn't it?" Then child magically in all examples says yes, and scampers off to do the next thing. Almost 400 pages of that. Grocery store suggestions include sending them on their own hunt for things. Toy store suggestions: Telling them that anything they want will go on a list because the list will somehow make them feel acknowledged and that you noted what they wanted. Getting out of the house in the morning suggestions: Play a game with their clothes, take the socks and say "Oh no, I hope a stinky foot doesn't go into me!" Getting them to eat dinner suggestions: Give them a plate and let them pick their own food.

I found the advice to be lame, unhelpful and a watered down rehash of the book for the older kids.

Does any child fall for this stuff? Almost didn't finish but decided to take one for the team so you don't have to.

Absolute "must have" for new parents! Completely eliminates the whole power struggle and drain of
communication with a little child. Gives many scenarios and examples of "if this, then that" advice;
a pleasure to read and easy to implement - the styles of communication are easy to adapt and are very
natural. You'll be saying to yourself, "Wow, this WORKS!"
ENJOY YOUR CHILDREN!

Best parenting book I've read. I read her mom's book on siblings. I felt like that book was a little slower and a little less practical/realistic for myself. Maybe that's because my kids are 4 and under.
I've gotten more helpful advice in the first 3 chapters than I got in the 3 full books I've read before.

This is a great book for two reasons. (1) It is funny. (2) It is realistic. I repeatedly found myself thinking, "Hey, this could actually work" or "I should try this." I also found myself thinking on more than one occasion, "Hey, I bet this works with adults as well." ;-)