Although my family is not Jewish, reading 'Blessings of a Skinned Knee' gave me a new perspective on the various ways of raising children. Having three kids myself, I need all the help I can get, and found this book a great guide.

No time to read the whole book? Check out the 8 page summary at parentsdigest.com

Although my family is not Jewish, reading 'Blessings of a Skinned Knee' gave me a new perspective on the various ways of raising children. Having three kids myself, I need all the help I can get, and found this book a great guide.

No time to read the whole book? Check out the 8 page summary at http://www.parentsdigest.com

As a Christian pastor, I find this book extremely helpful in working with families. And, I also find it easy to translate into "Christian." My two copies have already found their way out out of my office into other hands (hands of young parents.)

This is a great guide on how to guide our children to a productive life. I learned some great techniques. I am not Jewish but the principles are the same for a Christian family. Thank you for sharing your wisdoms

I paid a premium for 1-day delivery. It showed up 6 days later. The UPS delivery guy viewed the shipping label and confirmed that is was normal shipping. Amazon has not seen fit to refund my $3 or even answer an e-mail complaining about it.
About the book--My wife is teaching a parenting class at our Episcopal church with this book as one of the classroom aids. She reports it's very good. It would have rated 5 stars except for the delivery charge.
Jim A.

I don't use the word "wise" very often, but that's how the author and her book strikes me. My son is not quite two, and I imagine that I'll be dipping into this book many times over the years to remind myself of key points and fortify myself for battles at home.

I'm a non-practicing Jew who grew up observant. This book was recommended to me by a Christian friend, and I was pretty resistant to the idea of reading a book informed by Jewish tradition and law. After all, that's exactly what I have chosen to walk away from as an adult.

Well, I'm here to tell you now that Jewish or not, religious or not, there's a lot of meat in a small number of pages in this is book, and nearly all of it resonated with me. Whether it's guidance about establishing authority, recognizing that your child is not your masterpiece, or resisting the pressure to push your child to perfection, Dr. Mogel has strong words for parents. She also has much to say about valuing time, valuing chores, and valuing your marriage or partnership (if you are in one) while you rear your children.

Another theme that hit home with me was respect: respecting the opinion and advice of grandparents, teachers, and other parents; respecting your child in the way you parent him or her in all aspects; and respecting your own strengths, needs, and limitations.

I loved reading this book, and if I can be mindful of even a part of its advice, I know I'lll be a better parent for it. What I really wish, though, is that Dr. Mogel could live next door to me!

Child rearing is tough work, as tough or tougher now than ever. Mogul, a psychologist, sought to find a different, healthy approach to managing children and parenthood. She came to Judaism's traditional ways. For much of the book, the theme is simple: given three thousand years of parenthood, what are the lessons of what works? These lessons are presented clearly and helpfully. There's a bit of promoting Judaism in here, but anyone willing to read critically will easily be able to come away with some parenting gold nuggets. As the parent of young adults, I found some things that will even help me with their finishing the entry to adulthood and only the smallest number of ideas with which I disagreed. Highly recommended to prospective parents, those with youngsters, and anyone working with children.

Child rearing is tough work, as tough or tougher now than ever. Mogul, a psychologist, sought to find a different, healthy approach to managing children and parenthood. She came to Judaism's traditional ways. For much of the book, the theme is simple: given three thousand years of parenthood, what are the lessons of what works? These lessons are presented clearly and helpfully. There's a bit of promoting Judaism in here, but anyone willing to read critically will easily be able to come away with some parenting gold nuggets. As the parent of young adults, I found some things that will even help me with their finishing the entry to adulthood and only the smallest number of ideas with which I disagreed. Highly recommended to prospective parents, those with youngsters, and anyone working with children.

The Blessing of a Skinned Knee is the best parenting book I've ever read. It has a common sense approach and really works. I can hardly wait to read her next book, The Blessing of a B-

Raising a healthy family in today's world is challenging for even the most insightful of parents. The Blessings of a Skinned Knee provides psychological and spiritual wisdom as well as practical guidance and parenting skills to enable every parent to succeed in creating a healthy and happy home. This book belongs on every parent's nightstand!
Amy Hirshberg Lederman [...], author of "To Life! Jewish Reflections on Everyday Living" and "One God, Many Paths: Finding Meaning and Inspiration in Jewish Teachings."

Concepts clearly presented. I looked for curative truths related to children who have everything but are demanding, unhappy and unsuccessful. I found many truths in this book. They were identified as spirituality, family involvement, natural consequences and responsibility, not exclusively. Did I agree with everything? No. For instance: Jewish mother's drive their children toward "success" less than other mothers. This was a book about finding speciality by being responsible. I've already given two books to other family members.

Based on Torah examples she show us how to get involve with our kids, and create a great relation.

This book is really wonderful. Wendy Mogel has systematically analyzed how to use Jewish teachings to raise healthy and emotionally strong children. The book is easy to read and understand. It is great for both the new parent and the seasoned one. This is a great baby shower gift as well as a book club/discussion book. You won't go wrong.

"Blessing of a Skinned Knee" is very good in guiding parents interested in using Judaism to raise a child, or even just in looking to understand any child in the context of how he/she was raised.

Although most of the recommendations do seem common sense, a couple did stick in my mind and are worth noting here:

1. During the Exodus only about 20% of the Jews left to follow Moses. Hence, the caution for a parent not to be too protective of one's child.

2. The Talmud says evil impulses are good because they are a child's most robust trait. Without them, there would be no marriage, no children, houses, businesses, etc. They are needed for human survival and a blueprint for greatness. The key, though, since obviously they can lead to really bad things, is for a parent to learn to channel such traits/impulses in their child in good directions, not to completely eliminate them.

The book is an easy read, and worth the time.

This is an excellent parenting book- for the Jew first, and also for the Gentile! :-) This is practical parenting... and done God's way! Loved it! I have paged through many parenting books... but this was worthy of actually reading!

The Blessings of a Skinned Knee: Using Jewish Teachings to Raise Self-Reliant Children is a true gift to anyone who is raising a child in this hectic, modern world. Written by nationally-known clinical psychologist, educator, and workshop leader Wendy Mogel, the reader is given a glimpse of parenting without the conspicuous consumption practices so prevalent in this era.

Although this book uses Jewish teachings to substantiate the approach to childrearing in the new milleneum, it speaks to everyone--no matter what their chosen faith. Because I am not Jewish, I found some of the words and concepts a bit foreign, but the author is quite adept at explaining for those who are not followers of the Jewish faith.

Even twenty years ago, as I was raising my three daughters, I found myself wondering what had happened to the basic principles that had been so accepted when I was being raised. Mogel has brought them to the forefront in this most enlightening and affirming book. As I read the book, I felt I was having a conversation with a like-minded friend. I found myself nodding in agreement, smiling with fond remembrances of similar situations handled in similar ways, and wishing that every parent would take the time to read and implement some, if not all, of Mogel's practices.

"This book is not a formula for foolproof parenting. It is a lens, a way to look at the world, your life, and your family. Judaism has given my family unexpected moments of closeness and harmony, clarity about daily ethical dilemmas, and a sense of the holy potential of everyday life. It has guided me as a parent more profoundly than any other way of thinking I've yet found, and I hope it will do the same for you," writes Mogel.

Mogel outlines nine "blessings" for parents:

1. The blessing of acceptance: discovering your unique and ordinary child
2. The blessing of having someone to look up to: honoring father and mother
3. The blessing of a skinned knee: why God doesn't want you to overprotect your child
4. The blessing of longing: teaching your child an attitude of gratitude
5. The blessing of work: finding the Holy sparks in ordinary chores
6. The blessing of food: bringing moderation, celebration, and sacrifice to your table
7. The blessing of self-control: channeling your child's Yetzer Hara
8. The blessing of time: teaching your child the value of the present moment
9. The blessings of faith and tradition: losing your fear of the G word and introducing your child to spirituality

One of my favorite chapters/ blessings was that of time. In this chapter, Mogel validates some of my own thoughts on the scheduled lives we create for ourselves and our children. In a day and age where there are three activities for each day of the week and not enough hours in the day to stop and enjoy one another, I found Mogel's input to be priceless. Her "time savers: everyday methods to guard time" are gems our parents and their parents before them seemed to know instinctively... gems we seem to have lost sight of in our busy world.

Find time to connect with your child, Mogel advises. Allowing children time to get bored provides them with an opportunity to find ways to amuse or entertain themselves--like daydreaming or playing for the sheer sake of play. "Let them dawdle," she says. The author points out that when we move faster, adhere to stricter schedules, and tend to look for immediacy in much of what we do, we sometimes fail to allow children to operate at their own pace. Allowing children to move at a child's speed lessens the pressure they feel to accomplish a given task.

Today, I am a grandmother raising her young grandson. This book found me just when I was questioning whether I was being fair to him as I imposed my values of respecting adults, using manners, sitting down for family mealtimes, and not having scheduled activities every moment of every day. It would appear that, at least in Mogel's eyes, the answer is an emphatic "Yes!"

by Lee Ambrose
for Story Circle Book Reviews
reviewing books by, for, and about women

I have really enjoyed reading this book. Not only does the author give us sound advice on our approach to parenting but she also explains the basis on which it is founded, the Jewish Faith. Christians can benefit greatly from this book. Jesus was a Jew and we should know more about the traditions that Jesus grew up with. If it were not for the Jews; we would not have Jesus. And, we serve the same God! I have really scooped in the wealth of information and wisdom the author has offered in this book. It is well worded and she has woven together, beautifully, the Jewish tradition, her experience as a psychologist and her advice on parenting. A very interesting read. I tend to skim through books, reading only here and there. This author has kept my attention. I'm not done reading it but it is so good I just had to write a review now.

I am not Jewish, but the principles discussed in this book are relevant for any family of Christian faith. This book is helping me in raising my strong willed, intelligent daughter, who, being an only child, grandaughter and neice on both sides, was becoming spoiled. She is only 5 and I knew I needed help before she got any older. The advice from this book makes sense and is easy to incorporate into family life. I have given it as gift to two of my friends, who also have enjoyed it.

When I read this book, or I should say the PART that I read (I gave up soon after perusal and a quick reading) I found nothing but the typical NOW/Steinem ravings about coddling, feel-good child-rearing, and other "earthy-crunchy" nonsense. I do not follow the feminist line, or anything along those lines, including politically-correct hogwash such as this. Two thumbs WAY down.

I was given this book by my first wife, a Christian, in what I see as a pathetic attempt for her to "share" her feminist philosophy via what she thinks is traditional Jewish child-raising. When I read this book or the PART that I read (I gave up soon after perusal and a quick reading) I found nothing but the typical NOW/Steinem ravings about coddling, feel-good child-rearing, and other "earthy-crunchy" nonsense. I do not tow the feminist line, or anything along those lines, including politically-correct hogwash such as this. Two thumbs WAY down.

I am so glad I read this while my children were young. This book is very important and great advice.

It's strange to think of this as a book about Judaism when it so strongly recalls the attitude of the Roman Catholic nuns who taught those in our Catholic school that suffering is a good thing. Perhaps one can take lessons from that skinned knee; but I would rather that my children know they are truly loved than have them sense a self-righteous pride in the lessons I'd be giving them. In "Mothers," Anne Sexton writes: "Oh mother,/after this lap of childhood/I will never go forth/into the big people's world/as an alien,/a fabrication,/or falter/when someone else/is as empty as a shoe." That seems like a great gift.

Simply the best parenting book I've ever read. Straightforward, simple and addresses every issue I've ever had with my kids. Intuitive and funny.

This book is very good, in general. There are some unimortant things that the author feels we need to hear about anyway. But still, for everyone who has children, or is intereted in parenting, it is quite a helpful book. I personally do have desire to learn from any book that can teach me something different or make me look at things in a different way. I'm not Jewish yet I felt there is a lot to learn here from the Jewish tradition. Mostly, it is the simplicity which is mixed together with divinity that I find is a very interesting and positive concept. I do recommend this book.

I read this book when it first came out - read it once, twice, probably 3 times. The guidance here really helped get me through some challenging pre-teen years. My children (now older teens and college age) have all turned out better than I could have ever imagined! Parenting has a lot to do with following a clear path with frequently discussed values and clear expectations/consequences. I hope Wendy's messages continue to reach a lot of people.

I read this book when it first came out - read it once, twice, probably 3 times. The guidance here really helped get me through some challenging pre-teen years. My children (now older teens and college age) have all turned out better than I could have ever imagined! Parenting has a lot to do with following a clear path with frequently discussed values and clear expectations/consequences. I hope Wendy's messages continue to reach a lot of people.

The overwhelming majority of readers of this book I know of have found it to be a wise, practical guide to better parenting. They found it replete with ways of making their child more respectful, self- reliant children as preparation to becoming better and stronger human beings.
There was only one person whose negative criticism raised a question in my mind, and this in regard to the authors' treatment of children who suffer special disabilities.
In any case I found that there was already a certain wisdom and direction in the way the contents of the book are structured. The reader opens with a chapter on the way she changed her whole practice of counseling children. She then has a chapter teaching parents how to accept the special character of their children. Her idea is basically that we should not simply take children as if they are blank slates in which parents write out their own needs and wishes. But rather each is a unique human being whose special qualities we must understand and help develop in a way best for them.(This accords with the traditional Jewish saying "Educate the child according to its nature") She too teaches the danger of over- protecting children.This is the focus of the title- chapter on the blessings of a skinned knee. She then considers the whole question of how we can find in ordinary decisions sparks of spirituality . She goes on to talk about the blessing of longing , and how important it is to teach children gratitude for what they have received. One of the main messages of the book is teaching children to overcome that kind of mentality in which they are perpetually hungry and dissastified, always looking selfishly for the next treat they can get. Mogel aims to teach parents how to teach Moderation in regard to physical demands, and appreciation for Good received. This connects up with the chapter in which she deals with the traditional Jewish terms for motivation ( Yetzer Hara- The Evil Impulse) and how children need to be taught how to use their drives in a beneficial way . She also speaks about Moderation in relation to food . In her last chapters she moves to more purely spiritual considerations, and teaches how parents should help in teaching their children Faith in God.
While much of the Teaching here has its basis in traditional Jewish teachings about raising children it is clear that the work has a universal meaning and application.

The overwhelming majority of readers of this book I know of have found it to be a wise, practical guide to better parenting. They found it replete with ways of making their child more respectful, self- reliant children as preparation to becoming better and stronger human beings.
There was only one person whose negative criticism raised a question in my mind, and this in regard to the authors' treatment of children who suffer special disabilities.
In any case I found that there was already a certain wisdom and direction in the way the contents of the book are structured. The reader opens with a chapter on the way she changed her whole practice of counseling children. She then has a chapter teaching parents how to accept the special character of their children. Her idea is basically that we should not simply take children as if they are blank slates in which parents write out their own needs and wishes. But rather each is a unique human being whose special qualities we must understand and help develop in a way best for them.(This accords with the traditional Jewish saying "Educate the child according to its nature") She too teaches the danger of over- protecting children.This is the focus of the title- chapter on the blessings of a skinned knee. She then considers the whole question of how we can find in ordinary decisions sparks of spirituality . She goes on to talk about the blessing of longing , and how important it is to teach children gratitude for what they have received. One of the main messages of the book is teaching children to overcome that kind of mentality in which they are perpetually hungry and dissastified, always looking selfishly for the next treat they can get. Mogel aims to teach parents how to teach Moderation in regard to physical demands, and appreciation for Good received. This connects up with the chapter in which she deals with the traditional Jewish terms for motivation ( Yetzer Hara- The Evil Impulse) and how children need to be taught how to use their drives in a beneficial way . She also speaks about Moderation in relation to food . In her last chapters she moves to more purely spiritual considerations, and teaches how parents should help in teaching their children Faith in God.
While much of the Teaching here has its basis in traditional Jewish teachings about raising children it is clear that the work has a universal meaning and application.

What I loved most about this book was the way in which the author marries theology with the nitty-gritty of everyday parenting decisions. The payoff for me personally has been a sense of joy, freedom and confidence as I rear my son. Mogel isn't only out to save kids' spirits or turn up the butane under the reader's observance of Judaism (I suspect that if I were Jewish, this book would have had such an effect on me); she wants to make parenting fun again, and she succeeds brilliantly. Witty, readable, and profound, this book is a real treasure. Don't miss it.

Every parent should read this book regardless of their religion. The principles in the book are useful for all.

This is not your average parenting book - it's much more practical and useful. I'm not jewish, but I enjoyed the way Wendy Mogel used jewish teachings as a touchstone for her parenting philosophies. I intend to reread my many highlights every year.

I highly recommend this book. I picked it for my Book Club and I'm so glad I did. We couldn't stop talking about the book and referencing the wonderful tidbits of advice. This is a book you will want to reference over and over again. You do not need to be Jewish to fully enjoy this book. Buy it, read it, and apply it- you won't be disappointed!!

We work with single parents in our counseling and teaching. Single parenting is hard work. Just when you think you've know something,
life has a way of slapping you in the face. Your teenage son rebels, your young daughter brings home a bad grade from school --- and you feel like a failure.

Wengy Mogel has written an excellent book about how to give your kids more confidence as they deal with the stress of daily life. Clearly written, with stories you'll remember and ideas that work!

Dr. David Frisbie, author of Raising Great Kids on Your Own: A Guide and Companion for Every Single Parent for single parents. Dr. Frisbie is executive director of The Center for Marriage & Family Studies in Del Mar, California and has written numerous articles and eight books, including Moving Forward After Divorce: Practical Steps to * Healing Your Hurts * Finding Fresh Perspective * Managing Your New Life and Happily Remarried: *Making Decisions Together *Blending Families Successfully* Building a Love That Will Last

We work with single parents in our counseling and teaching. Single parenting is hard work. Just when you think you've know something,
life has a way of slapping you in the face. Your teenage son rebels, your young daughter brings home a bad grade from school --- and you feel like a failure.

Wengy Mogel has written an excellent book about how to give your kids more confidence as they deal with the stress of daily life. Clearly written, with stories you'll remember and ideas that work!

Dr. David Frisbie, author of "Raising Great Kids on Your Own" for single parents. Dr. Frisbie is executive director of The Center for Marriage & Family Studies in Del Mar, California and has written numerous articles and eight books, including "Moving Forward After Divorce" and "Happily Remarried."

this book is very easy to read and very enjoyable.
i found myself learning so many things about my own jewishness along with some ideas for how to help my child find hers.
i love this book and bought several more copies to give to the other jewish moms in my moms group.
by the way -- while i was finishing up the last chapters...my brother and his wife happened to send me a copy of this book...they had no idea i was reading it and i found it totally randomly while searching amazon for jewish books.

Wendy Mogel, a child psychologist working in liberal monied West LA, realized that more and more of her privileged little patients were not sick. They were unhappy. And spoiled. And rude. So were her own kids. So she left psychology and returned to Judaism, the heritage shared by her own family and many of her clients, but shelved by virtually all of them as a source of practical wisdom.

The result is her book, Blessings of a Skinned Knee, and a new career teaching preventative parenting in schools, churches and synagogues rather than treating single families on the proverbial couch.

Much of the Judaica is prosaica, familiar to anyone who has sat through some High Holiday sermons and done a bit of study. Still, these are the touchstones of the tradition, beginning with "Honor thy father and mother" and the injunction, "Teach your child how to swim," and she handles them with an ecumenical, nondogmatic touch. Swimming, we learn from Wendy, means giving kids a bit of independence, even if they end up skinning a knee. The table is the altar of the home, a place to practice respect, express thanks, and clean up together. She writes in favor of more discipline at home, but also more autonomy and less fear out of the house (and on line). And she urges us to honor the sweet ordinariness of our kids as well as their potential for greatness.

The overall message sits well with me, and I am already trying to put some of her ideas into action. I've got to start with swimming lessons for my six-year-old!

This is a very solid, sweet book, full of practical, down to earth advice based on solid principles of good values. Mogel will not only help you raise a happier, better behaved and more moral child, but will raise the values of the whole family.

I was desperate for something to read on the plane from SLC, and found this in the news and candy kiosk. Wendy Mogel was a secular Jew who went to one service in her mid-thirties for `cultural anthropology', listened with tears in her eyes, and within a year had quit her practice in child psychology to study with her reform rabbi and Chabad for a year. The book quotes from the sages to give advice to American parents. But it all comes across as simple, common sense aphorisms and a few basic common sense principals about moderation and accepting your child. I wish her much success in interesting Jewish parents in doing Shabbat at home, so that once the kid gets bar mitzvahed, it doesn't all end. This is a good thing. But because she has divorced the `jewish values' from God, it came across as more L.A. (where she lives) than the deep treasures of Judaism. The reason the ultra-orthodox children I have met are so pleasant and healthy is that they are not worshipped as idols. God was God and children were children, who were precious as his unique creatures and thus as they each were...not narcissistic extensions of their parents. In Mogel's parents'world, materialism rules the children because it rules the parents. Simple advice - go to the park or to visit friends instead of the mall - you don't need the Talmud for, and it won't get the child free of `mommy buy me this buy me that I must have Sally has I want the TV says' nightmare. The child is revealing the empty values of the whole family. A religious life has much finer values but would be much too unwelcome as a suggestion - so Mogel wisely starts where her audience is, with wholesome advice and a push to take a first step. Too bad she's not more charismatic in expressing the force and passion of believing every human soul is uniquely precious to God just as it is. Or that limits are crucial not just to being a functioning adult and moral, good person, but for an accurate relationship to reality: "God" is in charge, not us. Maybe, without a relationship with "God" we cannot cope with our American narcissism.
The book was also a sad portrait of modern childhood - fear of letting your child play in the neighborhood, intense and crushing competition, scheduled everything. No childhood time.
One point she made that made me think about myself was saying that `bad' traits you have can be glossed over when you are not a parent, but that when you are a parent they become your karma. If you are timid, you will make your child fearful; if you are lazy, ditto. This is too simple of course - like recombinant DNA, the child has two models to chose from, plus their own innate genetic character traits. A timid mother cannot make a risk taking rambunctious kid as timid as she would like him! But there is a truth there.

This is the first parenting book I've wanted to read cover-to-cover. I was taking notes and applying ideas from the first pages. I can't say I've fixed all my parenting issues, but it's given me ideas where I didn't have any before.

The writing is crisp and clear. The ideas are common sense and presented in a non-preachy way. While the author draws on Jewish sources for her parenting concepts, you don't have to be Jewish to use this book.

Buy more than one copy, b/c you WILL want to pass it on, but won't want to let go of your own. One of the few level-headed, practical advice books out there. Shows common sense which is so uncommon.

I read this book after reading about it in the NY Times and I enjoyed it. Oprah hadn't yet entertained Rabbi Schmuley so I'm not sure about the comparisons between this book and his. However I thought this book reads well, is clearly well researched and not offensive to a non-jewish reader/audience. I have taken many of its bits of wisdom to heart. I have recommended it to many of my friends.

I got 5 additional copies of this book to give to all my friends with children.

Previously i feared having kids thinking that today's world is so different than when i was growing up. How could kids have so many issues and parenting be so difficult? what did my parents do that it seems others these days do not (my mom confirms that i was a "Good" kid - maybe just so i have grand kids for her) and as i read this i find that most of the suggestions are how i was raised, yet realize that this is NOT the norm these days. Thus clearly having such a nice instruction book at hand to remind parents that they are not in place to buy the world for their kids but rather to guide their children into becoming contributing members of an adult society will help you teach your children the manners, and work ethic, and self-reliance needed for a bright and happy future. You will learn how you can do more for your kids by being stable parents who do not burden themselves with the worries of every whim the child has.

This book seems to be a great guide to help parents feel more secure in their parenting skills as well as guide them on how to parent responsibly (not feeling guilty for not buying every new toy/etc) so your children can bennifit from a stable environment with rules and guidance that will help them be the best humnan they can be!

This book presents a very thoughtful discussion of issues associated with providing children with the self discipline and self reliance necessary to grow into self confident adults.

I hope that this book will help her teach her own daughter how to be as self reliant as she is. I didn't actually read it. The purchase was made as a result of a review in the NY Times. Maybe she'll lend it to me one day.

Dr. Mogels book is great for any parent regardless of your religion. Her common sense approach along with the science makes a perfect blend for our "over" stimulated kids of today. As a Family physician I see these problems every day in my practice. She also understands that retraining the parents is essential to make this work. Dr. Rick Stigliano

I read about this book in the NYT Sunday magazine and am so glad that I went ahead and purchased this product. Regardless of your religious affiliation I believe this text provides good solid advice about how to raise our children. Any parent, or potential parent, would benefit by reading this text.

It's been a while since I read this book, so I am a little opaque here... but:

What can one say? This book touches very succinctly on how we raise children, and how we might do it better.

Based on teachings of Judaism. No, this book does not try to convert you, so any anti-semetics need not fear the read. (Even our drunk and ranting movie star of 2006.) I am contently Christian and am thoroughly religion-tolerant, perhaps with the sole exception of fanatical Catholicism. And I found this book fascinating.

Wendy reads the modern parent well, and her book is full of apropos wisdom. Whether you take it or leave it, this is a worthwhile read. Beyond that, I'll not spoil the content or the tenor.

I would recommend this book to any parent who is experiencing trouble with overprotected and/or overindulged children. Though I am myself not Jewish I liked how the author - based on Jewish beliefs - reassured parents that it is ok to set limits and ask your children to pay you the due respect. Afterall, you are supposed to be your child's parent and not his/her friend! Parenting is not about pampering or protecting but about preparing for life. Even from a non-religious point of view the book made some good points; a lot of the other suggestions made in the book were pretty much common sense but I guess that also depends where you come from. What I liked most about it though was that it encouraged parents to accept that a kid might just be "normal" and it is somtimes more important to accept that than to try to turn your child into something it is not (read: a genius). It's a good book - read it.

Jewish or not - this book has a great read tone to it, feels pratical and possible and is always going to stay on my shelf.

I find I don't come down solidly on either side of the argument between putting children's needs first or maintaining a more traditional strict discipline, denying kids' their wants to build character. I think of the former as the theory promoted by La Leche League, and I do feel that kids have legitimate needs, and those needs should be acknowledged and met.

This book provided a good counter balance to the La Leche League approach, and helped me see where, at times, a more strict approach to withholding some priviledges is beneficial in the long run.

We're all aware of how over-scheduled children have become - soccer practice on Monday, ballet on Tuesday, piano on Wednesday, cheerleading on Thursday. Games, performances, recitals all weekend. This book reminds us of some of the more important family values, that could benefit our children more than an assortment of lessons and activities.