My daughter loves this book as my granddaughter is a truly spirited child and this has saved my daughter from baldness. Lots of info, ideas and solutions to the problem of what to do with these kids, read this book, love the kids and let them be who they are without compromising your ideals. Highly recommend.

This book has been a lifeline. Rick and I thought we were great parents. We had a gorgeous little girl who was obedient and sweet. Everyone loved her and praised us for doing such a great job. Then we had our son. Everything that "worked" with Ellie caused the opposite effect in Zach. On the verge of defeat and insanity, I found this book. I cannot tell you how much help it has been; how much it has changed our household, improved our relationships and our confidence.

Raising Your Spirited Child is based on past studies of temperaments, but it's much more than that. The author includes tests to help parents identify their children's temperaments (and their own) and then offers practical, effective strategies for dealing with these strong, innate traits.

Much of the text is direct dialog or interaction from the support groups the author leads for parents of spirited children. Real situations are discussed. The book teaches parents to find the root, the triggers, rather than just addressing the behavior. If your child throws a tantrum for no apparent reason, don't just punish them; stop to find out what caused the tantrum so you can prevent it in the future. Then show your child a better way of handling the problem.

My only complaint: I wish the author had offered more suggestions for sleep issues with spirited children. This section of the book contained only two pages of common knowledge. It was not very helpful for my very spirited 3-year-old who still struggles to sleep through the night.

Final Thoughts: This is a must-read for all parents. It has been an enormous help to us in understanding our kids -- both of them! I understand better what they need, what environments help them thrive, even what drives them crazy. I understand myself better, too. All around: the information and suggestions in this book have improved our home. I cannot recommend it strongly enough.

This book has been invaluable helping me understand why my son is "the way he is." It made me feel relieved to know that I am not the only one, and it helped me view his "quirks" in a positive light. The tools and talk tracks have really helped us work together better, and we have had a lot fewer meltdowns since I've read this book. I would recommend this book to any parent, but especially parents of more intense kids. My son is not overly energetic--this is not a book just for hyper kids, though she talks about energetic kids, but it's also helpful to the parent of the child that has to have his clothes smell right, has to do it "his way," has a meltdown if one thing is not the way it is "supposed to be." I feel like "I get my son now," and the best thing is that I can celebrate his idiosyncracies more now that I can work better with them rather than against them. This book has changed my life and changed my outlook on parenting him, and the best thing is that he feels it to and is responding well.

This book is very helpful. It allows you to accept your child for who he or she is. And to understnad you are not alone in this challenge. There are may spirited chidlren out there, I just happen to have two of them. very helpful in specific and general terms. I enjoyed reading it.

I love this book. She could have been writing about my son directly...

BUT My son is a pre-verbal toddler and she focuses more on older toddlers and children. The theories and suggestions all make sense to me and I will use them when he is older. I had many "Ah Ha!" moments and each chapter really helped explain why he does or reacts the way he does. In fact this book has helped me understand myself and my mother better too!

If your child is old enough to talk, this will be a life saver! the only other con to this book is the lack of discipline. She vaguely refers to it throughout but doesn't get specific and almost implies NO discipline.

An excellent book that offered a lot of usable tips for helping make life with my "spirited" child more enjoyable. Put in words what I knew to be true about his personality but couldn't articulate. The only negative of this book was at times, it felt like an overwhelming amount of information but I figure even if I only remember and implement portions of it, my relationship with my son will be that much better.

Raising your spirited child is a book that has made a significant difference for me as a parent of a spirited girl. How refreshing to read a book that puts my daughter and family in a postive light and gives meaningful advice and tools. This book has helped make family outings, morning transitions, and social events "do-able" and even fun. It really helps that this author has added real life examples- it lets us all breathe a sigh of relief and say "its not just us" I would recommend this book to any parent or educator as its tools, ideas and information can be applied to a broad spectrum of children as well as the spirited child and family.

Raising Your Spirited Child is the other book I routinely recommend to families who are struggling with their child due to temperament mismatch. She does come from a more strength based viewpoint than The Difficult Child (which I also recommend), which is important to have in balance with the struggles both the child and parents are feeling.

We are born with a profile of temperament traits, that we have inherited from our families. They lay the foundation of how we later turn out, how our personality is molded or developed. As a parent, childcare provider, or teacher, knowing this and working with the child will allow the growth of a happy, productive, and responsible adult. By attempting to change the traits (which can't be done) the child is at risk for many mental health problems and underproductivity as an adult.

I am sure that most parents or others who work with children will gain from reading this book in addition to books regarding their specific special needs if there is one.

My son is 18 months old and we've had such a hard road thus far. This book finally gave me some techniques and a better understanding of my child. I found these strategies to make a difference the first week I tried them.
After hearing doctors say, "Oh mommy, some babies are just difficult!" one too many times, it was really refreshing to read a book that said "Yes, some are difficult and here are some things you can do to make things better." My family is already reaping the benefits from this book's perspective. I totally recommend this book!!!!

What this book is describing is right-on but the author is attributing the behaviors to personality, temperament. What is actually being described is a medical condition: Sensory Processing Disorder (SPD). Some of the techniques in the book may very well work with children with SPD but by not correctly identifying it as a medical condition, a parent may not seek the medical resources that are available for SPD (i.e. Occupational Therapy), other resources and home therapy techniques.

When I read this book, many of my unanswered questions were finally resolved. I understood both myself and my children significantly better. The author is easy to understand, non-judgemental, and offers specific tips and suggestions that are easy to implement. I felt such a strong connection to the concepts I read a few other of her books and even wrote the author to follow up. She answered rather quickly and was extemely pleasant and approachable.

This book is a must for any parent who has a child who is just a little different and you can't quite figure out what to do. Spirited children are great; they just need parents who understand them, to help them be the best they can be. I can't say enough good things about this book.

When I first started trying to do research on what would help my daughter I didn't know where to start. I knew she wasn't ADD or ADHD, but there was definitely something going on as we were experiencing phases where the tantrums were taking place all day, every day. Frankly, it was bringing a level of dyfunction into our home that does not belong. I finally learned about "Spirited Children" which led me directly to this book. Alleluia!

Not only did this book help me understand my daughter's spirited nature but it was filled with great communication tips that are helpful well beyond dealing with a spirited child.

I had to laugh, I was literally reading the sentence that described the spirited child as being the one who melts down for forty five minutes because you cut their toast into triangles when they were expecting rectangles while my daughter was freaking out because her cantaloupe was not cut up as anticipated. It fits right in with the other reviews that state it's like the book took a page right from their household.

While our days are far from perfect, at least I have an understanding on why my daughter acts the way she does. This book gave me the tools I desperately needed to help guide her through many situations, as well as the gift of understanding which has allowed me to be far more patient.

This book is a great read and I highly recommend it to anyone who is trying to figure out their child's temperment.

I bought this book when my daughter (now 21) was 5 or 6. It was such a help to me. I realized how much my own expectations and beliefs were not helping me or her. This book helped me find ways to accept her and appreciate her strong-willed mind. She is now graduating from college in 2 weeks with a double major and double minor! So, yes, the strong-willed personality did help her in later years! I am now buying this for my sister and her 4 year old, spirited daughter.

Generally I'm not into self-help and how-to books, but this one is giving me a lot of insight into my children and my relationship with them. It's already been very helpful, and I've only read the first few chapters so far.

If you are getting frustrated, wondering if your child is super-sensitive, has A.D.D., or is out to drive you nuts.....read this book! If a sock put on wrong can send your child into a fit of hysterics...read this book! If your child doesn't cry like a little wimper or laugh quietly, but YELLS and screams it out, this is the book for you! I finally understand my child, which gives me more patience. She just feels more, does more, IS more. In the process, I've realized I, too, am spirited. I feel more aware and have tools to help my child and myself navigate through life. I now see how her attributes & temperament can work FOR her, instead of getting frustrated with her and seeing the negative. I originally got this book at the library, but had to purchase one for myself. It's going to be our bible for raising our daughter. Highly recommended for people in our shoes!

If you are getting frustrated, wondering if your child is super-sensitive, has A.D.D., or is out to drive you nuts.....read this book! If a sock put on wrong can send your child into a fit of hysterics...read this book! If your child doesn't cry like a little wimper or laugh quietly, but YELLS and screams it out, this is the book for you! I finally understand my child, which gives me more patience. She just feels more, does more, IS more. In the process, I've realized I, too, am spirited. I feel more aware and have tools to help my child and myself navigate through life. I now see how her attributes & temperament can work FOR her, instead of getting frustrated with her and seeing the negative. I originally got this book at the library, but had to purchase one for myself. It's going to be our bible for raising our daughter. Highly recommended for people in our shoes!

This book has transformed our lives. It provides so much insight into what's going on inside my daughter. The advise is practical and works. Thank you so much.

Excellent - This book is a miracle on paper. arrived fast. Very pleased. Description was accurate and was delivered as described

There really aren't words to describe the insight this book gave my family. We had early signs of ADHD for my son, and I can tell you that the things I learned in this book I still use. My son is now 14. I purchase this book for anyone I know who has a spirited child, and is at the end of their rope. It gives you easy strategies to get through the day. It is great for kids with ADHD.

I was recommended to this book by a friend and it is a wonderful resource. It is very well written and easy to understand. I really felt as if someone had come into my house and observed my child! I highly recommend this book!

Raising Your Spirited Child is a good resource for every parent. It is important to understand your child's unique temperament. I especially like the practical suggestions and summaries of things to say to your child. It is a very positive book!

I can only describe this book as liberating. When I found it, our son was 5. I sat and cried with relief, knowing I was not alone. 7 years later I still quote many part of the books. I don't even know how many copies I have bought and lent out. My favorite part was the real definitions of introvert vs. extrovert...wow, what perspective. This concept alone has totally helped me to better understand my family and friends. It is also a wonderful thing to teach my kids so that they can recognize the needs of themselves and their friends. Our son is now 12 years old, very intelligent with a huge heart. This book helped us to learn how to adapt his environment without enabling him. Understanding his need for more sleep, less drama, and smoother transitions help him to be stronger and more secure emotionally and let's be honest....it all benefits the family dynamics. Praise God!

As soon as I started reading this book, I used some of the recommened techniques and got miraculous results. It helped me deal with my stress, and I found my 3 year old really relieved too. I guess anyone would prefer this style of interaction over our previous push & pull. I think this is a must read for anyone with any kind of child...not just spirited ones. It not only gives incite into understanding and dealing with your child's temperament, it helped me understand my own better too so I could clue her into my trigger points as well as her own.

This was a total eye opener when I originally purchased this book 10 years ago! (My son was 2 and my daughter was a newborn!)I've since recommended it and loaned it out so many times that my copy didn't come back the last time! (And I can't remember who has it now!) I both laughed & cried while reading it and I finished it in 1 night (newborn-remember?)It really helped both my husband and me see what WE were doing differently--not necessarily "wrong", just not RIGHT for our son--and WE made changes. (Note to the person who wrote "this book had no tips we could use": read it again & remember you're the parent who needs to guide the child.) We realized simple things--we shouldn't have taken him on numerous errands at the end of his day or WE paid for it (our son doesn't handle ANY change well and he still doesn't--he's 12 now!) We've had to teach HIM how to handle difficult situations. I'm now going to read it again to help with the preteen years for both of my children!

This book is fantastic for anyone who suspects that they are raising a spirited child. Other child raising books just aren't sufficient when you're raising a child with "spirit." It was a delight and a relief to know that there are other children in the world who have as much energy and are as tenacious as mine. I highly recommend this book!

I purchased this book after reading it from my local library. It is a must read for those of us blessed with highly spirited children. It is such a positive approach to helping them to learn their own boundaries and filling the must needs of society without harming their spirit or denying who they truly are inside. It is by no means a spoil them because they are different approach as some moms have thought locally. Not at all.

Discipline is training and guidance and a never-ending supply of love and support and this book has such practical guidelines of just how to go about that in different situations that can make non-spirited parents go "huh???" because it can seem so confusing.

Another book for the adult who has always been highly spirited and labelled negatively and misunderstood is the book The Highly Sensitive Person by Dr. Elaine N. Aron.

I read maybe 15 pages of this book before bursting into tears of relief. At 16 months old, my son has never been easygoing or mellow, but as he entered toddlerhood, I felt like I was failing as a mom because I couldn't control him. I didn't understand why other kids napped for hours, slept through the night at 6 months old, and adjusted quickly to new experiences, while my son still wakes up several times a night, rarely naps for more than an hour a day, and shrieked in rage when he had to start wearing shoes or when he didn't like how his socks felt. Other books recommended a stern, inflexible parenting approach that just resulted in MORE meltdowns, MORE stress, and MORE frustration. Did I mention that "cry it out" was an unmitigated disaster in our house?

Finally, this book validated him, and my husband and me. He's not "bad", we're not failing as parents. He's just more intense, more perceptive, and more sensitive. It takes different strategies for us to be successful and calm than for parents of more relaxed children, but the book really focuses on how to do that, how to help our child be successful with daily life. There are many different levels to any given "spirited child", so this book's scope is not limited to a high-energy kid. Introverts vs. extroverts, energy levels, sensitivity, and so much more are covered in depth. This is not a book about excusing poor behavior, though. The parent is absolutely still the one in charge and still has to work with the child to ensure that they can be spirited and still be productive, safe, and enjoyable members of their family.

If you feel like you're constantly battling it out with your child, that you've lost control, and/or that your child is running you ragged, I highly recommend this book. Oh, you'll probably learn a few things about yourself, as well.

Exasperation with our son's behavior led to the purchase of this book. He's now 3 1/2. He is high energy in most everything he does. He's more energetic, more intense, more inquisitive, more dramatic. The older he gets, the "more" he has become. This book helped us understand that there are many other kids just like ours, that "more" is not bad (like his PreK teacher had us thinking) and that parenting a spirited child requires a different set of skills. The author doesn't give any one sure-fire way to help with the daily struggles you face with a spirited child, but she does direct you and help you to understand. Without this book, we may have never understood what spirit is in a child.

Exasperation with our son's behavior led to the purchase of this book. He's now 3 1/2. He is high energy in most everything he does. He's more energetic, more intense, more inquisitive, more dramatic. The older he gets, the "more" he has become. This book helped us understand that there are many other kids just like ours, that "more" is not bad (like his PreK teacher had us thinking) and that parenting a spirited child requires a different set of skills. The author doesn't give any one sure-fire way to help with the daily struggles you face with a spirited child, but she does direct you and help you to understand. Without this book, we may have never understood what spirit is in a child.

Yes, my husband both agree we like this book. However, all we really came away with is the fact that, yes, we definitely have a spirited child, but there were really no techniques or strategies that we could find to deal with daily tantrums/meltdowns. Basically, the book validated what we already knew.

The few 'techniques' the book did offer had NO effect whatsoever on our child.

A good read though....

I was only on the first page before the tears started. I have not made it all the way through this book yet, but I already feel relieved to be looking in at what a day in my daughter's life is like. There are times when I laugh because I feel that Ms. Kurcinka must have been spying on our day to day lives. It took 8 years for someone to have the guts to tell me that no, my child wasn't ADHD, she wasn't crazy, she was probably strong-willed like hers, which led me to this book. I much prefer the term spirited that this book uses (I have discovered I too am spirited--big surprise) and recommend it to anyone who is searching for a little peace.