Explore our new BookBrowse Community Forum!

Summary and Reviews of The Seven Worst Things Parents Do by John & Linda Friel

The Seven Worst Things Parents Do by John & Linda Friel

The Seven Worst Things Parents Do

by John & Linda Friel
  • Critics' Consensus:
  • Paperback:
  • Feb 1999, 194 pages
  • Rate this book

  • Buy This Book

About This Book

Book Summary

An enormously readable and infinitely practical book that explores some of the worst mistakes we can make, and guides us through examples and ideas on how to change.

Psychologists John and Linda Friel have written an enormously readable and infinitely practical book that explores some of the worst mistakes we can make as parents, and guides us through examples and ideas on how change can be effected immediately.

The Friels examine the seven most ineffective and self-defeating behaviors that parents display again and again. Working from the ideas that even small changes can have big results, the authors give parents concrete steps they can take to end these behaviors and improve the quality of their parenting.

Whether you're contemplating starting a family, have children who haven't entered school yet, are struggling with rebellious teenagers, or are empty-nesters wondering how to be better parents to your grown children, you can't afford not to read this book.

With the same clarity and concrete examples that have sold over 350,000 copies of their books, the Friels offer readers forty years of combined experience as practicing psychologists, and fifty years of combined experience as blended-family parents. The material in The 7 Worst Things Parents Can Do has been field-tested in the authors' own household, with hundreds of their clients, and with thousands of their workshop and Clearlife Clinic participants. It will cause immediate changes in your behavior, in your child's behavior and will improve the lives you share together.

Chapter 1

The Seven Worst Things Parents Do



"What could turn intelligent, independent-minded adults into virtual wimps?"

Barbara Walters asked this question at the beginning of a recent ABC News 20/20 segment about small children tyrannically controlling their parents. During this valuable piece of television journalism, viewers were subjected to videotaped scenes of a mother climbing in and out of bed with her little child. For several hours, the child manipulated the mother, bargained, sabotaged and pretty much ran the show, and Mom just kept playing the game. We watched another child who had a whole cup filled with toothbrushes in an obviously failed attempt to get the child to brush his teeth by giving him "choices." We watched a child whine about wanting a can of soda with breakfast. Her mother said "no," but her father almost immediately turned around and gave the soda to his daughter "to keep peace." It's ...

Membership Advantages
  • Reviews
  • "Beyond the Book" articles
  • Free books to read and review (US only)
  • Find books by time period, setting & theme
  • Read-alike suggestions by book and author
  • Book club discussions
  • and much more!
  • Just $45 for 12 months or $15 for 3 months.
  • More about membership!

Reviews

Media Reviews

Audiofile
The authors are experienced family psychologists whose wisdom about raising children comes through in this audio program. Despite the title, this is a positive, rational approach to parenting that is kind to parents and an excellent learning experience. The abridgment is paced well, partitioned nicely with attractive music, and well balanced between abstract exposition and illustrative vignettes. The authors only speak briefly at the beginning and end of the program (summarizing and offering caveats and encouragement). The main text is read by the producer, Jeffrey Hedquist, whose words are alive and in tune with the program but don't compete with the content. The program ranks among the best and should be on everyone's short list of recommended parenting titles. (Refers to the audio edition).

Reader Reviews

Membership Advantages
  • Reviews
  • "Beyond the Book" articles
  • Free books to read and review (US only)
  • Find books by time period, setting & theme
  • Read-alike suggestions by book and author
  • Book club discussions
  • and much more!
  • Just $45 for 12 months or $15 for 3 months.
  • More about membership!

Read-Alikes

Read-Alikes Full readalike results are for members only

If you liked The Seven Worst Things Parents Do, try these:

  • Queen Bee Moms & Kingpin Dads jacket

    Queen Bee Moms & Kingpin Dads

    by Rosalind Wiseman, Elizabeth Rapoport

    Published 2007

    About this book

    More by this author

    Essential reading for parents today. Offering us the tools to become wiser, more relaxed parents – and the inspiration to speak out, act according to our values, show humility, and set the kind of example that will make a real difference in our children's lives.

  • How to Behave So Your Children Will, Too! jacket

    How to Behave So Your Children Will, Too!

    by Dr. Sal Severe

    Published 2003

    About this book

    Children learn what they live...your children do as you do." Instead of focusing on what children do wrong, this book teaches parents what they can do right.

We have 4 read-alikes for The Seven Worst Things Parents Do, but non-members are limited to two results. To see the complete list of this book's read-alikes, you need to be a member.
Search read-alikes
How we choose read-alikes

Books with similar themes


Membership Advantages
  • Reviews
  • "Beyond the Book" articles
  • Free books to read and review (US only)
  • Find books by time period, setting & theme
  • Read-alike suggestions by book and author
  • Book club discussions
  • and much more!
  • Just $45 for 12 months or $15 for 3 months.
  • More about membership!

Top Picks

  • Book Jacket: Graveyard Shift
    Graveyard Shift
    by M. L. Rio
    Following the success of her debut novel, If We Were Villains, M. L. Rio's latest book is the quasi-...
  • Book Jacket: The Sisters K
    The Sisters K
    by Maureen Sun
    The Kim sisters—Minah, Sarah, and Esther—have just learned their father is dying of ...
  • Book Jacket: Linguaphile
    Linguaphile
    by Julie Sedivy
    From an infant's first attempts to connect with the world around them to the final words shared with...
  • Book Jacket
    The Rest of You
    by Maame Blue
    At the start of Maame Blue's The Rest of You, Whitney Appiah, a Ghanaian Londoner, is ringing in her...

Members Recommend

  • Book Jacket

    Pony Confidential
    by Christina Lynch

    In this whimsical mystery, a grumpy pony must clear his beloved human's name from a murder accusation.

Who Said...

Poetry is like fish: if it's fresh, it's good; if it's stale, it's bad; and if you're not certain, try it on the ...

Click Here to find out who said this, as well as discovering other famous literary quotes!

Wordplay

Solve this clue:

F the M

and be entered to win..