There are a multitude of books available which offer advice on how parents can avoid conflict with their child, but Who's the Boss? Moving Families from Conflict to Collaboration, urges parents to embrace it. Children are born to resist, suggest coauthors, Susan Glaser, MA and Arthur Lavin, MD; how else would they learn?
Testing parental boundaries means common conflicts
Without boundaries to push, say the authors of, Whose the Boss?, children would never know when they have crossed them. Applying this concept to common parent-child conflicts such as potty training, food battles, sibling rivalry and bedtime, Glaser and Lavin effectively tackle each area from a variety of angles. And it works.
The authors present the information skillfully, but in an easy manner that parents can appreciate. Take sleeping through the night for example; did you know, that by 4-months of age, a substantial majority of children have developed the ability to soothe themselves to sleep? The question is, why don't they?
The answer is one parents have been seeking for years. The solution is so simple, that one wonders why it was never explained before. This is the book's strength, and explains why it might work for many parents. But rather than solely focusing on finding solutions to a problem, the authors' explain why the problem occurs, and how parents often exacerbate it. Offering medical perspectives, along with child development stages, Who's the Boss? presents a series of balanced solutions and methods, that parents will feel comfortable implementing.
How-to Guides are handy
Each problem area is explained in detail chapter-by-chapter, and then summarized in an easy-to-follow How-To Guide in the back of the book. The authors also include problem scenarios from actual parents, and show how they were resolved.
If there was one downside to the book, it lay in the formatting. I found the chunks of text daunting and felt it might be best served and easier for parents to digest, with a bigger font, and more white space. It did not detract from the valuable and functional advice presented, however. In fact, as a parent, I found myself regretting that I didn't have access to this book many years ago; I have little doubt that it could have been a saving grace.
About the authors
Dr. Arthur Lavin, MD, FAAP, was educated at both Harvard and Ohio State. Board certified in general pediatrics, Lavin also attained a subspecialty in newborn medicine. With published research in journals such as Science, he has served on several national committees of the AAP, and is currently president of the Northern Ohio Pediatrics Society. Lavin has received several AAP Outstanding and Distinguished Service Citations and was named America's Top Pediatrician for 2004-2005.
Susan Glaser, MA, is an educational psychologist and early childhood educator with over 30 years of experience in supporting families with young children. She graduated from Case Western Reserve University and received her Master of Arts Degree from John Carroll University. Her parenting articles have appeared in several newspapers and national publications.
Both authors also co-wrote, Babies and Toddlers Sleep Solutions for Dummies (Wiley, 2007).
Sources:
- Glaser, Susan MA, and Lavin, Arthur MD. Who's the Boss? Moving Families from Conflict to Collaboration. Collaboration Press; 2nd Edition. 2010. ISBN: 978-0978789015
Elizabeth Batt - Elizabeth Batt is a former large animal nurse, certified NREMT, lover of equines and conservationist.
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