Book Review: Parenting the Strong-Willed Child

In choosing a book to read and review I wanted to find one that could really be beneficial. I found a book called Parenting the Strong-Willed Child by Rex Forehand PhD and Nicholas Long PhD. I thought I might be able to relate to the book because I consider by daughter to be strong willed. I had the third eddition which starts with information on studies the authors have done and studies that have been done on the program. I found one such study that was done with the authors as well as four others that indicated that if parents actually read the book, children’s behavior would improve even to normal behavioral levels and that these changes would last (Forehand et al., 2011).

One of the things I liked about this book is it gives information to parents to guide them if their children need additional help. It talks about ADHD in a way that I found I could trust what was being said. A study done in Canada showed that younger children in a class are 70-95% more likely to be diagnosed with ADHD than older children in the class (Morrow et al, 2012). The book, Parenting the Strong-Willed Child, talks about how some behaviors that may seem like your child has a hyperactivity disorder such as ADHD may just be normal age behaviors and because of that it is difficult to diagnose preschool aged children.

I really liked how the book was organized and it was an easy read. It is divided into four different sections that help so you can later refer back when needed. The first part gives a background and an explanation of what a strong-willed child is. This part helped me trust the authors and I appreciated that they did not blame the parents for all of the behavioral problems their children have. It is difficult enough to be a parent without constantly feeling like you are doing everything wrong.

The next section discussed the five-week program. The program does not just tell you what to do or not to do, but it explains the why behind it. The program helps parents focus on the positive behaviors providing the attention children often crave, and also gives tools to discipline the child in a consistent way when necessary. I believe children need positive interactions but also need to be told when they are doing something wrong and be corrected.

The third section is one of my favorites because it helps a parent look at their family culture and atmosphere to see if positive changes can be made. I find it difficult to notice behaviors that have become a natural part of my everyday life unless I have something that helps guide me on where I can improve. One of the things it mentions is a topic in one of my past blogs, cutting TV time and increasing reading time.

The last section is for those different scenarios where you find yourself butting heads with your child such as meal time, bed time, or having another child join your family. Sometimes remembering how your child views the world is all you need to work on behavioral problems.

If you have ever found yourself wondering where your child got some of that stubbornness and not quite sure how to deal with it, I suggest you read this book. Parents who are really struggling or parents who want to improve their parenting skills should read this book and apply what they learn.

Forehand, R. L., Merchant, M.J., Parent, J., Long, N., Linnea, K., Baer, J. (2011). Behavior Modification: An examination of a   

                Group curriculum for Parents of Young Children With Disruptive Behavior.  Sage, 35, 234-251.     

                doi:10.1177/0145445510393731

Morrow, R. L., Garland, E. J., Wright, J. M., Maclure, M., Taylor, S. Dormuth, C. (2012). Influence of Relative Age on 

                Diagnosis and Treatment of Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder in Children. Canadian Medical Association                 

                Journal, 184(7). doi:10.1503/cmaj.111619