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felinity's review
2.0
Reads more like a blog than a book. Each "chapter" is only 2-3 pages long. Half the first part is spent telling you about the great and wonderful techniques you'll learn in the second part, but that doesn't help me while I'm reading part 1. Unlike other parenting books, where they say "Don't do X" and follow it with "Do Y instead", this one just says "Don't do X" and implies you might learn more in the second half of the book. Which you don't. All the suggestions were blindingly obvious (do overflow work while young children are asleep in the evening or teenagers are asleep in the morning, involve them with household chores).
And I really, really don't agree with books which (correctly) point out that children may promise to do everything if you get a pet and rarely follow through, and then say or suggest you take the pet back if they don't. Pets are a lifetime commitment, not a toy you can return to the store, and ultimately parents are the ones taking the responsibility.
I think the only positive thing I took away is the nice suggestion of "pajama walks".
The flip side: although I agree with making the most of the limited time you have with your children, that doesn't mean they have to be attached to you. Give them 5 minutes alone at the bus stop, let them stay overnight at camp (it's really not the same as daycamp), and if you love your children, do not even think about going to their college advising meetings unless the adviser suggests it!
And I really, really don't agree with books which (correctly) point out that children may promise to do everything if you get a pet and rarely follow through, and then say or suggest you take the pet back if they don't. Pets are a lifetime commitment, not a toy you can return to the store, and ultimately parents are the ones taking the responsibility.
I think the only positive thing I took away is the nice suggestion of "pajama walks".
The flip side: although I agree with making the most of the limited time you have with your children, that doesn't mean they have to be attached to you. Give them 5 minutes alone at the bus stop, let them stay overnight at camp (it's really not the same as daycamp), and if you love your children, do not even think about going to their college advising meetings unless the adviser suggests it!
ladamic's review
1.0
Overly proscriptive, listing a bunch of things that you probably would not regret not having done, but now can feel guilty about not doing.
jadenbru's review
3.0
I agree with the general concepts in this book wholeheartedly, and I appreciated many of his ideas and his thinking on how to spend quality time with your children in new and different ways. I think there is lots of good advice to be found here.
However, the tone of the book, particularly toward the beginning, came off a bit presumptuous and judgmental to me. I felt like the author made some not so subtle assumptions about the makeup of families (talking a lot about Dad and Mom together but not at all about single Mom or Dad or how THEY might juggle these aspirations... let alone Mom and Mom or Dad and Dad) and that stuck out. Additionally, I started to feel towards the end like the book was a bit repetitive- almost as if the author was running out of content but wanted to extend the novel.
Overall, this was a good read, but not as good as I had hoped or expected.
However, the tone of the book, particularly toward the beginning, came off a bit presumptuous and judgmental to me. I felt like the author made some not so subtle assumptions about the makeup of families (talking a lot about Dad and Mom together but not at all about single Mom or Dad or how THEY might juggle these aspirations... let alone Mom and Mom or Dad and Dad) and that stuck out. Additionally, I started to feel towards the end like the book was a bit repetitive- almost as if the author was running out of content but wanted to extend the novel.
Overall, this was a good read, but not as good as I had hoped or expected.
trixie_reads's review
4.0
Lots of easy things to do to enrich your relationships with your kids. My family already does lots of them, but it was affirming, if nothing else.
robinfowl's review
3.0
some really good ideas in here, too... but also parts that feel very dated, especially for a book that's only 6 years old.
hcpenner's review
4.0
Yup, I read parenting books. I'm one of THOSE Mommies.
I liked this one a lot. It's a quick read, and contains some fun ideas.
I liked this one a lot. It's a quick read, and contains some fun ideas.
natalye's review against another edition
2.0
Overall the information in this book is pretty good, though some tips (like returning pets to shelters if your kid doesn't care for them) are terrible. Also the suggestions for what to text to your kids are so off base I couldn't help but laugh (seriously, it sometimes felt like Rotbart was writing this book for grandparents). My main complaint is that it was super boring to read. The chapters were short, thankfully, but the writing was bland. I do take it as a good sign that most of these things I already sort of planned on doing, thanks in large part to the way I was raised, so good job raising me mom and dad. But I also think this book is full of a lot of common sense, at least for parents who really are concerned with developing a loving, trusting relationship with their kids.
clwilliams321's review
3.0
Not a lot of meat to this. Main idea is to find ways to make ANY time you spend with kiddos enjoyable. Doesn't need to be fancy or cost money. Can be during commericials even. I did consciously decide to do this while shoveling snow -- I wanted to go inside, but instead had a snowball fight with son & neighbor boy.
bookworm_mommy's review
3.0
I came across this book in a round-about way. Dr. Rotbart’s more recent book was mentioned in a magazine (probably Parents). That one wasn’t available at my library, but this one was. It sounded interesting, so I requested it.
I have 11 and 14-year-old step-daughters who have been part of my life since they were three and five. Additionally, I now have my own 17 month old son and another on her way. The fact that the days are long but the years are short is something I am intimately familiar with. Along with the feeling that there still aren’t enough hours in those long days and that I am missing critical moments and interactions with my kiddos. I am smack in the middle of Dr. Rotbart’s target audience.
I will start with the opinion that I could have done without all of Part 1. It was fairly common sense and kind of boring. But Part 2 of the book absolutely made up for that.
I love practical. I love books that aren’t just theory but give the reader a “to do” list of sorts. That is Part 2 of this book. It is broken into categories of life (sleep, school, work, home, entertainment) and how to include your kids more into the every day (or to insert yourself more into their every day). There were suggestions I could implement the day I read it. Some to put on the calendar in the coming week or so. And some to keep in mind for the future.
The chapters are short. In fact, Dr. Rotbart suggests you keep the book in the bathroom to read a chapter during your daily trips there (See…practical!). So it is easy for a busy parent to get through the reading. It is also ideal to keep on your shelf as a reference.
Good parenting book to help us all make the most of the short time we have with our kiddos under our roofs. (Only 940 Saturdays from birth to the departure from college!)
I have 11 and 14-year-old step-daughters who have been part of my life since they were three and five. Additionally, I now have my own 17 month old son and another on her way. The fact that the days are long but the years are short is something I am intimately familiar with. Along with the feeling that there still aren’t enough hours in those long days and that I am missing critical moments and interactions with my kiddos. I am smack in the middle of Dr. Rotbart’s target audience.
I will start with the opinion that I could have done without all of Part 1. It was fairly common sense and kind of boring. But Part 2 of the book absolutely made up for that.
I love practical. I love books that aren’t just theory but give the reader a “to do” list of sorts. That is Part 2 of this book. It is broken into categories of life (sleep, school, work, home, entertainment) and how to include your kids more into the every day (or to insert yourself more into their every day). There were suggestions I could implement the day I read it. Some to put on the calendar in the coming week or so. And some to keep in mind for the future.
The chapters are short. In fact, Dr. Rotbart suggests you keep the book in the bathroom to read a chapter during your daily trips there (See…practical!). So it is easy for a busy parent to get through the reading. It is also ideal to keep on your shelf as a reference.
Good parenting book to help us all make the most of the short time we have with our kiddos under our roofs. (Only 940 Saturdays from birth to the departure from college!)