Book Info

enlarge picture
 The Successful Child: What Parents Can Do to Help Kids Turn Out Well  
Author: William Sears, Martha Sears, and Elizabeth Pantley
ISBN: 0316777498
Format:
Publish Date:
 
     
     
   Book Review
In their latest book, the Searses bring the reason and common sense of their philosophy of parenting to the hurdles of raising the older child. Attachment parenting is not just for babies; as children grow, they need to expand the web of their secure attachments to friends, teachers, community and the wider world. As there is no single plan for any one family, the Searses show a range of ways a parent can retain a child's trust and wield a positive influence as their child matures. By following the advice laid out in this book, parents can see that the bonds they have nurtured since infancy will provide the anchor that will ground their children through the challenging teen years to adulthood.

The Successful Child: What Parents Can Do to Help Kids Turn out Well

FROM OUR EDITORS

The Barnes & Noble Review
All parents want their children to become successful, but how do you define success? Is it wealth and fame? Or the ability to form meaningful relationships with others and make wise choices in life? Most important, how do we help our children become happy, healthy adults? America's premier pediatric team, Dr. William Sears and his wife, Martha, who have created 30 books (including the bestsellers The Baby Book and The Pregnancy Book) and 8 children together, acknowledge that true happiness goes beyond being "rich and famous." In their latest advice guide for parents, "Dr. Bill" and Martha break down the meaning of true success and provide parents with the tools to not only teach it but also live it.

In more than three decades of pediatric practice, Dr. Sears has had countless interactions with children and their parents. He conveys this wealth of observation through anecdotes, sidebars, and statistics, defining what he calls "connected kids." Connected kids are children who have the ability to empathize with others, overcome adversity, and maintain a healthy self-confidence due to a high level of trust and bonding with their primary caregivers, usually their parents. Though the Sears' believe this process of "connection" begins at birth, it is never to late to foster a sense of trust and love with your child -- even when they're in the midst of adolescent turmoil. The chapter on building a healthy sense of sexuality is worth the cost of the book for any parent dealing with precocious preteens.

The Sears' theory of "attachment parenting" includes carrying a baby often and breastfeeding when possible, but as a baby grows into a talking, thinking person good parenting becomes about modeling responsibility, morality, empathy, and good communication skills. That means we as parents must practice what we preach! As we do, we strengthen our family -- giving our kids the connection, love, and strength they need to become successful in life, no matter what challenges it brings. (Jessica Leigh Lebos)

FROM THE PUBLISHER

No doubt your child's well-being is of paramount importance to you. Yet you alone cannot determine who your child will become. There are myriad forces beyond your control -- from playmates, neighbors, and friends to movies, magazines, and television shows -- that shape your child's development. How best can you, as your child matures, retain his trust and exert a positive influence? Dr. Bill and Martha Sears show that a successful child is an attached child -- connected not just to family but to the world beyond. And they offer practical information and examples you can use to foster healthy connection. In inspiring case studies drawn from their nearly thirty years of practice, as well as from their own experience as the parents of eight children, the Searses introduce you to children who have successfully weathered the challenges of growing up. Whether your child is a toddler or a teenager, The Successful Child can help you provide her with the essential tools she needs to succeed in life.