The publisher, L. Asher ,
Parents have no choice but to nurture.
There is no more important question in child rearing
today than: How can we nurture children who are both good and
happy? How can we help them stay safe, be respectful, and
reach their full potential? This is especially crucial in a
society that undermines parents--through, as Dr. Taffel calls
it, a “second family” of pop culture and peers that
influences children from the moment they begin walking and
talking.
The answer to these challenges is not to question whether
“parents really matter.” Of course they do, and in
the real world of day-to-day life, such hypothesizing is a
luxury. Yet, a growing number of mothers and fathers have the
mistaken belief that a child’s emotional and attitudinal
development is beyond their control. Nurturing Good Children
Now shows parents that they do matter; it outlines precisely
what is important to nurture in our kids, and how to raise
good children who have a deep sense of values and an
enthusiastic spirit.
This is the first book that explains clearly what is
happening to kids and families along with simple, yet
comprehensive ways to help children of all ages become the
strong individuals they deserve to be. Parents will learn to
recognize that inside every child is a unique “core”
that can be protected and strengthened according to a child’s
specific personality and temperament. The culmination of
years of research based on thousands of families, Nurturing
Good Children Now identifies ten “core-builders”—the
most essential traits that children need in order to thrive
in today’s world: Mood Mastery, Respect, Expressiveness,
Passion, Peer Smarts, Focus, Body Comfort, Caution, Team
Intelligence, and Gratitude.
Each chapter elaborates on one of these core builders and
explores core threats, or the ways the second family works
against each core builder. It then offers corresponding
parent skills that foster the development of the
core-building attribute, and child skills that teach children
how to reinforce their own core areas. Dr. Taffel also
includes countless stories and clever acronyms that will help
parents remember parenting techniques in the everyday rush of
their busy lives.
Nurturing Good Children Now is a compassionate book that
offers unflinching social commentary, the latest research on
child development, and practical, hands-on advice. We can
protect our children’s sense of integrity. We can teach
them to love learning; to respect adults as well as to
befriend them; to hold onto their passion; to be comfortable
with their bodies; to get along with their peers without
succumbing to peer pressure; and to manage their emotions.
All are crucial to how they will handle the challenges of
growing up—from pre-school to high school. We can
nurture good children now, and, for a better future, we must.
Advance praise for Nurturing Good Children Now
“Dr. Ron Taffel offers sensible advice on how to
raise good, productive kids in the turbulent nineties. He has
children and it shows in the writing. He knows what it feels
like to be a parent today. I recommend this book to all
parents and educators who are trying to raise sane kids in a
crazy culture.” —Mary Pipher, Ph.D., author of
Reviving Ophelia and In the Shelter of Each Other
“Dr. Ron Taffel is my favorite expert on getting
through to kids. When it comes to wisdom and practical
advice, he’s a national treasure.” —Harriet
Lerner, Ph.D., author of The Dance of Anger and The Mother
Dance
“Parents who work at teaching the ten skills outlined
here will find that they are also teaching basic values. This
combination of usable skills and understood values creates
kids that are both good and happy.” —Linda and
Richard Eyre, authors of Teaching Your Children Values and
How to Talk to Your Child About Sex
“Dr. Ron Taffel has devoted his career to listening
to parents and children with his heart and addressing their
concerns with compassion. This book represents the best of
what Taffel does best: Take the pulse of families and
prescribe loving ways to protect and nurture them. Parents
will find smart, practical answers to their everyday concerns
as well as invaluable advice that will last a lifetime.”
—Ann Pleshette Murphy, editor-in-chief, Parents magazine
