Are these books any good?

Qwikness · #1 Apr 26, '12, 5:45 am

Are these books any good?

Strong Fathers, Strong Daughters by Meg Meeker
The New Strong-Willed Child by James Dobson
Parenting the Strong-Willed Child by Rex Forehand

or any other suggestions.

I have a three year old girl. She's great but there are those days... I am not a real forceful kind of guy so discipline is hard for me.

kristacecilia · #2 Apr 26, '12, 6:06 am

I have not read the Strong Fathers, Strong Daughters book (yet) but I HAVE read Dr. Meeker's book on boys and I highly recommend it. She has a very astute and common sense approach. I enjoyed it thoroughly and passed it around to other moms of boys. I am still working on getting DH to read it, though!

I would imagine that her book on daughters is just as good, and I have had people whose opinion I trust recommend it to me.

Mrs Sally · #3 Apr 26, '12, 6:16 am

Meg Meeker is fabulous. Highly recommend all her books.

I found several of James Dobson's books good (his view point does not always line up with a Catholic worlview).

Not familiar with Rex Forehand.

Mary Gail 36 · #4 Apr 26, '12, 7:16 am

Little girls are difficult for dads. Force works pretty well with boys.

Girls need a different way. I'm not sure what it is though.

DD is fiesty. She is very intelligent, very observant...she's the kid that knows everything that is going on. She has a temper, she can be spiteful. But normally she is a pleasure to have around.

When DH is forceful with her, it does not really work. She reacts by holding her ground, come hell or high water. Really, a 48 pound girl would stay in her room, with nothing but a burlap blanket, and refuse to be "forced". She can be convinced though, through reason.

She needs to be channeled in the right direction.

DH always says, that she's like a cat. She's had a nickname since whe was born, "Yanna la gatta" Yanna the cat.

28562 · #5 Apr 26, '12, 9:15 am

Strong Fathers, Strong Daughters is an EXCELLENT book. I would recommend it to anyone and will probably give it as a gift if any friends have girls. It helped me a lot, even though I read it when I was more immature (5 yrs ago). I probably need to read it again now, because I am nowhere near the same man I was then.

Qwikness · #6 Apr 26, '12, 9:53 am

Why is Strong Fathers, Strong Daughters so good?

Cat · #7 Apr 26, '12, 1:07 pm

Dr. James Dobson is awesome! Read anything he writes about child-rearing.

Since you have a daughter, I highly recommend his latest book, Bringing Up Girls. I also recommend the new edition of Dare To Discipline, one of the best books ever written about child-rearing. (The old edition is OK, but you'll laugh at some of the dated examples.)

I have read every book that Dr. Dobson has ever written. I would be curious to know specifically what he teaches about child-rearing that doesn't line up with a Catholic worldview.

I know that he has stated that masturbation is normal behavior, not a sin, and that is the sole thing I can think of that is opposed to Catholic teaching. But what else?

From what I have seen over the years, Dr. Dobson has been remarkably supportive of Catholicism; he devotes an entire chapter in Bringing Up Girls to the Santorum family, and actually endorses Sen. Santorum for President in this book.

Please remember that Dr. Dobson is a clinical psychologist (PhD), NOT a theologian or preacher. He always states this in his books. He is an excellent teacher about RAISING CHILDREN. He is not necessarily as good when it comes to teaching Christianity, and he admits this.

Anyway, read Dr. Dobson. If you want to read some of what he says without actually buying his books or driving to your library to check them out, you can always go to his website and look up his writings.

Armor of Light · #8 Apr 26, '12, 1:09 pm

Anything by Dr. Meeker is excellent. And she is from where I live!

Mrs Sally · #9 Apr 26, '12, 1:57 pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cat

I have read every book that Dr. Dobson has ever written. I would be curious to know specifically what he teaches about child-rearing that doesn't line up with a Catholic worldview.

Cat, I also really like Dr Dobson, but haven't read all of his books.

You mentioned one example. I am also thinking about some things he says about child-spacing. That kind of thing is very easy to block out when you are familiar with both ordinary protestant approaches to family building and Catholic teaching.

Also, they aren't huge themes in his books, but I read them when my children where young and we would potentially have been having more.

Agree that in general he is very even keeled and Catholic-friendly.

Qwikness · #10 Apr 26, '12, 7:18 pm

Thank You. Great Endorsement for Dobson. Any other recommendations?

28562 · #11 Apr 27, '12, 4:19 am

Quote:

Originally Posted by Qwikness

Why is Strong Fathers, Strong Daughters so good?

It really opened my eyes to just how important a father is to the development of a girl and how she will live the rest of her life. It's kinda scary how much of that depends on me alone.

Maybe read Be A Man! by Fr. Larry Richards also.