Raising Children Who Think for Themselves - Softcover

Medhus, Elisa

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1582700478 ISBN 13: 9781582700472

Publisher: Beyond Words, 2001

Synopsis

Raising Children Who Think for Themselves offers a new approach to parenting that has the power to reverse the trend of external direction in our children and help parents bring up empathetic, self-confident, moral, independent thinkers. Children who are externally directed make decisions based on the peer groups, violent movies, sexually explicit television shows, and rap lyrics that permeate their lives. When children are self-directed, on the other hand, they use their power of reason like a sword to cut through the jungle of external influences. Fortunately, the author shows us, it is never too late to foster in our children the ability to weigh options, consider sources, and think for themselves.

Filled with real-life examples, humorous anecdotes, and countless interviews with parents, children, and teachers, Raising Children Who Think for Themselves

• Identifies the five essential qualities of self-directed children
• Outlines the seven strategies necessary for parents to develop these qualities in their children
• Addresses nearly one hundred child-raising challenges—from body piercing to whining wars—and offers solutions to help encourage self-direction

About this title

From the Publisher:

Beyond Words is proud to announce that Raising Children Who Think for Themselves, by author Elisa Medhus, M.D., has earned three highly prestigious awards: The 2002 Parent's Choice Award, The 2002 NAPPA Gold Award (National Parenting Publications Association,) and the 2002 National Parenting Center Seal of Approval.

From the Author:

Raising Children Who Think for Themselves shows parents how to raise their kids to make choices for themselves-choices not shaped by destructive influences like negative peer pressure, movies, song lyrics and their junk culture.

Today, our children are bombarded by so many messages through so many channels. Unfortunately, they are also programmed to satisfy their instinctive pack animal urge to fit in or belong to a group by striving to comply with those standards of "worthiness" that their peer groups demand they follow. But since those standards are often rooted in corrupt and misguided priorities (being cool, acting tough, being sexually active, belonging to a certain gang, being nice looking, being thin, etc.) any choices that are held hostage by such standards are often going to be inappropriate or immoral.

By raising our children to free their choice-making process from their need to fit in, they will grow to be independent, moral, happy, contributing, self-assured and contributing adults with the courage to do what's right, even when their world and morality is crumbling around them. Enough kids like these, and we'll see a stop to that crumbling. We'll see a happier, saner and safer world-one our children deserve.

Thank you for sharing my dream to create such a world.

Love and respect,

Elisa Medhus, M.D.

About this edition

• Publisher: Beyond Words
• Publication date: 2001
• ISBN 10: 1582700478
• ISBN 13: 9781582700472
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 304