• Gentle Discipline

  • Using Emotional Connection - Not Punishment - to Raise Confident, Capable Kids
  • By: Sarah Ockwell-Smith
  • Narrated by: Mary Sarah
  • Length: 7 hrs and 10 mins
  • 4.7 out of 5 stars (121 ratings)

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Gentle Discipline  By  cover art

Gentle Discipline

By: Sarah Ockwell-Smith
Narrated by: Mary Sarah
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Publisher's summary

Discipline is an essential part of raising happy and successful kids, but as more and more parents are discovering, conventional approaches often don't work and can even lead to more frustration, resentment, power struggles, and shame.

Enter Sarah Ockwell-Smith, a popular parenting expert who believes there's a better way. Citing the latest research in child development, psychology, and neuroscience, Gentle Discipline debunks common myths about punishments, rewards, the "naughty chair", and more and presents practical, connection-based techniques that really work - and that bring parents and kids closer together instead of driving them apart. Topics include:

  • Setting - and enforcing - boundaries and limits with compassion and respect
  • Focusing on connection and positivity instead of negative consequences
  • Working with teachers and other caregivers
  • Breaking the cycle of shaming and blaming

Filled with ideas to try today, Gentle Discipline helps parents of toddlers as well as school-age kids embrace a new, more enlightened way to help kids listen, learn, and grow.

©2017 Sarah Ockwell-Smith (P)2017 HighBridge, a Division of Recorded Books

What listeners say about Gentle Discipline

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Struggled to finish

I could no longer listen to her belief that children are not capable of anything. After all of her babbling of how wrong every one is, I still don't know if I can expect my child to clean her room when she is 5 or 15???
Give some real life examples that actually help instead of only pointing out what victims children are. Waste of time!

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11 people found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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Great Book

Loved the information tools and strategies in this book. It made me reflect on myself and what I need to do to improve in my parenting. I realized the problem wasn't my child but it was me.

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2 people found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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The most helpful parenting book

I became a parent in 2019 and I wanted to do my best at it. Sarah has helped so much about understanding children and understanding that we need to look within first before reacting too quick with anger or frustration towards our children. I feel like all her advice has helped us be more chill with our child and I do see the difference between our children and others children. I’ve recommended this book to so many people I’ve lost count. read it! It’s genius!

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1 person found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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Great overview of this discipline technique

The narrator sounds a little overly earnest, but the author has great ideas along with lots of evidence to demonstrate a different way of parenting that makes a lot of sense.

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1 person found this helpful

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Best book I’ve ever read!

I started the gentle Discipline right away before I even finished this book and my daughter has been so much more happy towards me! I will be reading all her books now!

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Amazing

I loved this book. definitely purchasing a hard copy. this book is now a definite baby shower gift.

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Phenomenal resource

I’m a dad of 2 boys, with the older one being more strong willed and aggressive, while the younger one is easy going. Gained a ton of insight and strategy on how to work with the emotion that causes unwanted behavior without yelling or spanking(I’ve done both and neither have worked long term). I was spanked as a kid and it rotted my self esteem for decades. This book is helping me break that cycle. I’ve listened to this book 5 times and I get new ideas and insights every time.

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The “don’t disciple” book

In short the whole book is about the author criticizing every and any approach to disciple a child. You’re wrong if you use any form or punishment or disciple to correct a child’s behavior. Some good facts but overall very unrealistic expectations of what this “gentle discipline” is suppose to look like

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Great book for parents

I loved this book. It has changed my whole perspective in parenthood. It has opened my eyes in parenting that I have never imagined. I am glad my wife suggested this book to me, and even though it took some time for me to get to it, I hope it will pay off.

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Don’t purchase this book

Not sure if it’s the narrator or the author, but the book comes across as incredibly condescending and arrogant. It’s hard to listen to. Moreover, there are fallacies in her logic and in that she’s discounting respected psychologists, it’s a hard sell. I’m in favor of gentle discipline, but not a fan of this book.

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