Raising Your Spirited Child

By: Mary Sheedy Kurcinka

Narrated by: Mary Sheedy Kurckina

Length: 3 hrs and 5 mins

Publisher's summary

The spirited child - often called "difficult" or "strong-willed" - can easily overwhelm parents, leaving them feeling frustrated and inadequate. Spirited kids are, in fact, simply "more" - by temperament, they are more intense, sensitive, perceptive, persistent, and uncomfortable with change than the average child. Through vivid examples and a refreshingly positive viewpoint, Mary Sheedy Kurcinka offers parents emotional support and proven strategies for handling their spirited child. Raising Your Spirited Child will help you:

• Understand your child's - and your own - temperamental traits
• Plan for success with a simple four-step program
• Discover the power of positive - rather than negative - labels
• Cope with tantrums and blowups when they do occur
• Develop strategies for handling mealtimes, bedtimes, holidays, school, and many other situations

Filled with personal insight and authoritative advice, Raising Your Spirited Child can help make parenting the joy it should be, rather than the trial it can be.

©1991, 1998 Mary Sheedy Kurcinka (P)1999, 2005 & © 1991, 1999, 2005 HarperCollins Publishers, Inc. All rights reserved.

Critic reviews

"This book is a major work on temperament and parenting that should be in every family library." (Nancy Melvin, associate dean for graduate programs and research, Arizona State University College of Nursing)

Needs more

I would have liked more "what to do" s

How to's and examples. This left me feeling like I have identified my child, but still not sure what to do besides run myself ragged "preparing" her

Best parenting book EVER!

Absolutely wonderful very informative, and very useful information. The information is easy to use and understand. Not a bunch of tiny tips. Overall concept is clear and easy to implement. This book also helps people understand themselves.
This book helps us see what is going on in our childrenand why they do the things they do. Therefore it is much easier to get them to do what we need them to do without a fight. This book would help us all live in harmony.

Would love to hear the unabridged

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Yes - Anyone who has a kid that is labelled as troublesome, or too high energy.

How would you have changed the story to make it more enjoyable?

No, because it's to help me raise my kids, if I was going to change the story I wouldn't be looking for help would I?

What do you think the narrator could have done better?

The narrator is the author reading her own work and does an ok job, considering that many authors who read their own books butcher it.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would be the tag line be?

Um I'm not going to answer that... There should be two types of review profiles, one for novels and another for self help.

Any additional comments?

WHERE IS THE UNABRIDGED. This book is outstanding, the whole book (which I have skimmed through and found very helpful. However this abridged version skips over many of the key points that need further emphasis. In fact I think onnly about 20% of the original is retained. I would return this and pay more for the unabridged if it ever comes out.

Excellent tips and suggestions!

The author provides so many great insights to why my child is
May be behaving the way he does. Helping to u sweat and that we cannot change temperament is valuable. Her approach on how to work with the spirited child makes so much sense. I have already applied some of her suggestions and seen a positive change in my relationship with my 4 year old son. Thank you!

Refreshing Perspective

The audiobook left me feeling like I wanted her to tell me more...impart a bit more motherly wisdom on me, but alas, I suppose I have to go this road on my own as a parent. I am not normally one to read parent help books - they usually give me negative feelings in some way or another. This one was different. It spoke of ways to look at my child, and help him in his brilliance! One piece of info I found to be VERY helpful was how to allow your introvert/extrovert to 'recharge' and how the parents & teachers can help him do this. Great book.

comprehensive

Mary writes a great manual for parents with children of high energy. Children are so diverse, but in many way the same, she helps clarify the issues that keep us up at night.

Game Changer

I found myself saying many times while listening to the book, “Yes! That’s my kid!” or “Yes! I feel like a terrible parent because it takes me 2 hours to get her to brush her teeth!” But it’s not just a book to explain how to parent a “spirited” child, but it’s a book to help bring some solace to spirited parents by saying “You’re not alone and you’re not crazy.”

I felt so empowered and even more sympathetic for my child after reading this. Our spirited kids are good kids. They just need to feel it and know it from us as parents and have the tools ready for them to use. Big fan of this book.

Read this sooner!!

I got this book years ago and could never find the time to read it. My daughter is now 11 and we have gone through tons of aggravation and trying times. Listening g to the audio book, I wish that I had listened sooner.

Absolutely loved this book!

I bought this book to help me understand my five-year-old. Surprisingly, I was able to understand my husband and other children!

absolutely helpful and insightful!!!

This book absolutely spoke to my soul!! I was worried to death about my son until this book. It has given me so much understanding to not only his feelings and temperament, but also as tiny person developing. Understanding him made me react differently and in return changed both of our attitudes throughout our day. I hope to continue to use it as a guide as he grows.