Guiding The Family

Book excerpt: Based on the Individual Psychology as formulated by Alfred Adler and expanded by Rudolf Dreikurs, this second edition provides easily understood theory for the professional student and a wealth of practical suggestions for parents and educators.. It is designed to help parents, grandparents, baby sitters, clergy, teachers, nannies and others who may influence the child's psychological development. In addition to theoretical explanations, the book discusses in detail how to deal with problems and situations arising in family relationships. It teaches to understand the purpose of a child's misbehavior, and to motivate the child to reach its purpose through useful behavior. The book is full of illustrations, drawn from many years of experience of the authors. It discusses general day to day problems such as fighting, personal hygiene, doing poorly in school, bedtime, etc. There is a special chapter on addiction problems such as alcohol, cigarettes, computer, and television, and includes a detailed description of the various drugs of abuse and their effects. The book endeavors to restore parents' confidence in themselves and in their children. The book stresses the technique of encouragement, the application of logical consequences instead of punishment. How to use the family council in order to promote agreement, and to help the child to obtain it's goal through socially acceptable means. Much space is devoted to helping special families, such as single, divorced, and step parents.