Describes a practical approach to raising children, with step-by-step guidelines that parents can follow to develop and improve their skills. Systematic Training for Effective Parenting (STEP) suggests that parents pace themselves by devoting a week to each chapter, which concludes with activities that reflect the ideas presented in the book. Parents who form or join a STEP parent education group can benefit from the opportunity to share experiences. Topics cover: (1) understanding yourself and your child, including matching parenting styles with goals, setting reasonable expectations, and understanding the misbehaving child; (2) understanding beliefs and feelings, including children’s perceptions of adult actions, words, and values; (3) encouraging your child and yourself, including building your child’s self-esteem, distinguishing between praise and encouragement, and teaching respect; (4) listening and talking to your child, including being patient, avoiding anger, and translating subtle messages; (5) helping children cooperate, especially to work to solve problems together; (6) finding disciplinary techniques that make sense, covering differentiating between punishment and discipline, setting limits, and giving choices; and (7) choosing your approach, including setting the stage for your child to succeed in school and dealing with other problems such as sibling rivalry, lying and stealing, violence, gangs, and drug abuse.
