Boundaries with Kids: When to Say YES, When to Say NO, to Help Your Children Gain Control of Their Lives

I was able to immediately put the good advice to use right away and my family is so much more peaceful! Boundaries really are good for building character, increasing empathy, and as converse as it may sound, strengthening the relationship between you and your children. The authors are both psychotherapists and devout Christians. I thought the Christian bent might annoy me but the scriptures quoted were used sparingly and only enhanced the eloquence and relevance of the text.

I wholeheartedly recommend this book to friends and relatives, Christian and secular. Buy this book and you will walk around thinking "I know which boundaries HIS/HER parents didn't enforce as a child." What an enlightening book!


great audio tape- very well narrated.   October 27, 1999
40 out of 40 found this review helpful

Becasue I travel in my car so much I listen to a lot of books on tape. This is one of the best I have ever listened to. It was very REAL and the authors related right on with the feeling of parents. Even though it was obvious the authors came from a christian background (as do I) the book did not make that the basis of the book. The book gave real solutions to existing problems and great advice on fixing situations so other problems do not arise in the future. Some of the ideas and principles are tough to stomach as a parent but have worked miraclously(sp) with my 2 year old.

The book so good I bought 3 copies for friends and my brother. I also bought their other book on boundries in marriage which I am looking forward to listening to soon.


This book is making me think!   February 11, 2000
42 out of 43 found this review helpful

I am only halfway through the book and already I have found it tremendously helpful. It has made me realize that even though there is a lot of instinct involved in parenting I must not just parent on a whim. It must be purposeful and planned with goals set for both my children and myself. I cannot just "let it happen." This book has also made me take a hard look at myself and realize areas where I have faulty thinking and need to work on personal growth. The authors achieve this with a gentle firmness, not making one feel guilty but rather inspired to make the necessary changes. Quote from the book, "Children don't have it in them to grow themselves up. They respond and adapt to how they are parented."


Awesome Book On How To Deal With Kids   January 13, 2004
DW (United States)
31 out of 31 found this review helpful

This book is great with young kids. I have a toddler and an infant and tried some of the suggestions in the book and it has helped me better deal with my daughter. I can't say how it would work on teenagers, but I have found Cloud's/Townsend's books on marriage, mom's, and boundaries in general to be very good.

If you have children, this book along with the Boundaries book are excellent books to assist in raising children with healthy self-esteems. These books help you set appropriate boundaries in your relationships, which empowers rather than enables. I love the examples they give about the various types of boundaries we need to have. It reinforces what they are talking about.

Their suggestions are very practical and realistic.