Got An Angry Kid? Parenting Spike: A Seriously Difficult Child
Author
Andrew D. Gibson
Publisher
Loving Healing Press
2 Review Copies Left
- Does your family live in conflict?
- Does your child have a psychiatric label (such as ADHD, oppositional defiance, conduct disorder, bi-polar disorder) or the behavior that would get him/her one?
- Have you lost (or nearly lost) control of your child?
If you answered YES to any of these three things, then PACT can help you as it has helped thousands of other families restore love and integrity to their relationships!
What Others Say About Got An Angry Kid? and The PACT Training Program
"The family is much calmer. Taking PACT Training was the best decision I ever made. It's the best hard work I've ever done. PACT was the light at the end of the tunnel for us."
--Ms. K. D., Willimantic, CT, Mom and Dad of an adolescent girl placed in foster care
"From my professional experience as a manager in the field, PACT is one of the very few services which has been held in high regard by our professional staff as well as the families which benefitted from Dr. Gibson's excellent program."
--Ms. Helen Lawrence (retired) Connecticut State Department of Children and Families (CTSDCF)
"I have had to fight for every service for my family. PACT is my best chance to [create] change. Thanks for everything."
--Ms. K.M., Vernon, CT, single Mom of an out-of-control son
"Although I was only a few weeks into PACT, I felt myself becoming calmer, more hopeful, and more in control. PACT is putting life into my parenting and does what three years of residential placement didn't."
--Mrs D.W., Hamden, CT, single Mom of a seriously emotionally disturbed boy
"Again, I can't say enough about how this program has changed my life."
--Mr. L.C., New Milford, CT, single parent of a foster child
"PACT and Got An Angry Kid? is brilliant."
--Parenting consultant
About the Author
Dr. Gibson earned his PhD in Education at the University of Connecticut in 1987 under the tutelage of Richard Bloomer. He poured everything about his childhood and his experience as a parent went into what became Parenting Angry Children and Teens (PACT) Training and the book, "Got An Angry Kid?" In 1993, the Connecticut State Department of Children and Families adopted the PACT methodology and since then 500 families have completed the year-long program with remarkable results.
For more information, visit www.DrAGibson.com
From Loving Healing Press www.LovingHealing.com
Family & Relationships: Parenting - Child Rearing
Reviews
Rivalry in families causes stress and breakdown. When a parent loses control of a child and a child is angry and unresponsive, parents get desperate and things get out of hand. Is there a solution?
Dr. Andrew D. Gibson definitely thinks there is an effective one and he's written a book about it. Got An Angry Kid is a self-help 28-step PACT (Parenting Angry Children and Teens) parent survival program. Out of everything I have seen in this field, this is one of the best behavior management programs for families willing to do all they can to help their child and improve their family situation.
What makes this program so good? It can best be summarized by what the author himself states in Chapter One: “This program requires self-discipline in the name of love.” Whose self-discipline? The parents! This program asks parents to change the way they interact with their children. It deals fully and profoundly with the fundamentals of good parenting: No yelling, no threatening, no nagging, no accusing, no name calling, no sarcasm, no arguing, etc. Does any of this sound familiar? Even the best of parents get caught yelling and screaming at their kids in moments of stress.
Dr. Gibson is honest and forthright. He says, “Nobody wants to be dysfunctional, but a lot of us are. Practically no one is spared.” He is never negative, only realistic and hopeful as he continues to say, “Forgiveness is at the heart of banishing dysfunction.”
The book is divided into two parts. The first part is about understanding Spike, a fictional child that represents the difficult child. This section helps the reader understand what makes this child abnormal, the portrait of a dysfunctional family, what psychological experts say about the Spike child and portrays case studies. Because of my professional background, I really liked reading this part, and as a parent it was a good wake-up call. I recognized some tendencies in me that could be changed. Part II is the PACT program explained step by step. A parent could skip some of the info in the first part and go directly to the program, or go back and forth between the two parts. It's an easy book to read with no psychological jargon and a layout that makes it easy to scan when looking for info.
Even if you don't have an angry, problematic child, this program is worth following. It will test your parenting skills, your patience, your love for your child. Is it easy? No. It's hard work, and it takes a lot of effort because, guess what? parenting today is challenging. One of the reasons I'm impressed with this book is because I saw instant results when I followed its advice but also because its advice is Bible-based, whether the author knows it or not. And I believe knowledge based on God's wisdom is the best.
I highly recommend this book for all families, whether you have a difficult child or not. The advice is invaluable and can nip the bud of any problem that creeps up on families as they work on raising their children successfully.
For more information about this book and the PACT program, visit GotAnAngryKid.com.
Reviewed on 11/18/2010 by ReviewTheBook.com Member Laura Fabiani
Got An Angry Kid?
Parenting Spike: A Seriously Difficult Child
Author: Andrew D. Gibson, PhD
Publisher: Loving Healing Press
ISBN: 978-1932690897
Kids-raising them and caring for them can be pretty challenging. Add a psychiatric label or behavioral problem such as ADD, ADHD, bi-polar disorder, oppositional defiance, etc., and parenting can become what seems like a hopeless and insurmountable chore. Dr. Gibson has worked with families of angry children for many years. He has developed an innovative and proven technique in the form of a self help program he calls PACT (Parenting Angry Children and Teens). The author introduces us to Spike and his family, a fictionalized take on the true life experiences of his patients and their families. Case studies of actual famillies are also explored, covering a wide range of problems and circumstances.
The rest of the book covers the goals you as a parent will work through. These steps are well detailed and clearly explained, along with explicit instructions and helpful hints to get you through. To change your child's behavior, you first need to address your own behavior and the reactions you have to the behavior problems your child exhibits. The 28 steps detailed will probably take about 8-10 weeks to implement, and probably about a year to see the improvement fully in your child. It's not easy, and not a quick fix. But easy solutions and quick fixes do not exist for these situations. There is a chart included so that you can make notes as you work through the goals, and you don't move on to the next step until the one you are working on is satisfactorily completed. By breaking it down this way, a daunting task is made to seem much more doable and less stress inducing.
If you are a parent, counselor, grandparent, clergy member, caregiver, or anyone else who deals with an angry and difficult child, you may well find that this book is a lifeline. If you know someone who could benefit from it, tell them about it or buy it for them. They will thank you for helping them change the life and dynamics of their families.
Reviewed on 10/14/2010 by ReviewTheBook.com Member LAURI COATES
