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A review by aurigae
Gentle Discipline: Using Emotional Connection-Not Punishment-To Raise Confident, Capable Kids by Sarah Ockwell-Smith
3.0
Gentle Discipline is the practice of compassionately teaching children to manage their difficult emotions in order to live happier, better-behaved lives. It focuses on connecting with children who are experiencing behavior problems, giving them the attention and safety they need, and eschews punishment, reward, and other conventional disciplinary techniques. In this book, Ockwell-Smith discusses why other techniques are inferior and presents gentle solutions to several common discipline problems.
The good: The book is easy to read and doesn't feel condescending; the techniques discussed are fairly universal.
The bad: Although the book is called Gentle Discipline, it doesn't really contain a coherent definition of the philosophy. Additionally, the chapters have a tendency to wander, and the author treats all discipline issues - and, to a great extent, children of all ages - as if they are equivalent.
The verdict: The book oversells its case. It devotes too many pages to explaining why common discipline methods are inappropriate, and too few to explaining how Gentle Discipline differs from them and why it may be superior. Although it does acknowledge the fact that parents may sometimes need to use other discipline methods, it fails to explain how this might be done with a gentle mindset and generally lacks concrete, realistic suggestions.
The good: The book is easy to read and doesn't feel condescending; the techniques discussed are fairly universal.
The bad: Although the book is called Gentle Discipline, it doesn't really contain a coherent definition of the philosophy. Additionally, the chapters have a tendency to wander, and the author treats all discipline issues - and, to a great extent, children of all ages - as if they are equivalent.
The verdict: The book oversells its case. It devotes too many pages to explaining why common discipline methods are inappropriate, and too few to explaining how Gentle Discipline differs from them and why it may be superior. Although it does acknowledge the fact that parents may sometimes need to use other discipline methods, it fails to explain how this might be done with a gentle mindset and generally lacks concrete, realistic suggestions.