Elizabeth Pantley, author of The No-Cry Sleep Solution, gives discipline a new look in her most recent book, The No-Cry Discipline Solution. Pantley is the president of Better Beginnings, author of eight books for parents, and mother of four children.
Pantley starts the book off by discussing parenting attitudes and how they affect children’s behavior. She addresses the myths that many parents believe such as “If you love your child and if your intentions are good, parenting will come naturally to you.” Pantley dispels these parenting myths and gives parents a new way of looking at discipline.
Part one of The No-Cry Discipline Solution continues its parental aids by defining the four parts to discipline. Pantley states these four parts are: “to correct immediate behavior; to teach a lesson; to give tools that build self-discipline and emotional control; to build the parent/child relationship.”
Part two covers skills and tools for no-cry discipline. She explains that parents need to take the time to discover the “real problem” or what is causing their child’s problematic actions. Pantley also covers how to handle the “big three” – tantrums, fussing and whining.
In part three, parents learn how to stay calm and how to determine the reasons they get angry with their children. Pantley helps parents to not only realize the root cause of their anger, but how to develop a plan to manage their frustration.
Specific solutions for everyday problems complete the book in part four. Some of the behaviors addressed are backtalk, biting other children, interrupting and lying. Pantley gives practical, down-to-earth advice for parents in this section with almost one hundred pages devoted to answering these discipline problems.
The No-Cry Discipline Solution is truly a fresh look at discipline. It contains advice that the everyday parent will appreciate and answers questions that I myself have asked. I especially appreciated Pantley’s thoughts on how to treat children when disciplining and her suggestions on alternate ways of handling situations. After reading this book, it’s likely I’ll be on the lookout for more of her work in the future.