Durand, V: Optimistic Parenting

Happier lives. Less stress. Family harmony. That's what all parents of children with challenging behavior want. Learn how to get there with this groundbreaking guide to confident, skillful, and positive parenting. A book you'll want to share with every family you know, "Optimistic Parenting" helps moms, dads, and other caregivers develop more positive thoughts and perceptions a key ingredient of successful parenting and effective behavior management. One of the most highly regarded experts on challenging behavior and a parent himself Dr. V. Mark Durand delivers both philosophical hope and practical help to parents of children with a wide range of challenges. With keen insight, gentle humor, and practical tools and strategies, Durand guides parents step by step through the process of pinpointing the "why" behind challenging behaviortuning in to their own thoughts, emotions, and self-talkunderstanding how their thoughts affect their interactions with their childinterrupting negative thoughts and replacing them with positive, productive onesachieving a healthy balance between taking care of their own needs and their child's needsusing effective emergency strategies when quick behavior intervention is neededimplementing long-term strategies for lasting behavior improvementsweaving functional communication training into everyday routines and interactionsaddressing the most common problem areas, such as sleep and transitionsincreasing mindfulness and parenting "in the moment"Engaging stories from the author's extensive experience illustrate how parents and other caregivers can develop more effective behavior management techniques. And practical tools and exercises, developed and tested during Durand's decades of work with thousands of parents, help families on their own journey to better parenting and happier lives. A lifeline for overwhelmed parents and a great source of insight for the professionals who work with them this highly motivating guidebook will help families reduce children's challenging behaviors and approach the future with optimism and confidence. "