We can get you growing!
Raising Freakishly
Well-Behaved Kids:
20 Principles for Becoming the Parent Your Child Needs
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By: Jodi Ann Mullen, PhD
When a loving and respectful parent-child relationship is the foundation for parenting and discipline the result is well-behaved, thoughtful, and socially conscious children.
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This book focuses on what parents can do, and more importantly how they can be with their children in order to create an atmosphere when children chose pro-social behaviors. The behaviors are not created from a place of fear or even traditional discipline, but from 20 simple principles parents can implement in a variety of circumstances from infancy to young adulthood. Following these principles, parents can positively impact the behavior of their children, enhance the parent-child relationship, increase their parenting self-esteem, and promote lifelong relational skills in their children. The principles come from the perspectives of children, and have an inherent simplicity that is focused on the parent-child relationship. Following these child-centered principles fosters parent-child relationships based in love and respect.
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Foreword by Jack Canfield, Co-Creator of the #1 New York Times best-selling Chicken Soup for the Soul series, and author of The Success Principles.
What readers have said:
"Dr. Jodi Mullen's book on parenting "freakishly well-behaved" children is a wonderful mix of insights, enlightenment and empowerment for parents. The format of 20 deceptively simple principles makes it easy to focus on each of these critical tools for all parents struggling to find their way (and who isn't?). Her approach involves sensible, reasonable and better still, achievable goals to pursue in the art and science of raising well-behaved, happy and healthy children. Parents may get lost in the day-to-day chores, schedules and to-do lists, and Jodi Mullen gives us a reminder of what is possible if we only slow down, pay attention, and give our children what they need from us. The principles include the importance of giving our children respect, truth, dependability, patience, developmentally appropriate limits and empathy, among other things. This book is unique in that it focuses on children's perspectives, rather than parents' need to have their children behave well. Dr. Mullen's use of anecdotes from both her clinical practice and her own family gives each of the principles anchoring points in real-life scenarios that make them very relevant and relatable for parents everywhere. Where was this book when I was starting out as a new parent?"
Laura Hess Brown, Ph.D.
Professor of Human Development, SUNY Oswego
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"As a play therapist, I’ve technically learned all of these lessons before. But, as a stressed out, exhausted parent of three toddlers, this book reminded me how I sometimes struggle outside of the office with my own children. It inspired me to do better without making me feel bad about myself. Dr. Mullen is the smart, but funny and down to earth mom that we all need in our tribe."
Jennifer Taylor, LCSW, RPT-S
Listen to a sample of the book!
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Principle 3 - Catch Me Behaving
Click to download!
And download a free activity worksheet from the sample to try out on your own!
Watch an interview with
Dr. Jodi Mullen as she
discusses the reason this
book NEEDED to be written!
About the Author
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Jodi Ann Mullen, PhD, has been a Mental Health Counselor and Play Therapist for 25 years. She is a professor at SUNY Oswego in the Counseling & Psychological Services Department where she coordinates the Mental Health Counseling Program and Graduate Certificate Program in Play Therapy. She is also the Director of Integrative Counseling Services in New York State. Dr. Mullen is an international speaker, and author. She has authored several manuscripts on play therapy and counseling. Dr. Mullen navigates the world of child rearing on her podcast Freakishly Well-Behaved Kids. Most importantly, she is the proud momma of Andrew and Leah.
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