Synopses & Reviews
An invaluable book that does for parents and their young children what
You Just Don't Understand did for men and women
Did you know that when you say "How many times have I told you not to?" your toddler thinks you are actually changing the subject rather than reiterating a question? Based on years of clinical experience and original child development research, What Did I Just Say!?! shows how conventional communication styles actually prevent parents from saying what they mean and cause children to hear something entirely different than what was intended. The authors demonstrate how a simple understanding of the logic of language and of childhood thinking can dramatically improve parent-child communication. Among the subjects covered are understanding the complex experiential world of young children; putting structure, rules, and boundaries into children's lives while still fostering individuality; encouraging healthy emotional responsiveness and interpersonal sensitivity while decreasing anger and aggression; focusing a child's attention; and foiling behaviors such as tuning out and forgetting.
By helping parents understand the very different linguistic and experiential world of children, What Did I Just Say!?! offers a foundation for parent-child communication that will last a lifetime.
Review
"
What Did I Just Say!?! points the way toward a healthy respect for children and childhood. Anyone--parent or professional--who cares about children and families, about mental health and mental life, or about not missing the 'forest of sadness for the trees of anger' will get a great deal out of reading this book."
--Elizabeth Loftus, Ph.D., President, American Psychological Society
"What Did I Just Say!?! is a very well written, witty, personable, nondidactic mix of anecdotal and scientifi material. As a science writer and parent, I found this book enormously informative and refreshing. It has made me much more conscious of how I interact with my kids, and the advice is very sensible."
--John Horgan, Author of The End of Science
About the Author
Denis Donovan, M.D., M.ED., a child and adolescent psychiatrist, is the medical director of the Children's Center for Developmental Psychiatry in St. Petersburg, FL. Deborah McIntyre, M.A., R.N., is a nurse and child therapist. Husband and wife, they have worked together for over fifteen years and are the co-authors of
Healing the Hurt Child and the originators of the developmental-contextual approach to child psycho-therapy and play therapy.