How To Talk So Kids Will Listen & Listen So Kids Will Talk

How to Talk So Kids Will Listen & Listen So Kids Will Talk by Adele Faber and Elaine Mazlish is a practical guide for parents, offering tools and strategies to improve communication with their children. The book focuses on Fostering Mutual Respect and Understanding, and cooperation between parents and children by teaching techniques like active listening, effective praise, and empathetic responses. The authors emphasize the importance of validating children’s feelings, offering choices instead of commands, and involving children in problem-solving to help them develop autonomy and self-esteem.

Upon its release in 1980, the book was met with widespread acclaim for its relatable, real-world approach to parenting. It became a bestseller, resonating with parents who were seeking alternatives to authoritarian or permissive parenting styles.

This guide refers to the 1982 Avon Books Trade Printing edition.

Summary

In How to Talk So Kids Will Listen & Listen So Kids Will Talk, Faber and Mazlish focus on improving parent-child communication by providing practical strategies for fostering empathy, cooperation, and mutual respect. This guide is divided into three parts: Part 1 covers the introductory section and Chapters 1 and 2, Part 2 includes Chapters 3 to 5, and Part 3 addresses Chapters 6, 7 and the last section: “What’s It All About, Anyway?”