Rating: 
Summary: fairly good, but wait for paperback
Review: Large print and extra spacing, just at 200 pages, barely enough content for an entire book. I sense she is using her prior books as an opportunity to "keep the ball rolling", when maybe it should stop. I have enjoyed seeing Marilu as a guest on talk shows, but I found her comments in the book to mostly be annoying. Too egocentric, and though she tries to be funny, she doesn't quite make it. Her contribution should have been left as the title and the introduction. I also take offense to a few statements that she makes: (these aren't exact quotes) "I breast fed my children for a year and they are so much healthier". Annoying.....I also breast fed, but I do not make unsubstantiated claims that that is the reason my children are healthy, especially not in print. As a physician myself, I know that the media is reporting the "wonders" of breast-feeding. I also know that research has alot of pitfalls, and research results have a way of getting exaggerated in the media. I think these kinds of statements make alot of Moms who did not/could not breast feed feel even guiltier. (all moms feel guilty about something) The second comment had something to do with a relationship between being "off dairy" and not being overweight. Ridiculous. Dairy products are not the chief contributor to obesity...it's high fat foods/fast foods/overeating and lack of exercise. Hope she and her family get enough calcium and Vitamin D on a daily basis.
Rating: 
Summary: Terrible advice!
Review: Marilu Henner may not be raising brats, but I highly doubt she is raising secure, well-adjusted, confident, moral children if she adheres to the lousy advice outlined in this book. In one section , the co-author, a so-called expert, advises against staying home with your small child when he is sick because this can create "destructive bonding," and it is better to leave him at home with your housekeeper! Marilu cheerily agrees and suggests that if you stay home with the child once when he is sick, then he may enjoy the time with you so much that he may feign illness just to get you to stay home with him--God forbid that a small child should want to spend time with his mother!
Rating:
Summary: "PLEASE REFUSE TO READ THIS BOOK"
Review: Marilu Henner was a guest speaker at a recent women's conference I attended. I found her to be optimistic, energetic and funny. Based on this experience, I thought this book would be full of good advise on parenting. All through the first seven chapters I found myself constantly closing the book in disgust.
In response to a question "when to stop breastfeeding," Marilu responds as if she is a Le Lache League expert. A certified lactation consultant, not a celebrity who makes a mockery of the bond between a mother and a nursling, should address this question. I never finished the book.
People who are interested in some of the best advise on parenting should consult one of the many books by Wm.Sears, M.D. and those recommended by the experts at Attachment Parenting International. Herein lies the scientific findings of the compassionate. I will be donating my copy of "REFUSE" to the proverbial circular file.
Rating: 
Summary: Excellent and funny!
Review: Marilu Henner wrote an excellent and funny book. Still, it provides precise and great advice mostly for moms, but dads will like it too. The author shows practical strategies on how to work with patience, love and compassion to raise your kids, so that they won't end up as spoiled brats--at least that's the prayer. Another book that I highly recommend for raising your kids responsibly as it makes you understand their identity crisis and deal with it, and to also develop self-esteem, is Dietmar Scherf's "I Love Me: Avoiding & Overcoming Depression" also available at Amazon.com
Rating:
Summary: This is advice for the Brave in an age of bratty children
Review: My husband and I bought this book (and Baby Wise, similar philosophy) when we found out we were pregnant because we wanted to do two things:
1. take our child wherever we go as adults
2. avoid dealing with the problems of bratty children that so many of our friends deal with.
We knew that the Sears philosophy of letting the child become the center of your life wouldn't work for us. Rather, our marriage is the center of our lives and children are a gift to enjoy.
Here are the positive results of our experience with this type of philosophy:
1. Our daughter sleeps through the night peacefully since she has been 5 weeks old.
2. She is a happy, contented child because she knows that her parents love her dearly, and because her parents work hard on their marriage.
3. We take her to gallery and art museum openings, symphony performances and fancy restaurants.
4. We, as parents, are not exhausted, and we are in charge of this family. So, yes, if you want to indulge every whim your child has, and you want your children to be the center of your life, go ahead and check out Dr. Sears' work. But if you want your child to be a functioning, healthy, happy member of your family and of the society they ultimately have to live successfully in, who knows their place in the universe, consider this book.
Rating:
Summary: ????****&&&&
Review: My husband and I were so afraid that by buying almost every new toy, video, outfit out on the market, our daughter would end up being a spoiled brat. We also questioned our disciplinary styles, because they didn't seem to work. We took advice from friends and family, and found nothing was really working for us either.
We bought this book, which is incredibly easy to read, and reference. I found many answers to many questions I had. It includes real family dilemmas written by concerned parents, and includes answers that make a lot of sense and are sometimes humorous.
We learned that our actions now have consequences that can/will last a lifetime. It's very important to allow your child to do for herself, learn NO, not to spank, learn to have "contracts" with your child regarding how they act and behave, and to show your child how to become a part of the world they live in rather than them thinking the world revolves around their needs and wants.
We highly recommend this book!
Rating:
Summary: Just what I was waiting for!
Review: My husband and I were so afraid that by buying almost every new toy, video, outfit out on the market, our daughter would end up being a spoiled brat. We also questioned our disciplinary styles, because they didn't seem to work. We took advice from friends and family, and found nothing was really working for us either.
We bought this book, which is incredibly easy to read, and reference. I found many answers to many questions I had. It includes real family dilemmas written by concerned parents, and includes answers that make a lot of sense and are sometimes humorous.
We learned that our actions now have consequences that can/will last a lifetime. It's very important to allow your child to do for herself, learn NO, not to spank, learn to have "contracts" with your child regarding how they act and behave, and to show your child how to become a part of the world they live in rather than them thinking the world revolves around their needs and wants.
We highly recommend this book!
Rating: 
Summary: Terrible, aweful, and waste of reading time...
Review: Okay, being a has-been TV star and writing books telling people to avoid breads and dairy products does NOT qualify you to write a book on raising children. Dr. Ruth Sharon's insites were sometimes good. But Marilu`s additions were horrible. Some of them didn`t even answer the question. The perfect example was one woman who complained that she and her husband disagreed with if the children should keep their rooms tidy. She then goes on and says what SHE does and how her brothers were known to grown interesting plantlife when she was a child. THAT HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH THE QUESTION. And one of the chapters she wrote just had me fumming. I am convinced that Marilu Henner has any idea of what life is like in the real world. It was a chore to make it through this entire book. Reading this book is like shopping at a thrift-shop. You`ve got to go through a ton of garbage to find a few pounds of something useful. Some of their ideas were worth discussing with my wife. But all in all, I don`t think the time I (quote unquote) invested into this book had any valuable return. There are so many other parenting books out there that are more worth the time to read. Don`t waste any time on this one.
Rating:
Summary: Don't bother with this book...
Review: Only a Hollywood actress would need or want a psycho-analyst to help her raise her kids! I was offended by almost every chapter in this book. I read the entire book, wanting to give it a chance - but the advice is awful. No one wants to raise a brat - and you do not need an actress or a psycho-analyst to tell you how to avoid raising one. You just use love and common sense! Perhaps the authors should stick to acting and advising actors, and leave parents alone!
Rating: 
Summary: A good read for parents looking for perspective on disciplin
Review: Seems like other people from NJ liked this book too. I'm from Jersey, am much younger than Marilu Henner and really appreciated this book. I have no interest in reading some boring textbook on what to do and not do with my 2 children. This book has real life examples backed up with expert advice. Makes this a good read for parents. Very practical with great insight that I find very helpful. This book is written in a user-friendly format. Use what you want from this book. Refer to it as needed. Nobody says that you have to like or live the advice from Marilu. There are many valid key points that we are putting into practice with our kids. I borrowed the book from the local library and found myself taking so many notes that I just ordered a copy from Amazon. I want my husband to read this book too. You will find experiences in here that you can relate to about people/children you know. Some serious moments, some funny moments. The humor makes the book readable. I haven't been able to put it down. I am disgusted with the way children are raised these days in a society of conspicuous consumption and waste. (overindulgence) I like her advice on a balance between "frustration and gratification". You will learn a lot not just about kids, but about the people around you and most importantly, yourself.
|
