This world, as we know, is rapidly becoming a more and more complicated and media-saturated place -- and therefore raising children, it seems, is becoming more and more difficult to do. On this installment of ST, we speak with Dr. Ross W. Greene, an author, speaker, and child psychologist who was on the faculty at Harvard Medical School for over twenty years, and who is also the founding director of the nonprofit organization Lives in the Balance (LivesintheBalance.org). Dr. Greene talks with us about his new book, just out from Scribner, "Raising Human Beings: Creating a Collaborative Partnership with Your Child." As is noted of this book at its publisher's website: "Parents have an important task: figure out who their child is -- his or her skills, preferences, beliefs, values, personality traits, goals, and direction -- get comfortable with it, and then help him or her pursue and live a life that is congruent with it. But parents also want to have influence. They want their kid to be independent, but not if he or she is going to make bad choices. They don't want to be harsh and rigid, but nor do they want a noncompliant, disrespectful kid. They want to avoid being too pushy and overbearing, but not if an unmotivated, apathetic kid is what they have to show for it. They want to have a good relationship with their kids, but not if that means being a pushover. They don't want to scream, but they do want to be heard. Good parenting is about striking the balance between a child's characteristics and a parent's desire to have influence."
"Raising Human Beings: Creating a Collaborative Partnership with Your Child"
