Children Learn What They Live: Parenting to Inspire Values.

Workman Publishing, 1998. First Printing. Paperback. Very Good. NICE BOOK! NO SPINE CREASES, MILD SHELF WEAR ON COVER & NO MARKING IN TEXT. Amazon: Since its publication in 1954, Dorothy Law Nolte's inspirational and educational poem, Children Learn What They Live has been published worldwide, translated into 10 languages, taught in parenting and teaching courses, distributed in doctors offices, and printed on posters and calendars. In Children Learn What They Live: Parenting to Inspire Values, authors Nolte, a teacher and lecturer on family life, and Rachel Harris, Nolte's friend and teaching associate, have taken the classic poem and fleshed it into a small gem of a book. The expanded version maintains the grace and wisdom of the original, yet adds significant insight into the process of encouraging values through example. If children live with criticism, they learn to condemn,"""" begins the poem (and the book), and so Nolte and Harris suggest effective ways to avoid or prevent constant criticism. As a set of guiding principals, as teaching tools, or as gentle reminders, Nolte and Harris's approach to teaching values to children encapsulates the best in parenting wisdom. --Ericka Lutz"""" """"From Publishers Weekly: Nolte's familiar poem, written in 1954, is the basis for these essays, beginning with """"If children live with criticism, they learn to condemn."""" Nolte, a teacher and lecturer on family dynamics, and Harris, a psychotherapist, expound upon the simple truths of the original stanzas, which have been widely distributed. Each short chapter?on jealousy, praise, shame, recognition, tolerance, honesty, etc.?expands upon Nolte's original observations, stressing respect and love as the main ingredients for raising happy and emotionally healthy children. Although the power and impact of the original poem drew greatly from its succintness, some readers may benefit from these explications. The most valuable additions are the few real-life examples, including the tale of a 10-year-old boy who sought and received comfort from his mother after he flubbed a piano recital. While the text veers readily into greeting-card prose, the authors' message?to support and encourage children, to be patient and kind?certainly is hard to dispute. This compact, easily read volume doesn't pack the power of Nolte's popular poem, but it will make an inspiring gift for many parents.""""