parent effectiveness training…

Dr. Thomas Gordon, a nobel peace prize nominee, was a pioneer in effective communication skills and conflict resolution. The licensed clinical psychologist wrote several books, numerous articles, and ran effective training courses to help individuals learn to better communicate and solve conflicts between one another. Gordon Model techniques are known world-wide.

Gordon revolutionalized the world of parent-child communication in 1962 with his Parent Effectiveness Training (P.E.T.) program, which was the first skill-based training program for parents. Originally published in 1970 and last updated in 2000, his book Parent Effectiveness Training (P.E.T.) is a must have for any consensual living family’s library.

The title is a little off-putting, especially combined with The Proven Program for Raising Responsible Children. Generally speaking, most programs which proclaim to be proven ways to raise your child are authoritarian, giving children no rights. Their claims to improve your relationship with your child would be laughable if the authors weren’t serious. P.E.T. is different.

Fans of Faber and Mazlish, authors of well-known books such as How To talk So Kids Will Listen and Listen So Kids Will Talk and Siblings Without Rivalry, will recognize many of the techniques in this book. Gordon thoroughly covers topics such as word choice, active listening, I-messages, parent-child conflicts, and the no-lose method of conflict resolution.

If you find yourself in crisis mode with your children and need a quick read to get yourself back on track, pick up one of Faber and Mazlish’s books. They are, admittedly, good books to have on hand and read periodically.  However, I highly recommend you take time to read Gordon’s book. It if full of good, thought-provoking information. I am adding this book to our family’s library.

I would personally love for my husband to read the book. Since he isn’t one to usually sit down and read parenting books, I plan to order another of Gordon’s books, Leader Effectiveness Training (L.E.T.). My husband sometimes complains that he doesn’t have time to read parenting books and appreciates when I can leave succinct articles from various authors in the bathroom for him. However, I see him grabbing a copy of L.E.T. and devouring it. He’ll be saving time by reading about more effective communication skills and conflict resolution which he can use both at home and at work.