I learned of this book the hard way, a child psychologist recommended it when my the 6-year-old son was in danger of being thrown out of school. I dreaded taking him into stores and I had to sit in the "crying" room of my church, because he would not behave. My son has Aspergers, and some of his behavior had to do with that, mostly it had to do with me.

I read the book, and the principles in it take a little time to absorb. The main premise (and I'm paraphrasing, in my own words): 1) Give a warning. 2) Give a consequence 3) Take action. Idol threats don't work, you have to follow through. I had to take my crying son out of stores a few times, but it started working. I didn't take long before I really started to notice a difference. Today, 6 years later, he is very well behaved.

You have to have a little patience, but this does work. I also recommend Boundaries for Kids.

If you are tired of hearing your kids pitch a fit for no good reason for the umpteenth time and you're at your wits end, this is the book you've been waiting for. Let's face it; kids can be like wild animals. But even lions can be tamed with the right approach. And 1-2-3 Magic provides simple techniques that really work for transforming your 'jungle' back into a peaceful home. As a psychologist who works with parents-and as a parent and grandparent myself-I have used and have recommended the simple and effective techniques described in 1-2-3 Magic many times and have been amazed at how quickly they work. But you sure don't have to be a PH.D. to understand this book. It is short, simple and to the point--and it makes for great bathroom reading! Whether its temper tantrums, sibling rivalry or other common 'challenges' that kids test us with, this book provides short, simple ways to control kids' behavior without losing control of your own! Using this approach: (1)kids become much better behaved; (2)parents remember why they wanted kids in the first place, and (3)parents and kids really begin to enjoy each other again! I also highly recommended the 1-2-3 Magic DVD, which is actually very funny and entertaining and a great way to see this program in action. Good luck!

Dr. Reed

This book has been a life saver for me and my family. Since reading this book, I have better control over both my 4 yr old son and 11 yr old son. We don't have arguments or fussing or fighting anymore! I think this book is a must have for ALL parents, even if they don't think they have discipline problems! Enjoy!

I received a copy of this book from a friend when I reached my wits with my 3 year old. We were fighting over every single thing, and it was straining my relationship with her to the core.

I must say I don't use the discipline technique exactly, but have found all of the principals and ideas so enlightening. I can see using it more completely when my child is a bit older, and it is nice that I know how to do it. I recommend this book to anyone I can because it has has given me a parenting style that works and improved my relationship with my child 100%.

We tried many approaches with our children involving treating them as little adults such as the STEP program and had nothing but trouble. We didn't find this book until our children were approaching teen ages but the advice was still excellent and transformed our relationships. This author, years ago put in writing simple techniques that allow you to set rules, to create a situation where the children learn boundaries even before they fully understand the need for rules, and everyone in the family, large and small, can get through situations without unnecessary stress or embarrassment. Everything you see on TV with the nanny shows is the embodiment of these simple principles.