What Did I Just Say!?!

Book excerpt: An invaluable book that does for parents and their young children what You Just Don't Understand did for men and women Did you know that when you say "How many times have I told you not to?" your toddler thinks you are actually changing the subject rather than reiterating a question? Based on years of clinical experience and original child development research, What Did I Just Say!?! shows how conventional communication styles actually prevent parents from saying what they mean and cause children to hear something entirely different than what was intended. The authors demonstrate how a simple understanding of the logic of language and of childhood thinking can dramatically improve parent-child communication. Among the subjects covered are understanding the complex experiential world of young children; putting structure, rules, and boundaries into children's lives while still fostering individuality; encouraging healthy emotional responsiveness and interpersonal sensitivity while decreasing anger and aggression; focusing a child's attention; and foiling behaviors such as tuning out and forgetting. By helping parents understand the very different linguistic and experiential world of children, What Did I Just Say!?! offers a foundation for parent-child communication that will last a lifetime.