Comments on: A Review of Larry Winget’s “Your Kids Are Your Own Fault”

By: Independent George

Independent George — Wed, 13 Jan 2010 14:47:45 +0000

I also take issue with #7. I agree that kids are overmedicated, but this does not mean that ADD does not exist. It just means that there are lot of kids without ADD who are being medicated as if they did.

I would argue the same for a lot of other conditions (such as depression, anxiety, or migraines). The medical conditions are very real, and have physical symptoms that can only be treated with medication, but they are also very often misdiagnosed.

The interesting thing is that doctors agree – surveys have shown that doctors believe those conditions are over-diagnosed. The thing is, they think they are over-diagnosed by other doctors – not themselves.

By: LM

LM — Sat, 09 Jan 2010 19:13:57 +0000

As many things as parents effect in the lives of their children, money habits is one of them that is often overlooked.

It’s not as simple as “if your parent were rich/poor you will be rich/poor” How we as parents spend, invest,view and manage money in general will pass on to our children and form their views of money.

Both me and my wife have deeply reviewed and recognized some of the flawed money patterns we have in our head and are now trying to avoid them with our children.

For example, have you ever heard a mom tell their children when they ask for money “I don’t have money, ask your dad…”

What image of a mother does that give a child, specially a girl??

That men have all the money…
That women, specifically stay at home moms, don’t have any money…
That women depend on men for money…etc.

Just an example.

By: Jenn @ Frugal Upstate

Jenn @ Frugal Upstate — Thu, 07 Jan 2010 15:13:56 +0000

Thank goodness for people who tell it like it is. I know my kids aren’t perfect by any means, but they are far from many of the brats I see at their schools!

I wholeheartedly agree that children need to understand consequences (which does include punishment for wrongdoing and having to survive the natural repercussions of poor choices without someone “fixing” it for you)

And the part about people treating them like they are the center of their lives? Well, I always say “Children are a PART of the family, not the reason for the family”. I tell the kids that I love them very much, but that I loved their father first and he is the reason that they are there!

By: Stacey

Stacey — Thu, 07 Jan 2010 14:34:11 +0000

@Grace. Thank goodness for research chemists to improve our daily lives. Yes, I’m in the “good parenting” camp most of the time, but I do acknowledge that meds are needed for some children. Hang around a school long enough and you’ll see plenty of reasons why. Glad to hear your daughter is doing well.

By: Grace

Grace — Thu, 07 Jan 2010 00:56:47 +0000

Honestly, you SHOULD be arguing with #7! I was one of those “I’ll never medicate my kid-ADHD-doesn’t-really-exist-all-it-takes-is-good-and-patient-parenting” parents. At least I was until I got a daughter with serious ADHD. Nothing worked and the poor kid was miserable at home, at school, wherever she had to interact with others. Then, much against my personal judgment, I tried meds. The results were incredible–overnight she could read, study, sit still, behave. The medications had to be monitored and had to be changed upon several occasions, but they did (and do now that she is an adult) make a major difference in her life. Suprised the heck out of me!

By: Yana

Yana — Tue, 05 Jan 2010 06:12:38 +0000

I think children are the most important thing in the lives of parents, after one’s spouse. But numbers 2, 3 and 6 are very true. There are no real consequences for any children in this society, no matter what they do. And self-esteem building, apart from gaining it from appropriate actions, are at the core of ruining our children. Larry can believe in spanking, but any child outside of a hermit household knows that it is the parents that will “get in trouble” if they exercise authority over their children. This is moot, of course, if the children respond appropriately to their parents authority and guidance. The core problem is that people (yes, children are people) are not held responsible for their actions. In the case of children, disobedience is irrelevant, because it is the parents who are responsible for their actions. When not talking about children, it is the devil that made people go wrong – and the devil is whatever takes away their own responsibility for their actions. They can’t help it, because that is what they are. It is someone or something else’s fault.