Are You a Nagger? (Review of "Motivate Your Child" by Scott Turansky and Joanne Miller)

Sometimes, I have no choice but to subscribe to the nagging and bribing academy of parenting.

When my toddler was still a baby, I swore I will never nag or bribe because I know these will never result to anything good. But now, out of desperation, I find myself either nagging to death or bribing my son with a toy or a treat to make him follow me.

The book, "Motivate Your Child" by Dr. Scott Turansky and Joanne Miller, RN BSN, is what I need.

Image from Amazon

The book basically focuses on how many parents today are using external methods of motivating their children. Yes, these include nagging and bribing, and these are very misdirected. These result to short-term effects where the child obeys just to either avoid punishment or get the reward.

Nagging is tiresome. On the other hand, if your child was exposed to a reward system that is basically bribing, you have no choice but to "outdo" the last reward. I actually see this in my sister today who, before obeying, will ask, "What is in it for me?"

The book then ultimately says that the best way to motivate a child is to motivate them internally. The writers call this form of parenting "heart parenting." What does it mean?

This approach entails removing the external reward-consequence system and looking into the root of the matter: the heart.

A December Bride by Denise Hunter

Image from http://www.goodreads.com/

This is a refreshing read if you want something short, light, and pleasantly romantic. What comes as a bonus is the Christmas setting, which we know is coming sooner than we think!

Layla O'Reilly, our heroine, is about to attend the wedding of the year: her cousin and ex-fiance's. To say she avoided it like plaque is an understatement. As luck would have it, Seth Murphy, her ex-fiance's bestfriend and just another person she has vowed to not have anything to do with, comes to her rescue - the same Seth who has also been secretly in love with her for years.

In a sudden twist of events, the civil date leads them to accidentally announce their own faux engagement! Failing to clarify their mistake, they are "forced" to act as if they were lovers soon to get married. You have to read the book to know the things they have to do to go through the fake engagement, and you have to read it to know how everything eventually falls into place!

There are several things I like about this book. First is how everything is written in a "wholesome" manner, which proves that a romantic story doesn't need to be about sex. Second, I really like Seth's character, which I find to be the most developed one. Finally, as a Christmas-junkie, I love the holiday sceneries Denise Hunter sets up as backdrop to the romantic scenes.

However, if you're looking for an intellectually-stimulating book, this may not be for you. Like what I said, it is a light read. If you don't want cliche romantic plots and characters (like Layla's scheming cousin), you might want to try something else. Finally, if you're looking for something more theologically-heavy, this may not help you as it only subtly touches the subject of faith.

Overall, if what you're looking for is a refreshing, romantic, and heartwarming experience that you can read in one sitting, A December Bride definitely is for you!

Disclosure: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookLook Bloggers review program. I was not required to write a positive review, and all opinions I have expressed are my own.

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