Do I Have To?: What If I Don't Want To . . . Hardcover – September 10, 2012

I think this book is great for little kids, and not so little. To talk about routines and how to deal with them, even if they don't feel like doing them. It is always good to say what you feel, to let out your emotions but then compl with the routines that we grown-up also have to comply with.Great book for psychologists for kids and coaches for parents and families

My lil girl loves to read this book when she's having a rough time. Very helpful.

This is a beautiful book written with such love and care. Anyone who has responsibility for children should memorize this book.

"I participated in an Influencer Activation on behalf of Influence Central for Hands-on-Prints books. I received books to facilitate my review."This book will address problems some of the younger kids deal with every day – Why do I have to do this?If you have a child who is quite expressive, but can’t quite express himself, this is the book you need to look into. My son had a speech delay for a while and in a combination with Sensory Processing Disorder, it was A MESS! He couldn’t understand that he was a hungry when he was hungry – all he felt was confusion and anger and the only way he could express by crying and screaming.This book is also a great handout for moody kids and their parents. It even comes with an instruction on how to use it. It actually looks pretty close to the cards I got from my son’s teacher to aid him express himself before his speech caught up with his development. The book does a few things – teaches a child to understand his emotions and helps him deal with it. Imagine your child being mad, because he has to go to sleep. Solution? While reading this book lets him associate his emotion with an emotion in the book, helps him understand how he feels about it, and also allows him to express himself, by following one of the suggested directions.– Look, the boy is crying, because he doesn’t want to go to bed – he wants to play with his toys. Do you ever feel like that? Does it make you want to roar like a line or buzz like a bee?You might have a hissing snake or whimpering puppy, but it will redirect your child’s attention from his overpowering emotion to imaginary play will help you transition to the next stage of your day.Believe it or not, this system really does work – this how much son and I started to communicate and understand each other before he could express himself.

I participated in an Influencer Activation on behalf of Influence Central for Hands-on-Prints books. I received books to facilitate my review.This looks like a book for very young children, but it actually pertains to children (and adults) of all ages. In fact, it teaches parents how to relate to the emotions of their child, every bit as much as it teaches children to express their emotions. I’ve been reading recently about “Emotional Intelligence” as a predictor of success. In my career I saw over and over how success came to the people who had the personality as well as the knowledge. There are experts in many fields that never achieve success despite knowing everything they need to know technically. What separates them from their bosses is not knowledge but maturity, communication skills, and the ability to manage their emotions.In addition to Emotional Intelligence, I’ve also been thinking about my daughter’s self-awareness. It’s important to me that she learn to stand up for herself, to find ways to make her own needs clear to others, and to be her own person rather than be overly influenced by her peers. In order to do this, she needs to know who she is and what she wants.After reading Do I have to? What if I don’t want to, I’m realizing that I need to be a better listener. I need to give my daughter the time, space, and encouragement to express her feelings. She will not only learn to manage her emotions and define who she is, our bond will be strengthened and she will have tangible expression of the fact that she is understood and loved.

I participated in an Influencer Activation on behalf of Influence Central for Hands-on-Prints books. I received books to facilitate my review.Do I have to? What if I don’t want to is a tale of young lad who has problems expressing his emotions when he is mad, frustrated or upset. Instead of using words, he resolves to crying, spitting, screaming, begging, and slamming the door. That would take a toll on any parent, right?The purpose of Do I have to? What if I don’t want to is provide parents with specific tools for teaching their children about how to regulate their emotions. While reading together and through a series of questions and answers, parents and children learn new ways to express themselves appropriately. My favorite part of the book is when the young lad says "And I can ask for help with my feelings". Teaching a child to ask for help is an essential skill in life.With the rise of children's neurological disorders (autism, ADHD, etc.) in our society, Do I have to? What if I don’t want to is sure to become a classic manual on to "how regulate children's emotions" for parents. I know I found it very helpful in discussing this important topic with my own children.