What Not to Say: Tools for Talking with Young Children – Book Review

There are so many phrases that we as parents say because we have heard them all our lives. Whether we have heard them from our own parents, TV, friends, etc., they are pervasive in our culture. Some of them we know we shouldn’t say, but somehow we do anyway, at least I do! That is why I was excited to read Sarah MacLaughlin’s Book, What Not to Say: Tools for Talking with Young Children which goes over 66 expressions we should think about before saying to our children.

I love that before she jumps right in, she gently explains why what we say to our children is important and why it’s worth the effort to be aware of those things we say that are less than ideal. In her intro she says, “The first step in using clear and positive language with a young child is gaining awareness of what you are really communicating, through not only words but also body language, actions, and tone of voice.”

Each of the nine chapters lists different expressions we might say, why they don’t work and/or can be doing damage instead of helping, and alternatives to use instead. Another neat thing Sarah does is gives book suggestions for children relating to the different issues each phrase is addressing. At the end of the book is also an extensive resource list of books for adults, too to further delve into talking with children.

Sarah promises, “If you’re mired in power struggles, I’ll lead you to more peaceful ground.” Give this book a read and I bet you’ll find she’s right. You can find What Not to Say: Tools for Talking with Young Children for sale at Amazon.

Special Giveaway!
Please comment on this post with why you think this book would benefit you. Your comment enters you in the eBook Giveaway — to win an ebook copy of What Not to Say: Tools for Talking with Young Children in the format of your choice: PDF, epub, or Kindle format. Sarah will be giving away one copy at each blog stop and will announce it on the comments of this post within a few days. Be sure to leave your email so we can contact you in case you’re the winner!

Other stops and opportunities to win during this Blog Tour can be found on Sarah’s blog.

You can also enter at Sarah’s site for the Grand Prize Giveaway: a Kindle Touch. Winner will be announced at the end of the tour after July 15th.

Disclosure: I received no compensation for this post but did receive a complimentary book for the purpose of this review. I was not required to give a positive review and all opinions are 100% my own. I only review products that I either have purchased myself and love or products I have been given a chance to review by the company that I believe are products my readers would benefit from. The Amazon links are affiliate links which means if you make a purchase using these links I receive a small percentage from the sale. Thank you for your support!

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