cover image Parents' Guide to Raising Kids in a Changing World: Preschool Through Teen Years

Parents' Guide to Raising Kids in a Changing World: Preschool Through Teen Years

Dian G. Smith. Prentice Hall, $9.95 (248pp) ISBN 978-0-13-650821-2

Yes, the world is changing, but as Smith ( Parents' Guide to Understanding Discipline ) points out in this informative and thought-provoking guide, it has changed for parents, not for children, who only know the world as it is now. In this new volume in the Children's Television Workshop Family Living series, Smith shatters nostalgic illusions about family life in the ``good old days'' by pointing out, for instance, that in 18th-century America, most mothers were too busy with housekeeping and farm work to make children the center of their attention. Smith tackles thorny issues head-on in such chapters as ``New Roles for Parents: Divorced, Single, and Step-'' and ``Is the World Really a More Dangerous Place?'' ``What's New About Sex?'' emphasizes the importance of parents taking responsibility for educating their children about sex, and ``What's New About Drugs?'' says building a child's self-esteem is the best form of drug prevention. Enjoyable to read and briskly paced, this book offers pertinent, level-headed advice (``good judgment and a set of personal values'' are the best tools for child-rearing), highlighted by parents' heartfelt and insightful comments. (July)