Customer Reviews
Parent in Control 
2007-04-24
I am an attorney who has worked with Mr. Bodenhamer in juvenile court and I have seen firsthand the wonderful success he has had with the families and the kids. I have seen parents who are ready to give up!! After using his techniques, which are outlined in his books, the parents are amazed at the results. The kids like him too!! His methods are simple and easy to implement. I have seen him work with blended families, kids who are runaways, single moms and kids with drug problems. No matter what the problem, he has the answers.
No more arguing with your kids! It's like magic!
Not the Entire Truth 
2007-03-08
Bodenhamer has written a useful approach to children whose behavior has not responded well to more traditional approaches to behavior management. He presents a step by step plan to deal with disrespectful and uncooperative kids. He, nevertheless, glosses over what some other authors have presented in their works and portrays their approach as not realistic. He states that Rudolf Dreikurs, Dinkmeyer and McKay suggest parents ignore many behaviors that are annoying or even dangerous. He purposely, it seems, does not provide the reader with the full story of the approaches that Adlerian's like Dreikurs, Dinkmeyer and McKay really present. They do not simply suggest that ignoring behaviors will work in all circumstances. They provide additional techniques to take an active approach to such misbehaviors. Bodenhamer just glosses over the entire theory these other authors tell to justify his approach. While his ideas do apply to children whose behavior is chronically disruptive, even his approach of simply staing your rules and insisting the child obey is not terribly efficacious without some sort of relationship and effective communication skills.
What a Joke! 
2007-03-02
This text is not meant for parents who truly need assistance. The author has a clear distain for the mental health profession and other professions designed to assist families in crisis. He offered no clear directives in how to address problem behavior, only to suggest the parents use structure, discipline, and love. This author clearly misses the mark for families who have provided these items to these children and the children are still "out-of-control". My guess is the author has not experienced the issue personally nor does he have children. Don't waste your time or money on this text, there are better ones out there.
From a Mother's Heart Who Knows! 2000-10-02
EXCELLENT! Until my husband & I were given this wonderful book, along with his other book, "BACK IN CONTROL," we had exhausted countless hours in counseling, along with parenting book after book over the years, that didn't help, until Gregory Bodenhamers. I COULDN'T PUT IT DOWN! I have given so MANY copies to other struggling parents of teens, like our son, along with "preaching" his techniques & words of wisdom on a daily basis with other parents I have spoken too. I call them, My Parent Bibles! Personally meeting Mr. Bodenhamer in his "Back In Control" workshops, he has a delightful, unique, & very funny way of bringing his words/skills to other parents, professionals, or anyone who works with troubled/struggling teens. His dedication shows thru & his heart is in the right place! I would HIGHLY RECOMMEND his books! They have given us the first sense of HOPE we had desperately needed. My Son has had control of our house for years, but UNTIL I READ THIS BOOK, I NEVER realized, even being a Nurse, HOW CRUCIAL it was to have a set "STRUCTURE," "CLEARLY DEFINED Rules," "CONSISTENT FOLLOW-THRU," & understanding what "MONITORING at the LEVEL OF NEED," means! Nursing school never taught me anything like these insightful books, when it comes to dealing with difficult kids! HOORAY! For Gregory, saving the day, to help us parents find a BETTER way!
From Publisher's Weekly - Publishers Weekly 2000-08-04
Bodenhamer, a former probation officer who is director of the Back in Control Center in Portland, Ore., believes we are confronting ``the worst behaved generation of children in American history.'' For parents who need to retake charge of their children, he suggests a three-point focus based on ``rule-based discipline, supervision and emotional attachment.'' Offering sound, practical advice on dealing with provocative and manipulative verbal challenges raised by teenagers and early adolescents, he presents a convincing case for giving highly detailed ``job descriptions'' to teens (if McDonald's has a 600-page operations manual for its employees, parents shouldn't shy from explaining precisely how to take out the garbage). Bodenhamer directly faces such incendiary issues as sex, substance abuse and peer pressure (including that from gangs). Frequently, however, he sounds a reactionary note, as when he rails against the American Civil Liberties Union as the nation's ``most persistent enemy of adult authority'' and cites ``an inherited link between impulsive and immature unwed teenager parents and the impulsive and immature children to whom they give birth.'' While there is valuable help here, much of it sounds like the stuff of talk radio. (Oct.)
Excellent book for parents 2000-07-06
Practical no-nonsense guide to help parents with problems such as truancy, running away, violence, problems with school performance and behaviors. I am a psychologist that runs a parent program for the juvenile court. I have found this the most useful book and guidelines available. It does take work on the parent's part. The parent must stick with it and be consistent. The results are worth it!
Excellent book for parents 2000-07-04
I am a psychologist that teaches parent training classes and I also work with families that have "out of control" chldren. This book teaches an effective method of parenting. It is very helpful for parents that have used punishment, taking away privleges, and rewards and have found these methods not to work.
a girls point of view 2000-05-29
i am 14 and my brother, 22. i don't have any problems with either of my parents, but my brother leaves the house at night with out telling my parents where he's going, or sometimes he doesn't tell them how work went or if he has friends there or if he likes it. it's barely a relationship. he doesn't have any meals with us and he always leaves the house, at least he keeps his cell phone with him, and on. i beleive that leading this path isn't the way to go with parents. i've gone to websites on tough love and have read parent's bill of rights. i never knew how bad this was. now i understand and i have made a promise to myself not to do this to myself, or my parents. i know i can help my brother, but i know i don't like it when he does it, so i don't feel i can help him. if you'd like, you can email me at michelleredman@hotmail.com
What a Great Book! 1999-12-16
I have read over a dozen parenting books and this is by far the best. In fact, I was so engrossed in this book that I read it straight through in one sitting. The book is very straight forward, the message and method is easy to follow and, best of all, it works and is applicable to boys and girls. When I finished reading the book I sat down and talked with my teens about the main concepts of the Back in Control program. They expressed relief that "I" (as the parent) was back in control. Again, great book!
finally, a book that makes real sense 1999-07-05
Living in colorado, the columbine incidient impacted us greatly. This book offers real, common sense help in dealing with all teens. I have put its principles in action with my teen, who is not beligerent, just typical, and they worked wonderfully. I had trouble with my older teen girls, the therapist thought they need more freedom, stating that I was too restrictive. That was lethal,it gave them more license to mishave. Here is an approach that finally makes real sense and gives the parent permission to be the adult.
