This book is about parental authority in modern times and its pivotal role in raising self-reliant, compassionate, and ethical children, and in preventing behavioural and even severe psychiatric disorders. The last generation witnessed a backlash against disciplining children. We as parents are told to engage in negotiation with our kids about their behaviour. We are afraid to be tough with them in case they will not love us or worse -- breakdown. As a result, families today face severe behaviour problems at earlier ages, and parents throw up their hands in resignation. The main theme and objective of this book is to prove that setting and enforcing reasonable and appropriate boundaries, combined with learning and education, could save parents' relationships with their kids and literally save children's lives. The book is unique in that it presents in a direct, simple, and yet profound way, real case studies and situations commonly encountered, along with severe cases of drug abuse, delinquencies, and mental disturbances. All cases are shown to respond very well to authority and boundaries adjusted to the specific situation and behaviour. The book contains numerous references to professional material for the more advanced reader and derives inspiration from ancient philosophers and religious thinkers.
Shulamit Blank, M.D, is a pediatrician and psychiatrist, specializing in child and adolescent behavioral disturbances. Dr. Blank is the founder and, since 1993, CEO of a community-based educational and treatment facility in Israel for children and adolescents with severe psychiatric and behavioral disorders, in which she is successfully implementing her methods, preventing psychiatric hospitalization and incarceration, and minimizing the use of psychiatric drugs through teaching and education adjusted to the child's specific problems, such as ADHD, learning disabilities, etc.
Due to her breakthrough approach, Dr. Blank is well-recognized and fully involved in the professional community worldwide. Dr. Blank has three children and seven grandchildren and resides with her spouse near Tel Aviv.
Orly Fuchs-Shabtai is a clinical psychologist. In 2006 she established a national program for the prevention of child violence. There are about thirty-five counselors from the therapeutic field in the program, which provides counseling to hundreds of families each year and to teachers of preschool through elementary school. Fuchs-Shabtai is the mother of three grown-up children and lives in Tel Aviv.
