By Dr. James Dobson
Hodder & Stoughton. 204 pages. £6.99
ISBN 0 340 69413 0
Written in 1974, revised in 1979, How to build confidence in your child is somewhat dated in its references to events of the 1960s and 70s, and slightly irritating in its allusions to the American school system and the media stars of the era who never quite shone on this side of the Atlantic.
However, Dr. Dobson's concern - passion even - for an awareness of the need for healthy emotional development in our children is second to none, and is as relevant now as when first published. His recurrent theme is that the careful and deliberate building up of positive, balanced self-esteem, from babyhood through adolescence to adult maturity, is the primary task and responsibility of parents. His secondary message that this cannot be achieved through 'love' alone will challenge some readers to a greater commitment to the amount of time and respect that they give their children, and also to a fresh perception that they can be proud of their child for the person he is, regardless of what he can or can't do.
