Parenting Coach Sounds the Alarm in New Book that Parents May be Setting Kids Up for Failure

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Nov 20, 2013, 08:40 ET

ST. PAUL, Minn., Nov. 20, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- "Research tells us that nearly 50% of college students suffer from mental health issues such as depression, anxiety, chronic stress and binge drinking. Those astounding numbers indicate that parents need to be parenting differently now so they can raise a child who's successful as a young adult," according to Toni Schutta, M.A., L.P., parent coach and author of the newly released parenting book "20 Great Ways to Raise Great Kids," a one-of-a-kind resource containing interviews with 27 experts and 10 wise parents that's available free at: www.getparentinghelpnow.com/myfreebook.

"Toni Schutta has distilled the best parenting advice from the nation's top experts into this easy-to-read book that covers all the issues that puzzle and worry parents," said David Walsh, Ph.D. psychologist and author. Michele Borba, Mary Sheedy Kurcinka, Jean Illsley Clarke, Carol Dweck and Ellyn Satter are among the experts featured.

"Every parent wants to raise a successful child, yet parents today may be unwittingly setting their kids up for failure later in life by doing too much for them, failing to give kids age-appropriate responsibilities, giving in too often and not teaching kids important life skills," according to Schutta. "We need to sound the alarm that parents must provide positive, consistent discipline on a daily basis, give kids daily chores, limit media use, and hold kids responsible for their actions now so they can become capable young adults later."

"20 Great Ways to Raise Great Kids" provides parents with must-have parenting strategies that can have far-reaching impact on the success of their kids later in life. Some of the essential strategies featured in the book include:

#1: Giving Kids More Responsibility. The most reliable predictor of a child's success as a young adult is whether a child had chores growing up. The book features fun ideas like playing Cinderella while cleaning, creating a bidding war between kids to do chores and practical tips like developing a bedroom score sheet.

#2: Reversing the "Helicopter" Parenting Trend. Parents are advised to stop over parenting and learn how to criticize kids, focus more energy on the marital relationship and limit organized sports.

#3: Limiting the Use of Electronics. Practical tips such as creating media-free zones in the home and establishing a coupon system are provided to help parents limit kids' electronics use.

#4: Being Consistent in Discipline. Parents learn how to set up effective family rules, curb back talk and get their kids to listen in the chapter, "Solutions to the Top 10 Parenting Challenges."

#5: Avoiding the Entitlement Trap. Asking children to do two kind acts per day, creating a daily gratitude ritual and volunteering are ideas shared in the book to help raise generous kids.

#6: Teaching Essential Life Skills. Parents today are doing too much for kids. Instead, parents can teach kids a five-finger problem-solving method, how to delay gratification and express empathy.

#7: Lowering Stress and Preventing Burnout. Record numbers of kids are experiencing stress, over-use injuries and burnout in sports. It's recommended that kids take one-two days per week off from a sport, take two-three months off per year from a given sport and sometimes play pick-up games without adult supervision to bring fun back to sports.

"20 Great Ways to Raise Great Kids" contains over 200 practical parenting tips that parents can use immediately to help raise a loving, kind, responsible, confident, respectful, resilient, and successful child. The book is available at www.getparentinghelpnow.com/myfreebook.

All profits made from the sale of the e-book and print book will be donated to help prevent child abuse. The goal is to raise $25,000 for the Family Enhancement Center, a Minneapolis non-profit devoted to preventing child abuse. A free version of the book is also available on the website.

About Toni Schutta:

Toni Schutta, known as The Parent Coach Who Gets Results, is a national speaker, author, parent coach and a licensed psychologist who's helped thousands of families in the last 19 years find practical solutions that work to parenting challenges they're facing so families can be happier and more peaceful. She's the author of the new book, "20 Great Ways to Raise Great Kids" and is the founder of www.getparentinghelpnow.com. Toni hosted "Real Parents. Real Solutions" a parenting talk show on www.voiceamerica.com, the world's largest internet radio station and has been featured in national publications such as Parents, Woman's World, and First for Women. Schutta is available for interviews to discuss scary parenting trends and provide practical solutions that parents can use right away to raise a great child they can be proud of.