R. Bradley Snyder

As the parent of 4 kids (and having raised 2 others), I am an avid reader of parenting books as I seek tips and ideas for being a good father. This book has a lot of psychological reporting and survey information for those who value research-focused information over anecdotal advice. However, data must be interpreted properly to yield good advice. The basic concepts in the book: "kids are good" and "parents need to parent" is sound but not new.

The research data provides great insight into the habits of young people that often contrasts with sensationalized media stories and TV/movie dramas. There are probably more positive trends among young people than we realize; however, we must be diligent to direct children towards good decision making.

The author expounds simple truths that seem grounded with research and common sense but it mainly reinforced what I've read in other parenting books. If you want to see the latest research on young people's behaviors and related parenting principles, it is a good resource.… (more)

The author of 5 Simple Truths of Raising Kids, R. Bradley Snyder, has spent his career as a researcher talking to teens and studying teens’ behavior and has developed a deep understanding of how to parent a teen. He presents his findings with simple, straight forward language and easy to relate to scenarios. The message of the book is that kids are kids, kids are good, and kids need parents, adults, and communities. He presents teen behavior in a way that counters the present day belief that kids are bad. He presents statistics that demonstrate that bullying, abductions, teen violence, and drinking and drug use by adolescents are actually decreasing, not increasing like the media tells us. He addresses the fear that is so prevalent in parents and explains how that fear causes us to distrust adolescents. I cheered Mr. Snyder as I read, wishing that the book was required reading for all parents of teens, teachers, guidance counselors, juvenile justice employees, magistrates, and police officers. The book also offers simple, achievable methods for monitoring kids’ time spent watching television, playing video games, texting, and using social networks. I appreciated reading this book as a parent and will recommend it to all of the parents of teens that I work with professionally.… (more)

The 5 Simple Truths of Raising Kids by R. Bradley Snyder was a quick read that many educators and parents would find quite informative and useful. As a school counselor, I appreciated the main theme of the book which is that all kids are basically good. Often times are jobs as school counselors are spent dealing with problems and issues that come up with the seemingly same ole' students. It is nice to hear validation from a well-educated author that kids are good! Things are not as bad as the media would make them out to be. Snyder provides great advice on dealing with timely issues surrounding the youth of today such as cell phone usage, bullying, television and video games. The recommendations given are easy to apply and extremely helpful to both educators and parents.… (more)