M. Mark McKee, Psy.D. & Associates, P.C.
A psychology practice devoted to helping
children, adolescents, and their families
"Most parents want the best for their child. But as they soon discover, there are many things standing between that desire and its realization. That’s why Dr. Mark McKee’s “Raising a Successful Child (The Manual)” is such a welcome respite from the anxiety-ridden tasks of keeping your child on track. In clear, direct language, McKee assures parents that it is possible using a minimum of effort and a maximum of love to raise a well-adjusted child that will grow into a successful adult.
McKee commands the positive middle ground between the so-called “Tiger Mothers” of recent fame and the equally infamous “Helicopter Parents” who hover and meddle. Instead, he advocates a stronger path, one grounded in the tools of reason and awareness. Using these, you will develop a strong relationship built on trust, emotional stability and confidence.
Bringing over 30 years of clinical experience to the task, McKee outlines a mode that emphasizes bringing consistency, reliability and predictability to bear on the relationship with your child. This is largely a positive guide, one designed for parents whose own emotional maturity and thoughtfulness is high and well-developed.
Instead of focusing on stopping tantrums or other “how-to” questions, the McKee approach calls for developing a working plan built on understanding. This warm bath approach is less rigid than many other parenting techniques and keeps its eye firmly on the finish line, nurturing a sense of responsibility while also leaving room for playful interaction.
Parents who stress that they’re not living up to certain imagined ideals put forth in other parenting technique books will welcome Dr. McKee’s approach. In a world where too many outside demands can sometimes pull families apart, the book’s emphasis on carving out quality time together is a message worth heeding.
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McKee is clear, concise and cuts right to the point in this book. Unlike so many other manuals, there is less emphasis on academic jargon and more on easily-understood steps toward achieving your parenting goals. However, the book is footnoted, so those desiring a deeper exploration of the book’s principle thoughts can backtrack and examine the source material.
Think of a concerned friend sitting in your living room telling you about a positive plan of action. That perfectly describes the book’s tone. "
-New York Book Festival
"Family psychologist McKee tenders a concise road map to building a positive, rich bond with one’s child.
Building a constructive, enduring relationship with a child takes time, self-awareness and an appreciation of a young one’s cognitive, emotional and social needs, says McKee at the start of this bracingly direct guide to fashioning that relationship. The author aims for clarity with his audience, employing a tone of professionalism—he taps into much recent research on childhood development—that is bolstered by a measure of warmth and understanding: “You can nurture the development of a healthy emotional relationship with your child by surrounding him/her with an atmosphere of acceptance and respect underscored with consistency and reliability.” McKee doesn’t leave such a grand statement dangling, but explains directly how to verbally and physically engage with your infant, nurturing a sense of play and pleasure. The author also suggests when to relax; parents shouldn’t concern themselves with timetables, but “[f]ocus instead on inviting and encouraging your child to continue to develop his/her skills.” He urges parents to provide and participate in play activities to develop motor skills, with an eye toward mutual pleasure, which will strengthen the relationship. McKee cautions not to automatically bring one’s parents’ style of child-rearing to his or her relationship with a child, due to the differences in personality and temperament. He makes plain how consistency, reliability and predictability—follow-through on rules—engender trust and security, and how positive attitudes impact self-esteem and self-confidence. The author firmly believes that discipline is achieved not through punishment—which should be a short-term response—but through an “internal mastery” of behavior that responds more to rewards than penalization. What gives this manual its tender humanity is the creation and subsequent nurturing of an atmosphere of active encouragement and acceptance that will bring gratification and growth to all parties.
A constructive guide to upbeat, supportive and satisfying parenting."
-Kirkus Book Reviews
As always, the pendulum swings from one extreme to the other, while the real answers and healthy approaches to successful parenting reside in the healthy valley between over-indulgent and tough parenting. That is why every parent should read the no-nonsense straightforward parenting manual “Raising a Successful Child” by Dr, Mark McKee.
This brilliant parenting book introduces parents to the idea of a balanced life for a child—work and play are equally important at all stages of development.
Underlying his strong conviction for a balanced life, Dr. McKee’s book is an easy-to –follow road map to help both child and parent develop a healthy, loving, and, yes , successful life. For parents who are looking for answers amidst the clutter of extremes, “Raising a Successful Child (The Manual)” is a must-read book."
-Ben Hebebrand, Head of School Quest Academy
"Raising a Successful Child (The Manual) is a book that is long overdue. Dr. McKee has combined his years of experience with the latest information on child development to provide an easy to read and thoughtful guide to raising children. The Manual looks closely at the relationship between parents and children and is a positive guide to successful child rearing.In addition, the format of the book allows quick access and successful interventions to most questions parents face when raising and guiding children to become successful adults."
-Joseph M. Nemeth, MD,Board Certified Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist
"In his book, Raising A Successful Child, Dr. M. Mark McKee utilizes current research in infant mental health and child development, as well as over 30 years of clinical experience to provide parents with tools to raising a self-sufficient and well adjusted child. Written in a concise and practical manner, Dr. McKee’s manual provides a road map to guide and direct parents in providing a positive foundation from which their child can develop into a healthy and successful adult. Raising A Successful Child is based on what parents should be doing, rather than those things they should avoid and provides parents with valuable tips to building a positive, playful, and mutually satisfying relationship with their child. Dr. McKee also provides a wealth of information regarding effective discipline practices and highlights parents’ role in helping their child to develop self-control and internal management abilities. This written manual is reflective of the professionalism, breadth of knowledge, and nurturance that Dr. McKee provides the patients within his own clinical practice."
-Jennifer Duff, Psy.D., Licensed Clinical Child Psychologist
"Based on past successful parenting practices, and even more
excitingly on fairly recent research findings that point to new directions in
parenting, this book provides in clear and simple language, the tools for
raising successful children. Dr. McKee
has organized the complex activity of parenting into a manageable, step by step
instructional guide which gives the developmental context in which each step
takes place. He does not overwhelm the
reader with too much information, but rather cites major parenting observations
and research findings in a succinct and helpful manner. Parents who read this guide will find ways of
looking at the particular challenges of raising a child with a broader
understanding as well as thoughtful ways to be with their child."
-Marc Lubin, Ph.D., Full Professor in Clinical Psychology, Argosy University/Orange County
"'The Manual' is a great, practical approach to help raise your child. Will recommend that all my patients’ parents have it at their bedside, in the kitchen, in the car, and wherever they might need helpful hints as to how to handle tough situations."
-James Pollack, MD, Pediatrician
“Brilliant in its simplicity in getting to the heart of what every parent needs to know to have a warm, loving relationship with their baby and raise a happy, healthy, secure child. Author, teacher and nationally and internationally acclaimed lecturer, Dr. Mark McKee brings over thirty years of dedication and experience treating children adolescents and their families, to this highly uplifting and important book. Dr. McKee helps parents navigate and decode what their baby really needs to thrive and challenges them to assess the “ghosts” in their nursery, so that they do not repeat unhealthy parenting practices learned from their past. Raising A Successful Child-the Manual beautifully lays the groundwork for everything that is vital to the parent child relationship. A “must read” for any parent and an absolute necessity for parents of newborns.”
-Elizabeth M. Frick, PsyD., Former Assistant Professor of Clinical Psychiatry, Northwestern University Medical School; Former Lecturer in Psychiatry, Stritch School of Medicine, Loyola University. Private Practice, Boston, Massachusetts