Family First by Dr. Phil McGraw: Book Review
Steps to Creating a Great Family No Matter What the Family Condition
Oct 14, 2008
No matter what the state of affairs may be within the family, there's room for improvement. Dr. Phil's book offers detailed, easy to follow plans to create a fantastic family.
The Plans
Though the reading is easy and the steps to the plans are easy to understand, don't be fooled into thinking there isn't work involved. Dr. Phil plainly states repeatedly, for a family to succeed, whether the family is intact, divorced or remarriage has occurred, there is painstaking, committed work involvement, especially if there are children.
Parents
The focus of Family First points directly to parents:
- How to lead the family unit;
- How to raise children;
- How to recover from divorce;
- How to stabilize children from divorce;
- What to do after a divorce; and
- Remarriage and blended families.
Parental/Family Inheritance
What kinds of memories will the children have? Dr. Phil talks at length about the impact his alcoholic father had upon his life. He details some of the distasteful memories. Yet, when his father was in recovery, there were satisfying memories. Dr. Phil details some of those, also.
The point? What memories will the children recall as they are growing up and when they have grown up? Will the memories be pleasant or filled with disgust? Hate? Remorse? Sadness? What will children bring to the families they create? Will they recreate the misery they experienced within their own childhoods or change the scenario for the betterment of their families?
Self-Help Exercises
Some self-help exercises for parents evaluate and pinpoint troubles they experienced within their families of origin and how to make changes. For instance there is a fairly lengthy questionnaire regarding the relationships of one's parents, here are some of the topics:
- How did my mother and father interact with one another?
- When there were disagreements, how were they handled?
- What happened at family holidays?
- What were the pleasant memories?
- What were the unpleasant memories?
- What did I love or dislike most about my mother? My father?
- What am I bringing to my marriage that directly correlates to the relationship between my own parents?
- What do I need to change?
There are a number of other exercises as well designed to examine the influence one's parents and the family have had which are positively or negatively impacting the next generation.
Dr. Phil McGraw, PH.D.
Dr. Phil hosts a daily talk show regarding the many facets of family and child-rearing as well as related subjects. His wife Robin frequently appears with him on the show. They have two boys who have grown into adulthood. A number of Dr. Phil's books have appeared on the New York Time's Bestseller List.
More Information
Source
Dr. Phil McGraw, Family First, FREE PRESS, 1230 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY., 2004., ISBN, 0-7432-6493-2.
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