1-2-3 Magic... anyone read or tried it?

[MarinesFamily5]

so DSs pedi (who is AWESOME) ... suggested I read this. has anyone here read it?

DS has some "attention and concentration issues" and NP Jack thought this was worth mentioning. sooo.... before I go and buy this book,
which one should I read first? looks like there are a couple of them.

[LilyGrace]

I've read it...I used to own it (the regular one)..but it wasn't something I was entirely impressed with. I can see it being used as a transition method, but not beyond that. I don't like the idea of giving two chances before reacting - it seemed like a recipe for disaster here because a) it wouldn't work in every situation and b) they learn to count on the chances and know when to stop. And though it talked about teaching, the reaction (time out) seemed punitive first, helpful as a distant second.

Some people love it, though, and say it has really helped them. I say check it out from the library first and see if it's for you. I might just be an oddball and be thumbing my nose at what everyone else really likes.

[xxxladyfinger]

I have the movies and was not impressed. If I find it I will gladly sell it to you. PM me.

[takingcotwins]

I got the audio book from the library, but I have yet to listen to it. Sorry I can't be more helpful! You might want to check the reviews on amazon?

[Aleesh_Mom]

i checked out the book from the library. it's okay, but use counting as a warning system with our toddler. not exactly the method, but something like it. as pp said, sometimes it is not a good idea to give them so many chances, especially depending on the situation.

[nullgal]

we tried this and actually it has worked really well for us. our daughter is two. there are some aspects of it that dont work for us because she is too young, but, i like the idea of pulling emotion and reasoning out of the situation. you cant reason with a toddler. now, when we say "thats one" she usually stops. occasionally she gets a two minute time out in her room where she'll cry for a few seconds then play quietly and when she comes out she'll say something like, "no throw toys" or "no hit" which kind of shows me she understands why she was taken to time out. i like it, but i can see how it can not be useful to everyone.

[momtojande]

It probably depends on the kid. Didn't work real well with my son though. If you tell him "that's 1," he just thinks "cool, I can get away with it one more time."

[MarinesFamily5]

.. funny... we already do a count to three thing. It was our old pedi's suggestion for "giving him a chance to do the right thing"


maybe we will pass. We have crappy libraries around here and I really don't want to spend the $ one something else that doesn't work KWIM?

[3Daisies]

Originally Posted by MarinesFamily5 maybe we will pass. We have crappy libraries around here and I really don't want to spend the $ one something else that doesn't work KWIM?

You can check teh book out at your library through interlibrary loan, usually free of charge. It will take a few days for them to receive the book from the nearest library that has it, but I do this all the time so I don't have to buy books. HTH

[proudsahmof4]

It works awesome for my two boys (3 and 4 years). You really have to do it the way you're supposed to, though. So many people will say "It didn't work for us", but they are probably not using the method correctly, or not for a long enough length of time. We have the video and the book, and I will watch the video every few months to get us back on track if it seems like it's losing its effectiveness. I do think it's fantastic and I can't say that enough. We've used it for almost 3 years, and I think my boys are very well-behaved, even in public. They usually change their behavior at a "1" or "2" and I don't even have to get to the time-out. Definitely give it a try.

Oh, and you don't always give the child three chances to change behavior before they have to take time-out. If it's a serious offense (hitting/biting/throwing toys/or whatever you deem serious in your household) the child automatically gets a "3" and goes right to the time-out. My kids know that I mean business when I count them, and if they do get a time-out, they go right away, I don't even have to force them to go or anything, they just know the routine that well.

It's been a lifesaver for us, because I don't have to get upset in order to discipline. The two most important points to remember, "No talking, no emotion."

Give it a shot mama! Get the original book first (stop behavior). After you've got that mastered you can get the More 1,2,3 Magic for start behavior.