The Power of Your Child's Imagination -- A Review

The Power of Your Child's Imagination consists of nine basic "tools" to help children learn to manage their anxiety and learn self-comfort.  These are skills that will continue to serve a purpose throughout life.  The author suggests the tools be learned in order, as they build upon each other; however, each is capable of standing on its own to address specific issues that need immediate attention.

I thoroughly enjoyed the manner in which Dr. Reznick set this book up.  She not only goes step-by-step through each of the tools, but also explains the why behind each one.  She takes things even further by using real examples of where she has used each tool, why she chose it and how it worked for the child involved.  This gives the reader several ways in which to learn each tool.

The knowledge of the author is clear as you read The Power of Your Child's Imagination. She speaks with the authority of someone who has been through what she teaches many times and relays the information with clarity and skill.  I felt confident when completing the book that I could personally handle the teaching of the tools. 

I was especilly impressed by the suggestion of using art, music and writing to help children process what they experienced while using the tools.  Dr. Reznick has a thorough understanding of how difficult it is for many children to express their feeling with the spoken word.  By incorporating other methods, a parent or teacher can give a child yet other ways to express feelings. 

The only concern I felt while reading was the possibility that a very small minority of children might use the skills to "escape" into a fantasy world rather than deal with the issues causing anxiety.  I believe, however, that someone working with children would be able to assess this possibility and adapt the tools to better "fit" the child.  That is one of the best traits of these tools--they can be altered to work with the individual child and not just be a "one size fits all" method. 

This book belongs on the bookshelf of anyone who has a child in his or her life.  I would suggest anyone dealing with children having low self-esteem or emotional problems absolutely have a copy handy.  I can see where this book will make life much easier to cope with for our children.

The Power of Your Child's Imagination rates five colors on the Rainbow Scale.

Dr. Charlotte Reznick has dedicated her life to helping children, adolescents, parents, and professionals. She is a nationally recognized child and educational Psychologist and Associate Clinical Professor of Psychology at UCLA. Upon earning her Ph.D. in Educational Psychology from the University of Southern California, she was honored with "Dissertation of the Year" for her work on the effects of parental divorce on adolescents.

The Power of Your Child’s Imagination is a heart-felt guide that shows parents and professionals how to empower children with easy, effective, and creative skills for surviving – and thriving – in our stressful world. It’s an indispensable guide that provides nine simple tools to help kids access their natural strengths and resources. There’s a mini-primer for each Tool—a sample script, troubleshooting tips, and real-life examples of how it is used. The Tools are adaptable to all ages (even adults can use them), and their benefits accumulate over time.

For more information, or to purchase a copy of The Power of Your Child's Imagination, please visit http://www.imageryforkids.com/