Dr. Douglas Riley's Parenting Toolbox
"Parents in Control of Children = Children in Control of Themselves"
Welcome to my website.
Here you will find advice on how to deal with three serious childhood issues: hidden causes of explosive behavior, and practical solutions; how to understand and parent defiant children; and how to rescue children from depression. Please feel free to click on the menu boxes on the left side of this page, and explore.
On a lighter note, you will also find information on how to deal with children who are great kids by any standard, but who also happen to be driving you nuts! I'll teach you how to deal with them using your sense of humor, in ways that are guaranteed to get their attention. Please feel free to check out Dr. Riley's Box of Tricks.
I am pleased to announce that my latest book, What Your Explosive Child Is Trying To Tell You, has been awarded the prestigeous Mom's Choice Awards Gold Medal for 2009 for parenting books. It is the first book that teaches parents, school counselors, mental health and health care professionals how to recognize and treat the eleven hidden causes of childhood explosive behavior. It is available through all major book stores and web-based book sellers.
To listen to an extensive interview with Dr. Riley about explosive children, click on the link below. The interview was conducted by Deborah Harper, president of Psychjourney.
Children will enjoy Quark Blows His Top, a cartoon book by Dr. Riley about a lovable alien and his friends, all of whom explode too often. By reading about Quark, your child will learn how to stay calm when faced with situations that usually result in meltdowns. Quark Blows His Top is a combination storybook, workbook, and coloring book for children between the ages of four and seven, and will be a valuable companion to What Your Explosive Child Is Trying To Tell You. School counselors will especially find it helpful to use in individual and group counseling with children whose classroom behavior is explosive or unpredictable.
You may also wish to visit the Psychjourney website for audio interviews with other authors on a wide range of topics related to psychology. Click on www.psychjourneypodcast.com
"I give this book a five-star rating. I cannot recommend
it too highly. It ... saved my son from being sent to a residential
treatment facility.
L. Weppler
Order The
Defiant Child at Amazon.com
"I have just finished reading your book and wanted to let
you know... I have nominated you for a Nobel Peace Prize.... Your
book was truly the first resource to provide concrete examples, alternative
recommendations, and insight into the minds of the children... After
only four days of reading this, significant harmony has been restored
in our lives.... We no longer walk on eggshells... Phenomenal material."
C. Urbonas
Order The
Depressed Child at Amazon.com
"In
the Depressed Child Dr. Riley has crafted an accessible and supportive
guide for parents of children in emotional distress. Speaking
as a mother, this poignant and timely work is right on target...."
Julia Thorne,
author of You are Not Alone: Words of Experience and Hope
for the Journey Through Depression.