The DIY Guide to building a family that lasts* looks at different aspects of family life that people often want to improve. The authors, two experienced counsellors, discuss different negative aspects of family life and provides tools on how to use positive behaviour to improve them. For example Kindness rather than selfishness, Trust rather than control, Patience rather than anger.

I hadn’t heard of the book before I saw it available for review on Netgalley. I was interested in reading it as soon as I saw one of the authors was Gary Chapman. He wrote the Five Love Languages of Children which I read a couple of years ago and really made me think differently about how I communicate with my children.

One of the things I particularly enjoyed about the book was the focus on increasing the positive behaviours you want to see instead of reducing the negative behaviours. This feels much more effective and achievable.

I have to be honest that the home improvement metaphor did irritate me for a few chapters because I thought it was being over done and was being forced. However, while reading the chapter on anger and patience a tantrum happened in our house complete with door slamming. It really brought home the connection between shutting people out physically and mentally. After that moment, I realised the authors had created good connections between the features of a house and behaviours of a family, which will make it easier to remember positive behaviours to implement.

Full review https://www.darktea.co.uk/blog/building-a-family-that-lasts/

* Review copy from Netgalley all comments my own ( )