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Braxton's book is a grassroots mission to alleviate the underlying problems that can haunt a child well into adulthood and contribute to societal ills such as high incarceration rates. With her decades of experience as a teacher and as a teacher-trainer, Braxton is well-suited to carry out this vision. Her book spells out her Toward Affective Development (TAD) model of parenting and teaching, which encompasses a number of solutions such as family meetings, school-home relationship strengthening, Think Sheets for intervention and prevention, and Random Acts of Kindness (RAK) points to entice children to develop character.
Braxton outlines her TAD strategy in clear terms, emphasizing the critical importance of first making a firm commitment to bringing harmony into the home. Next, the parent must transform him or herself and model effective, peaceful behaviors. As every parent has witnessed, children and teens do indeed mimic the behaviors they witness. Braxton's parenting guidance is based not only on years of experience in the classroom, but on sound logic. As one example of this line of reasoning, a teen learning to drive cannot be expected to obey the speed limit if he has spent years witnessing the parent's habit of speeding.
Just as important is the parent's dedication toward restraining expressions of negative emotions, instead showing each child acceptance, compassion, and loving kindness. When children grow within a positive environment, they are much more likely to express those positive emotions themselves.
After reading through Braxton's gems of wisdom in the first half of the book, parents are likely to find the second half even more useful in terms of practical application. The author gives a step-by-step outline for hosting family meetings and explains the goals of those meetings in specific terms. Parents will find the appendices especially helpful for quick reference.