1-2-3 Magic

Dr. Thomas Phelan, a clinical psychologist, developed the program for his own children when they were young and in the thralls of hyperactivity and sibling rivalry. The two-hour show features his explanation of the program interspersed with dramatic scenarios and parent testimonials. The corny vignettes and repetitive testimonials are somewhat extraneous, but the nut of the information is invaluable. Phelan urges parents to get away from explaining everything to kids, who aren’t listening to you anyway, he says, but he’s not a spanking advocate either.