Table of Contents

Introduction. The Ultimate Personal Growth Experience. A Book for (Gloriously) Imperfect Parents. A One-of-a-Kind Parenting Book. CHAPTER 1: The Truth About Parenting. Why No One Tells You How Tough It Is to Be a Parent. United We Stand, Divided We Fall. Safety Valves, Safety Nets, and Other Parenting Tricks of the Trade. CHAPTER 2: Kid Under Construction. When Nature Meets Nurture. Doing Yourself Out of a Job. CHAPTER 3: The Dirt on Discipline. What Discipline Means and Why Your Child Needs It. The Most Common Types of Discipline Mistakes and How to Avoid Them. The Most-and Least-Effective Methods of Discipline. Mother (and Father) Guilt. CHAPTER 4: Short-Circuiting Power Struggles before Someone Gets Zapped. Why Power Struggles Occur and What You Can Do to Avoid Them. Teaching Your Child to Manage Her Emotions and Finding Ways to Manage Your Own. CHAPTER 5: Ain't Misbehavin': Coping with Behavior Problems. The Minor Leagues: Dealing with Routine Behavior Problems. The Major Leagues: More Serious Behavioral Problems. Setting Standards for Your Child: How High Is Too High? CHAPTER 6: Talking the Talk. Promoting Healthy Communication between Parent and Child. Oh Brother! (Oh Sister!) Dealing with Sibling Relationships. Parenting Your One and Only. Dealing with Grandparents. Getting Through the Tough Stuff Together. Other Traumatic or Painful Events. How Stress Plays Out for Kids. CHAPTER 7: Playing It Smart. Countdown to Kindergarten. What You Can Do to Help Your Child Succeed in School ... What Report Cards Can-and Can't-Tell You. Troubleshooting Common School-Related Problems and Concerns. Home-Schooling: Is It a Good Fit for Your Family? Exceptional Kids, Exceptional Challenges. CHAPTER 8: The Joy of Play. Stop the Extracurricular Insanity. "Screen Time": How Much Is Too Much? The In-House Brain Drain: Kids and TV. Video Games: Do They Get a Bad Rap? Kids and Computers. That's Entertainment? Music and Music Videos. Setting the Stage for Play. Boredom Busters: 22 Fabulous Ways to Banish Boredom at Home. CHAPTER 9: Social Studies: Kids and Friendship. Friendship 101. What Every Parent Needs to Know About Bullying. The New Kid on the Block: Helping Your Child to Settle in after a Move. Play Date Do's and Dont's. Birthday Parties. Sleepover Survival Tips. Summer Camp SOS. "The Meanest Mom in the World": Dealing with Other Families' Rules. CHAPTER 10: The Health Department. What's up, Doc? The Facts on Immunization. How to Tell When Your Child Is Sick. Antibiotic Alert. More About Fever. Your Top Pediatric Health Questions Answered. Caring for a Child with a Chronic Medical Condition. CHAPTER 11: The Worry Zone. Coping with the Worry That Goes Along with Being a Parent. The Most Common Types of Pediatric Injuries and How to Avoid Them. All-Seasons Safety. First Aid Essentials: What to Do When Your Child Is Injured. Stranger Danger: Streetproofing in the Real World. CHAPTER 12: Healthy Lifestyles, Healthy Kids. Nutrition on the Run: Nutrition Tips for Busy Families. Winning at Food Group Roulette. No More Food Fights! De-stressing Family Mealtimes. Walking the Talk: Fun Ways to Stay Active as a Family. Promoting a Healthy Body Image. CHAPTER 13: The Changeling: The Joys and Perils of Parenting a Preteen. Puberty: What It Feels Like for a Girl (and a Boy). The Big Talk(s). The Smaller Stuff. Turf Wars. Winning at Teen Roulette. The Gift of Parenthood. Appendices. Appendix A: Directory of Organizations. Appendix B: Web Site Directory. Index.