The Big Book of Parenting Solutions

Today show's Michele Borba's cures for difficult childhood behaviors

In this down-to-earth guide, parenting expert Michele Borba offers advice for dealing with children's difficult behavior and hot button issues including biting, temper tantrums, cheating, bad friends, inappropriate clothing, sex, drugs, peer pressure, and much more. Written for parents of kids age 3-13, this book offers easy-to-implement advice for the most important challenges parents face with kids from toddlers to tweens.

• Includes immediate solutions to the most common childhood problems and challenges
• Written by Today Show's resident parenting expert Michele Borba
• Offers clear step-by-step guidance for solving difficult childhood behaviors and family conflicts
• Contains a wealth of advice that is easy-to-follow and gets quick results
• Author has written outstanding parenting books including Building Moral Intelligence, No More Misbehavin', Don't Give Me that Attitude, and more

Each of the 101 issues includes clear questions, specific step-by-step solutions, and advice that is age appropriate.

Note to the Reader xv

Acknowledgments xvi

Introduction: From June Cleaver to Desperate Housewives—How Did We Get Ourselves into This Mess? xix

The Parents Magazine “Joys of Motherhood Survey”: What Mothers Really Feel and Their Advice to Help Us Raise the Next Generation xxxvii

101 Tough Problems Parents Face and How to Deal with Them

Part 1 Family 1

Adopted 2

Divorce 8

Middle Child 19

New Baby 21

Oldest Child 23

Only Child 26

Sibling Rivalry 29

Twins and Multiples 37

Youngest Child 41

Part 2 Behavior 45

Argues 46

Back Talk 54

Biting 60

Bossy 64

Brags 71

Defiant 76

Demanding 86

Hooked on Rewards 88

Impulsive 93

Indecisive 100

Swears 102

Tantrums 109

Time-Out 118

Whining 121

Won’t Listen 128

Yelling 134

Part 3 Character 139

Bad Manners 140

Cheats 150

Insensitive 159

Intolerant 168

Lying 173

Materialistic 182

Not Knowing Right from Wrong 191

Poor Sport 201

Selfish and Spoiled 209

Steals 218

Ungrateful 224

Part 4 Emotions 231

Angry 232

Dependent 240

Fearful 248

Grief 255

Homesick 264

Perfectionist 272

Pessimistic 279

Sensitive 284

Shy 291

Separation Anxiety 301

Stressed 303

Worried About the World 310

Part 5 Social Scene 313

Bad Friends 314

Bullied 323

Bullying 332

Cliques 342

Clothes and Appearance 350

Crushes 353

Disciplining Other Kids 355

Drinking 359

Friendship Breakups 363

Growing Up Too Fast 367

Peer Pressure 373

Rejected 381

Role Models 391

Sex 394

Sharing 399

Steroids 407

Tattles 410

Teased 415

Part 6 School 423

Day Care 424

Gives Up 426

Homework 435

Leadership 443

Organized Sports 447

Procrastinates 448

Reading 453

Sick Enough to Stay Home 456

Teacher Conference 458

Test Anxiety 460

Part 7 Special Needs 465

Attention Deficit 466

Autism Spectrum Disorder 477

Depressed 488

Eating Disorders 498

Gifted 508

Learning Disabilities 516

Overweight 520

Part 8 Day to Day 531

Bathroom Battles 532

Boredom 534

Chores 538

Communicating 545

Disorganized 549

Money 551

Moving 559

Overscheduled 568

Pets 570

Picky Eater 572

Safety 578

Sleepless 585

Traveling 594

Part 9 Electronics 597

Cell Phone 598

Cyberbullying 602

Internet Safety 610

TV Addiction 618

Video Games 621

Notes 627

About the Author 671

Index 673

Borba, author and Today Show regular, employs a cookbooklike approach in her latest volume: rather than read through the entire tome, parents can flip to topics pertinent to their family. Borba opens with a friendly overview, noting that contemporary parents feel more stressed and find their roles increasingly difficult (June Cleaver, she points out, didn't have to deal with cyberbullying or Facebook). With characteristic wit, Borba identifies the ?seven deadly parenting styles,? including helicopter, buddy, incubator, bandage, paranoid, accessory parenting (judging themselves by their kids' accolades) and secondary parenting (relinquishing power to such outsiders as marketers or the media). In nine sections on family, behavior, character, emotions, social scene, school, special needs, day-to-day and electronics, the author urges readers to roll up their sleeves and get back to basic, instinctual parenting. As she tackles 101 issues ranging from sibling rivalry, lying and peer pressure to cell-phone use and TV addiction, Borba helps readers identify the reason underlying the behavior or problem, and work with 10 essential principles of change. With her no-nonsense yet compassionate voice, Borba once again delivers an indispensable resource for parents of toddlers to 13-year-olds. (Sept.) (Publishers Weekly, July 20, 2009)

A Recommended Read for Moms by Working Mother magazine: "Educational psychologist and Today show parenting expert Dr. Michele Borba has compiled 101 answers to your most perplexing kid conundrums, from early childhood challenges like thumbsucking and tantrums to later behaviors like bullying and drug use to universals like adoption and divorce. The easy-to-use problem/solution format will have you battling your biggest parenting crises with confidence." (October 2009)

Michele Borba, Ed.D.—Today show contributor and recipient of the National Educator Award—is recognized for her practical, solution-based strategies. Michele is the author of 22 books including Building Moral Intelligence and No More Misbehavin'. She appears on Dr. Phil, The View, and CNN and is an advisory board member for Parents magazine. Visit her at MicheleBorba.com or her blog, "Parenting Solutions," at micheleborba.ivillage.com. Parenting for Real and Lasting Change

"Moms and dads have come to rely on Dr. Borba for advice on issues large and small. The Big Book of Parenting Solutions is an indispensable, comprehensive, and authoritative guide to the wonderful and sometimes wacky world of parenthood. You'll find yourself dipping into it for answers again and again."
—Dana Points, Editor-in-Chief, Parents Magazine

Trusted parenting expert Michele Borba offers her practical and proven advice for meeting the most common parenting challenges for kids from 3 to 13. These time-tested strategies have been featured in her Today show appearances and presented to over a million parents and teachers in her popular workshops. Michele skips the quick-fix approach and offers effective solutions that help you make lasting change in your child's attitude, behavior, and character.

With The Big Book of Parenting Solutions as your guide, you can take on frustrating child-rearing issues such as bedtime battles, chores wars, overscheduling, tantrums, bad friends, sibling rivalry, back talk, selfishness, and anger, to more pressing concerns like cyberbullying, steroids, cheating, growing up too fast, eating disorders, worrying about the world, Internet safety, stress, and much more. The book's 101 issues include specific step-by-step solutions and advice that is age appropriate.

Borba's groundbreaking method shows how to replace your child's troublesome behavior with positive new habits. The result: a better-behaved kid who is respectful, responsible, and prepared to handle life for the long haul.