Big Book of Parenting Solutions

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.

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)

• Note to the Reader xvAcknowledgments xviIntroduction: From June Cleaver to Desperate Housewives—How Did We Get Ourselves into This Mess? xixThe Parents Magazine “Joys of Motherhood Survey”: What Mothers Really Feel and Their Advice to Help Us Raise the Next Generation xxxvii101 Tough Problems Parents Face and How to Deal with ThemPart 1 Family 1Adopted 2Divorce 8Middle Child 19New Baby 21Oldest Child 23Only Child 26Sibling Rivalry 29Twins and Multiples 37Youngest Child 41Part 2 Behavior 45Argues 46Back Talk 54Biting 60Bossy 64Brags 71Defiant 76Demanding 86Hooked on Rewards 88Impulsive 93Indecisive 100Swears 102Tantrums 109Time-Out 118Whining 121Won’t Listen 128Yelling 134Part 3 Character 139Bad Manners 140Cheats 150Insensitive 159Intolerant 168Lying 173Materialistic 182Not Knowing Right from Wrong 191Poor Sport 201Selfish and Spoiled 209Steals 218Ungrateful 224Part 4 Emotions 231Angry 232Dependent 240Fearful 248Grief 255Homesick 264Perfectionist 272Pessimistic 279Sensitive 284Shy 291Separation Anxiety 301Stressed 303Worried About the World 310Part 5 Social Scene 313Bad Friends 314Bullied 323Bullying 332Cliques 342Clothes and Appearance 350Crushes 353Disciplining Other Kids 355Drinking 359Friendship Breakups 363Growing Up Too Fast 367Peer Pressure 373Rejected 381Role Models 391Sex 394Sharing 399Steroids 407Tattles 410Teased 415Part 6 School 423Day Care 424Gives Up 426Homework 435Leadership 443Organized Sports 447Procrastinates 448Reading 453Sick Enough to Stay Home 456Teacher Conference 458Test Anxiety 460Part 7 Special Needs 465Attention Deficit 466Autism Spectrum Disorder 477Depressed 488Eating Disorders 498Gifted 508Learning Disabilities 516Overweight 520Part 8 Day to Day 531Bathroom Battles 532Boredom 534Chores 538Communicating 545Disorganized 549Money 551Moving 559Overscheduled 568Pets 570Picky Eater 572Safety 578Sleepless 585Traveling 594Part 9 Electronics 597Cell Phone 598Cyberbullying 602Internet Safety 610TV Addiction 618Video Games 621Notes 627About the Author 671Index 673