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