How to Behave so Your Preschooler Will, Too! by Sal Severe, Sal Severe

From Barnes & Noble

The Barnes & Noble Review
In this follow-up to How to Behave so Your Children Will, Too!, parenting authority Sal Severe maintains that life with a preschooler can be free of whining, tantrums, and other unpleasant behavior. The author reveals that while children of this age want to test their will against everything, usually with much noise and melodrama, they also want nothing more than to please their parents. This concept may seem unlikely to Mom and Dad when the little one stuffs all the guest towels down the toilet, but the book advises parents that if they can just keep control over their own emotions, they can prevent situations from escalating into meltdowns or screaming fits.

Setting limits with consistency and patience -- the hallmarks of discipline -- can aid parents in the constant battles over bedtimes and sibling bickering. Severe, however, reminds readers that they must model appropriate behavior if they want their child to learn how to deal with conflict and disappointment. On a more practical level, simple tactics such as charts and stickers will often do the trick, and Severe offers advice on using these devices without sending the wrong message to your child. A final section addresses specific problems you may encounter -- including constant attention seeking, lying, and picky eating habits -- and how to correct them. Constructive as well as philosophical, this guide can help parents promote good behaviors in their children while teaching them to realize the consequences of their actions -- a valuable lesson at any age. Jessica Leigh Lebos

From the Publisher

Dr. Sal Severe established himself as a leading childcare and parenting expert with his phenomenally successful How to Behave So Your Children Will, Too! Now he focuses on raising children between the ages of three and six. Based on Dr. Severe's philosophy that children's behavior often reflects that of their parents, this book teaches readers how to better handle a host of issues, from fussing at bedtime and temper tantrums to toilet training and sibling rivalry. Instead of focusing on what children do wrong, Severe teaches parents what they can do right by emphasizing the positive, being consistent, and being more patient. Filled with checklists, an extensive resource guide to books that parents can read with their preschoolers, and plenty of inspiration, this goldmine of helpful advice is certain to become a bible for stressed-out parents everywhere.

Publishers Weekly

Severe, author of the bestselling How to Behave so Your Children Will, Too!, focuses on children ages three to six. Parents know all too well that toddlers can be particularly difficult. Sometimes their inability to speak makes it hard to figure out what they want; other children have demanding temperaments and still other kids haven't been taught the "right" behavior for a particular situation. In a calm and soothing manner, Severe offers coping strategies for parents with the most common dilemmas, including tantrums, toilet training, sibling rivalry and more. The author discusses the circumstances, offers specific suggestions for parents and provides a summary chart of what not to do and how kids can get the wrong message by following their parents. For example, when a parent watches TV several hours a day, children learn that they can do the same, or when a parent yells obscenities at a driver who takes a parking spot, the child learns that he or she can also be verbally offensive. Parents can counteract their own bad behavior, counsels Severe, by apologizing for using bad language or taking responsibility for being angry and trying to be polite. The book is particularly helpful for first-time parents, who will find Severe's step-by-step prescriptions what to do when a toddler has a tantrum or how to handle time-outs invaluable. Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information.

Library Journal

No more tantrums. No more bedtime battles. That's what Severe promises, and he clearly delivers; his How To Behave So Your Children Will, Too! was a New York Times best seller. Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information.

Product Details

• Table of Contents

Table of Contents