Includes bibliographical references (pages 389-393) and index.

Part I The Essential Toolbox -- Tools for Handling Emotions . . . What's All the Fuss about Feelings? -- Tools for Engaging Cooperation . . . Feelings Schmeelings, She Has to Brush Her Teeth -- Tools for Resolving Conflict . . . Avoiding Combat on the Home Front -- Tools for Praise and Appreciation . . . Not All Odes Are Equal -- Tools for Kids Who Are Differently Wired . . . Will This Work with My Kid? -- The Basics . . . You Can't Talk Your Way Out of These -- Part II The Tools In Action -- Food Fights--The Battle at the Kitchen Table -- Morning Madness--Escaping the Intense Gravitational Pull of Your Home -- Sibling Rivalry--Give the Baby Back! -- Shopping with Children--Mayhem at the Market -- Lies--Kids and the Creative Interpretation of Reality -- Parents Have Feelings, Too -- Tattling--Snitches and Whistle-Blowers -- Cleanup--The Dirtiest Word -- Doctor's Orders--Medicine, Shots, Blood Draws, and Other Horrors -- Shy Kids--Fear of Friendly Folks -- Little Runaways--Kids Who Take Off in the Parking Lot and Other Public Places -- Hitting, Pinching, Poking, Punching, Pushing--I Barely Touched Him! -- Sleep--The Holy Grail -- When Parents Get Angry! -- Troubleshooting--When the Tools Don't Work.

Foreword / Adele Faber -- Part I: The essential toolbox. Tools for handling emotions : what's all the fuss about feelings? : when kids don't feel right, they can't behave right -- Tools for engaging cooperation : feelings schmeelings, she has to brush her teeth : getting kids to do what they have to do -- Tools for resolving conflict : avoiding combat on the home front : replacing punishment with more peaceful, effective solutions -- Tools for praise and appreciation : not all odes are equal : ways to praise that will help, not hinder -- Tools for kids who are differently wired : will this work with my kid? : modifications for kids with autism and sensory issues -- The basics : you can't talk your way out of these : conditions under which the tools won't work -- Part II: The tools in action. Food fights : the battle at the kitchen table -- Morning madness : escaping the intense gravitational pull of your home -- Sibling rivalry : give the baby back! -- Shopping with children : mayhem at the market -- Lies : kids and the creative interpretation of reality -- Parents have feelings, too -- Tattling : snitches and whistle-blowers -- Cleanup : the dirtiest word -- Doctor's orders : medicine, shots, blood draws, and other horrors -- Shy kids : fear of friendly folks -- Little runaways : kids who take off in the parking lot and other public places -- Hitting, pinching, poking, punching, pushing : I barely touched him! -- Sleep : the holy grail -- When parents get angry! -- Troubleshooting : when the tools don't work.

With a combination of storytelling, cartoons, and fly-on-the-wall discussions from their workshops, Faber and King provide concrete tools and tips that will transform your relationship with the young kids in your life. What do you do with a little kid who ... won't brush her teeth ... screams in his car seat ... pinches the baby ... refuses to eat vegetables ... throws books in the library ... runs rampant in the supermarket? Organized according to common challenges and conflicts, this book is an emergency first-aid manual of communication strategies, including a chapter that addresses the special needs of children with sensory processing and autism spectrum disorders. This guide will empower parents and caregivers of young children to forge rewarding, joyful relationships with terrible two-year-olds, truculent three-year-olds, ferocious four-year-olds, foolhardy five-year-olds, self-centered six-year-olds, and the occasional semi-civilized seven-year-old. And, it will help little kids grow into self-reliant big kids who are cooperative and connected to their parents, teachers, siblings, and peers.