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Are You a Candidate to Read This Book? Take our quiz to find out. Simply mark Y for Yes or N for No on the line before each entry. About You __ Do you expect the best of your child? __ Do you mean what you say? __ Do you follow through on what you say? __ Do you hold your child accountable for his or her actions? If you’re 4 for 4 with all “Y” answers at this point and are feeling pretty good about yourself right now, you may not need this book. But if you have nothing better to do, finish the rest of this quiz just for fun. __ Do you yell at, scream at, threaten, or cajole your children to do simple, routine things like get up for school, get dressed, eat, do homework, or perform a chore? __ When you say no to your child and your child cries, are you overcome by guilt? Do you find yourself giving in to the original request of your child—saying yes to what you had just said no to? __ Do you engage in long conversations with your child, defending why you said no to a certain request? __ Are you worried that your child doesn’t feel good about himself or herself? Leman_NewKid_JM_djm.indd 1 11/27/07 3:42:57 PM __ Are you bothered that your child doesn’t seem happy? __ Do you plan over-the-top birthday parties? • Seven-year-old Rosa’s parents chartered a bus and took her and multiple friends to a city 115 miles away so they each could “Build a Bear”; then they celebrated with cake and ice cream at an ice cream parlor. • Five-year-old Mikey’s parents rented the stadium club that overlooked an athletic field. • Marti, a single mom, spent a whole month’s income on her 10-year-old daughter’s birthday party. __ Are you concerned about your child not keeping up with the success or achievements of other children? __ Have you ever wished another child would fail so your child would look better? __ Do you have a difficult time saying no? __ Do you have a hard time saying to your children what you really feel as a parent? __ Are you frustrated most days? About School __ Are you overly involved in your child’s life? Do you fear that something terrible will happen if you don’t chaperone every school field trip? __ Do you complete your child’s school assignments and projects? __ Do you require a full explanation from your child’s teacher when your child doesn’t receive a superior grade? __ Do you make excuses for your child not having completed his or her assignments on time? (“Oh, it was our fault. We had to go to ______ and we had ______ to do.”) Leman_NewKid_JM_djm.indd 2 11/27/07 3:42:57 PM __ Does a simple homework assignment take the whole family’s energy for an entire evening? Are the end results lots of tears and frustrations—and an assignment that either never gets done or doesn’t get done right? __ Do you check and correct homework on your child’s behalf? About Your Children __ Do they have to be asked to help around the house on a daily basis? __ Do they disrespect you and not value what you have to say? __ Do they fuss about obeying you? __ Do they lack for nothing? __ Are they engaged in one or more extracurricular activities? __ Do they need to be reminded more than once to do something? __ When they slam the door in your face, do you write it off as “just the way kids are”? __ Is bedtime a battle zone? If any of these topics resonated with you and you marked even one “Y,” you need to not only read this book but carry it around with you. Keep one copy in your car and another in your home. This book will scratch where you itch. I promise. Leman_NewKid_JM_djm.indd 3 11/27/07 3:42:57 PM Leman_NewKid_JM_djm.indd 4 11/27/07 3:42:57 PM There’s a conspiracy going on, right in your own home. The ankle-biter battalion and the hormone group each have a game plan guaranteed to drive you up the wall. Have a New Kid by Friday is an action plan that will take your s