E-Book Overview
For parents everywhere whose kids complain about helping around the house, stall over homework, and bicker with one other, help is at hand. With compassion and humor, this book takes on the most common points of kid-induced friction—those altercations and annoying behaviors that drive parents most nuts—and offers quick, practical how-to advice for how to handle them. It explains to parents how to navigate everyday challenges, from helping kids learn responsibility for their possessions to getting them to stop tattling, whining, and using disrespectful language. Complete with solutions, helpful hints, and interesting bits of information, this indispensable guide offers exasperated parents the emotional support and reassurance they need to reduce friction and increase communication in the household.
E-Book Content
Be sure to look for these titles in the Go Parents! series:
Teaching Your Children Good Manners will help make teaching your children the basics of good manners an entertaining and (relatively) painless experience.
Talking to Your Kids About Sex: From Toddlers to Preteens takes a common-sense, practical approach to helping parents talk to children of a variety of ages and developmental levels about a topic that makes many people uncomfortable.
Kid Disasters and How to Fix Them takes on the common–and not so common–household disasters kids can cause, and provides hands-on, common sense solutions that really work.
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a Go Parents! guide
Nomad Press A division of Nomad Communications 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 Copyright © 2003 Nomad Press All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form without permission in writing from the publisher, except by a reviewer who may quote brief passages in a review. The trademark “Nomad Press” and the Nomad Press logo are trademarks of Nomad Communications, Inc. “a Go Parents! guide™” is a trademark of Nomad Communications, Inc. Printed in the United States. ISBN 0-9659258-5-4 Questions regarding the ordering of this book should be addressed to Independent Publishers Group 814 N. Franklin St. Chicago, IL 60610 Cover artwork and interior illustrations by Charles Woglom, Big Hed Designs Design by Bruce Leasure Edited by Susan Hale and Anna Typrowicz Nomad Press, PO Box 875, Norwich, VT 05055 www.nomadpress.net
To Lisa and J, who taught me everything I know about sibling rivalry —LB
For Free —SCA
Acknowledgments Thanks to Steve Atkins, Charlie Woglom, Rachel Benoit, Susan Hale, Anna Typrowicz, Bruce Leasure, and everyone at Nomad Press for their suggestions, contributions and good humor during the production of this book. Thanks also to Richard, Sasha, Noah, and Simon, who can squabble with the best of them. —LB
A heart felt “Thank You” to the families who have contributed to my clinical skills. These families continue to enhance my understanding of the "systemic dance" we all do. I also want to recognize Staci, who I am proud to have as a sister and as one of my closest friends—despite the “family squabbles” we went through as kids. Let the record show that I freely acknowledge that most of our childhood squabbles may have been generated by me, her big brother. Staci is a model parent, teacher, and caring community member. We should all be so wealthy to have little sisters like mine. —SCA
Table of Contents Introduction
Page 1
“Because I Said So! That’s Why!”
Section 1
Page 5
I Am Going to Turn This Car Around!
Section 2
Page 33 Nag, Nag, Nag
Section 3
Page 61 Crime and Punishment
Appendix
Page 91
Ideas and Suggestions for Family Serenity
“Because I Said So! That’s Why!” You open up the doors to your minivan and discover that the interior of your car is a rolling Superf