Parent Talk: 50 Quick, Effective Solutions to the Most Common Parenting Challenges

Steve Pitt is a Toronto-based freelance writer and an award-winning journalist. He has written many young adult and children's books, including Day of the Flying Fox: The True Story of World War II Pilot Charley Fox.

Does your teenager neglect his or her personal hygiene? Does your
toddler habitually throw tantrums in the middle of your favorite
restaurant? Are grandma and grandpa consistently undermining your
parental authority? Have you ever received a phone call informing you
that your little darling is known as “The Terminator” during recess?


This book covers 50 of the most common challenges faced by parents.
Each problem is broken down into six sections: “The Behaviour,”
“Why They Do It,” “Your Reaction,” “Your Strategy,” “What
to Try First,” and “The Practical Stuff.” The solutions are
offered by Stanley Shapiro, a therapist, and Karen Skinulis, a
Montes-sori director. (Both are co-directors of the Adler-Dreikurs
School for Children.)

The authors help parents understand the reasons for the problem
behaviour before offering a pragmatic plan of action. For example, under
“Tantrums—The Behaviour,” the text first explains that tantrums
often occur when a child is tired or overstimulated. The strategy, then,
is to monitor your child’s physical state. If a tantrum breaks out
anyway, parents have three choices: throwing their own tantrum by
screaming or spanking the child, giving in to the child, or taking the
child home. The first option lowers the parents to the child’s level,
and might even have legal repercussions if the situation gets too
physical. The second option rewards bad behaviour and encourages a
repeat performance. The third option, which denies a reward for bad
behaviour and yet does not hurt or demean the child, is the “Practical
Stuff.” Parents will be grateful for a book that combines thoughtful
(and often humorous) analysis with practical advice.