June 17, 2002
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.