I Brake for Meltdowns: How to Handle the Most Exasperating Behavior of Your 2- to 5-Year-Old

by Michelle Nicholasen, Barbara O'Neal

Overview

Any parent of a toddler knows the drill: you're having a nice day with your child, then suddenly-meltdown! How to react? Or not react? I Brake for Meltdowns offers parents welcome relief: an annotated listing of all the exasperating things little kids do and step-by-step advice on how to handle each situation. From "Public Meltdowns" to "In Search of Sleep" to "Dinner Disasters," this book covers every bugaboo by category-including biting, teeth-brushing, refusal to wear a coat, and what to do when your youngster won't hug Aunt Marge. Handy action points, suggested language, and "Been There" sidebars point the way to resolution. Infused with funny, often commiserating advice, this is an invaluable resource for parents who try their darnedest but need a cheat-sheet for when they're stumped by their willful tots.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780786721696
Publisher:	Hachette Books
Publication date:	07/31/2008
Sold by:	Hachette Digital, Inc.
Format:	eBook
Pages:	340
Sales rank:	1,068,666
File size:	337 KB

About the Author

Michelle Nicholasen, an award-winning filmmaker for Frontline and Nova, is a full-time mom. She lives outside of Boston.

Barbara O'Neal, mother and grandmother, has co-directed the Arlington Children's Center for thirty years. She lives outside of Boston.

Table of Contents

Introduction     1
Meltdowns, Tantrums, and Screaming Fits     7
Public Meltdowns     8
Private Meltdowns     17
Social Graces, or the Lack Thereof     29
Won't say hello to greeters     30
Won't give a relative a hug or kiss     35
Ignores you or others     37
Won't play with others or make friends     39
Difficulty sharing or taking turns     42
Aggressive or disruptive toward playmates     44
Doesn't respect personal space     47
Bosses or bullies     48
One-upmanship     52
Separation problems     53
Clingy behavior     57
Interrupting     60
In Search of Sleep     65
The case of the family bed or co-sleeping     66
Throws tantrum at bedtime     68
Won't let you leave the bedroom     69
Keeps getting out of bed or calling you back     74
Comes into parents' bed in the middle of the night     77
Naptime trouble-Won't nap on weekends     80
Eating Your Heart Out     83
Won't sit at the dinner table     83
Won't eat any/much food or eats the same things over and over     84
Tosses food     85
Refuses to eat vegetables     86
Rejects what you make for dinner     89
Spills and more spills with an open cup     90
Poor table manners     90
Eats constantly     92
Eats with hands; won't use utensils     93
The Trials of Potty Training     95
Not interested in the potty     96
As soon as they get off the potty, they wet     100
Takes diaper off all the time     101
Starts out well and then backslides     101
Asks for diapers back     104
Urine trained but won't poop in the potty     105
Withholds poop; has smears on underpants     107
Will only have a bowel movement at home or school     110
Needs overnight or naptime diapers     111
Fighting     115
General rules of thumb for nonviolent disputes     117
General rules of thumb for violent disputes     117
Pulling things out of another's hands     118
Disputes over ownership     123
Pushing, pinching, hitting, kicking, scratching, pulling hair     125
Biting     130
Tattling     132
Jealousy      140
Ugh, the noise!     151
Getting Really, Really Angry     155
Anger, aggression, and destruction     155
The extremely angry and destructive rampage     163
Hits, bites, or kicks you     165
Talks back     167
Says mean things     168
Uses offensive words     171
Manipulators and Clever Cons     177
Prefers one parent over the other     178
Plays one parent off the other     181
Provokes you     184
Makes demands and bosses you around     185
Travel Survival     187
The essential backpack     187
Especially for airplanes     190
Especially for road trips     191
Health and Hygiene     197
Picks nose     197
Sucks thumb     199
Spits     201
Still uses pacifier or bottle     202
Security blanket use     204
Hair brushing battles     205
Teeth brushing battles     208
Won't take medicine     211
Won't take a bath     212
Hates going to the doctor or dentist     215
Won't get fingernails clipped      216
Particularly Annoying Refusals     219
"No!" is a favorite word     219
Won't get into car seat     222
Won't get dressed     224
Won't eat breakfast     227
Won't clean bedroom     228
Trouble with transitions     237
Dawdling     239
Miscellaneous Bugaboos     241
All by myself: stubborn independence     242
Whining, harping, hounding, insistence/persistence     243
Obsessive-compulsive-like behaviors     246
Changes mind all the time     248
Loses things     251
Steals     253
Runs away in public     256
Uses baby talk     257
Lies and lying     258
Perfectionism/Self-criticism     262
Epilogue     267
Ongoing Adventures: Final Thoughts     269
How much should you negotiate?     269
Losing your temper, keeping your cool     278
Using physical force on your child     286
What's considered quality time?     292
What to look for in your child's caregivers     295
Excellent books for young children     301
Excellent videos for young children     305
Singable songs for parents     305
Sources and Bibliography     307
Acknowledgments     311
Index     313

Editorial Reviews

LibraryJournal.com, 6/10/08
“Show[s] parents how to intervene by providing language that is most often very sensible and would help parents in the middle of a crisis.”
About.com
“I'll be totally frank here: I absolutely loved this book!...Does an outstanding job of organizing kid behaviors…A great buy…Makes parents feel they really can effectively manage almost anything—and isn't that the point?”
Boston Globe BoMoms blog
“A clever cheat sheet…You’ll appreciate [the local authors’] calm, non-violent advice for top-level badness.”
Words To Mouth blog
“Incredible resource…Like the What to Expect When You’re Expecting for the toddler years.”
Mid-Ohio Valley Parent, 3/09
“This is a handy reference book to keep around.”
Mindful Mama blog, 9/23
“Offer[s] practical solutions to real-world challenges involving children in this age group.

From the Publisher