There's no recipe book to tell parents how they should teach their children the important lessons of life—responsibility, honesty, self-discipline and self-confidence. Many of today's parents feel overwhelmed by the task they face. They have often had little preparation for parenthood. Their own families may be too far away for regular daily support and advice. Kids Don't Come With Instruction Manuals: Basic Parenting Skills is designed to be a resource for parents who want to understand more about how children grow and develop and what parents can do to help them along their way. It includes information on how children develop the independence, self-discipline, self-confidence, and skills in communication and cooperation with others that will help them throughout their lives. It also includes suggested resources to provide additional advice and answers to parents' questions. In this era of accountability and testing, Amundson provides a special focus on how parents and schools can work together to help students achieve.