"Reading SmartParenting is like having a conversation with a friend. Dr. Favaro's style is intimate and informative, and his ideas are clear, down-to-earth, practical, and usable." -- Fran Swan, teacher and mother of Benyumin, 10, and Anushka, 8 Raising a child is one of life's most wonderful experiences. It can also be the most challenging, frustrating, and confusing job a parent will ever have. In SmartParenting, noted child psychologist Peter Favaro presents a sensitive and remarkably sensible approach to raising responsible, selfassured, and happy children. With warmth, humor, and dozens of examples, Dr. Favaro focuses on real-life situations faced by all parents and shares his unique advice along with hundreds of proven, easyto-use ideas and techniques to help you manage your child in positive and productive ways. You'll learn:

• The importance of identifying and understanding your child's basic personality type
• Practical suggestions for getting kids to do their homework
• Three simple rules for making your parenting style more effective
• Why it's so important to nurture your child's self-esteem
• The best ways to motivate your child-without using threats or bribes
• How to teach critical thinking skills and maximize school potential
• Why time-out may not work for your child--and what to do if it doesn't
• Techniques for handling bedwetting, nightmares, difficulty sleeping, and other bedtime problems
• The key skills your child must learn to get along with others
• How to talk about sex, death, and other uncomfortable topics

SmartParenting is all about handling the specific everyday concerns and situations that parents face in today's world. From building responsibility to dealing with sibling rivalry, the techniques in this book can help you better understand your children's needs and show you how to help your kids become happier, healthier, and more confident. And, in the process, parenting will become easier, less stressful--and much more rewarding.