Time Out!

"I've failed as a parent," is a common statement of resignation when a child suddenly becomes awkward, defiant, angry, or generally impossible. What worked to calm them down a year ago might not necessarily work now and the parent blames herself for being too lenient or too strict.

There's usually nothing developmentally wrong with an unruly child, but it can be a pain to deal with. Written by two child psychologists, outlines all of the developmental stages toddlers, children, and adolescents transition through, and how their behavior reflects that.

With humorous anecdotes from real parents who have dealt with the same "crises" as most other parents, this guide offers hands-on-advice to deal with problems and also laugh a little.

Malin Alfvén: Malin Alfvén worked for twenty-five years as a child and parental psychologist in maternal and child health care in Stockholm. Now she has a private practice in Stockholm, Sweden.
Kristina Hofsten: Kristina Hofsten is a journalist and has been writing about children and parents in the Swedish magazine, We Parents, for twenty-five years. She has written several parenting books and lives in Stockholm, Sweden.