From Library Journal
Pantley, the author/publisher of the newsletter Parent Tips, presents an alphabetical "dictionary" of over 200 issues ("Hitting," "Nose-Picking," "Baby-Sitters," "Spitting") using questions and answers. This is a nice idea for a book, but it doesn't quite deliver on its promise. The questions are not age-specific?some of the tips deal with age, but certain problems should have different solutions for children of different ages. There is too much repetition: "Forgetfulness," "Carelessness," and "Procrastination" deal with pretty much the same issues. On the positive side, Pantley does see things clearly from a child's viewpoint and uses the "when/then" approach effectively. Moreover, she's big on consistent parenting without endless yammering. Some of the advice is clever (for cabin fever, front-seat fighting, diaper-changing diversions), but it falls short elsewhere (dealing with moving, name-calling, chores). Not essential.?Linda Beck, Indian Valley P.L., Telford, PACopyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Book Description
"Perfect Parenting will give you the tools you need to feel confident as you raise your children. This handy reference book may become an indispensable part of your family's life." -- from the foreword by William Sears, MD Perfect parenting is parenting with a plan. It is based on: action, not reaction thoughtfulness, not anger knowledge, not chance common sense, not nonsense This book is a practical dictionary of ideas. It is meant to inspire you to find the right answers for the many discipline and behavior issues you face every day. It presents you with many options and methods that can help you be thoughtful in your approach to raising your children. What you'll find here, in a handy A-Z format, are practical, commonsense solutions that will make your life easier. You'll learn what to do about back talk, dawdling, interrupting, stubbornness, whining. You'll find ways to get your kids to do the chores, stop ignoring you, and clean up their own messes. You'll even learn what to do about other people's children! Elizabeth Pantley designed a questionnaire addressing discipline problems and sent it to hundreds of parents. Their answers shaped this book to make it the most useful, practical book on discipline available today. Elizabeth Pantley is a frequent lecturer to parenting groups around the country. She is the author of one previous book, Kid Cooperation. Her informative newsletter, Parent Tips, is distributed through schools nationwide. She lives with her husband and their three children in Washington State, where she serves on an education advisory council and is the school PTA president.

From the Back Cover
Perfect Parenting is parenting with a plan. It is based on action, not reaction, knowledge, not chance, thoughtfulness, not anger, common sense, not nonsense. This book is a practical dictionary of ideas. It is meant to inspire you to find the right answers for the many discipline and behavior issues you face every day. It presents you with many options and methods that can help you be thoughtful in your approach to raising your children. What you'll find here, in a handy A-Z format, are practical, commonsense solutions that will make your lie easier. You'll learn what to do about back talk, dawdling, interrupting, stubbornness, whining. You'll find ways to get your kids to do the chores, stop ignoring you, and clean up their own messes. You'll even learn what to do about other people's children! Elizabeth Pantley designed a questionnaire addressing discipline problems and sent it to hundreds of parents. Their answers shaped this book to make it the most useful, practical book on discipline available today.

About the Author

Elizabeth Pantley publishes the newsletter Parent Tips, read by thousands of parents nationwide, and is regularly quoted in magazines including Redbook, Good Housekeeping, Parents, Parenting, Woman's Day, Working Mother, and American Baby.

FROM THE PUBLISHER

Perfect Parenting is parenting with a plan. It is based on action, not reaction, knowledge, not chance, thoughtfulness, not anger, common sense, not nonsense.

This book is a practical dictionary of ideas. It is meant to inspire you to find the right answers for the many discipline and behavior issues you face every day. It presents you with many options and methods that can help you be thoughtful in your approach to raising your children. What you'll find here, in a handy A-Z format, are practical, commonsense solutions that will make your lie easier.

You'll learn what to do about back talk, dawdling, interrupting, stubbornness, whining. You'll find ways to get your kids to do the chores, stop ignoring you, and clean up their own messes. You'll even learn what to do about other people's children!

Elizabeth Pantley designed a questionnaire addressing discipline problems and sent it to hundreds of parents. Their answers shaped this book to make it the most useful, practical book on discipline available today.

Parenting educator, Elizabeth Pantley, is the president of Better Beginnings, Inc., a family resource and education company. Ms. Pantley frequently speaks to parents in schools, hospitals and parent groups, and her presentations are received with enthusiasm and praise. She is a regular radio show guest and often quoted as a parenting expert in magazines such as Parents, Parenting, Working Mother, Woman's Day, Good Housekeeping and Redbook. She publishes a newsletter, Parent Tips, that is distributed in schools nationwide, and is the author of Kid Cooperation: How to Stop Yelling, Nagging and Pleading and Get Kids to Cooperate, which is available in three languages and has been recognized as a regional best seller. She and her husband, Robert, live in Washington State with their three children, Grandma, and assorted family pets. She is active in her children's school and sports activities. Ms. Pantley serves on an education advisory council and as the school PTA president.

FROM THE CRITICS

Kathy Lyn

Perfect Parenting is THE dictionary for parents. No longer will parents need to thumb through all their books and magazines for answers to common questions. Parents will particularly appreciate the range of possible solutions. The author clearly understands that there is no right answer to any problem. I predict that Perfect Parenting will be the best-thumbed book in all parent's libraries. -- Parenting Today Vancouver, British Columbia

WHAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING

In my years of raising eight children and advising parents through my pediatric practice and through twenty-three parenting books, I have learned as much as I have given. I have discovered one parenting dilemma that arises repeatedly. This dilemma is the arduous process of deciding on the right course of action when confronted with a discipline or behavior issue. In my conversations with parents, one type of question invariably arises, "What do I do when my child . . . whines . . . back talks . . . hits her sister . . . won't cooperate . . ." Parents often struggle to find the right answer and then experience frustration when that one right answer fails to solve the problem.

Parenting educator Elizabeth Pantley presents here a multitude of valuable ideas to answer your everyday questions. She gives practical suggestions on a diverse selection of topics that likely cover every parenting dilemma you'll encounter. The beauty of this simple dictionary format is that you can review all the suggestions for any situation, and then use whatever method best fits your child and your family situation to create your own solution. If that suggestion doesn't work, you've got in hand several others from which to choose.

Perfect Parenting will give you the tools you need to feel confident as you raise your children. This handy reference book may become an indispensable part of your family's life. -- (William Sears, M.D. Dr. Sears is one of America's most respected pediatricians. He and his wife, Martha Sears, R.N., have been counseling parents for more than twenty years. They appear frequently on national television, are extensively quoted in the media, and have collaborated on twenty-three books on parenting, including The Discipline Book, The A.D.D. Book, The Baby Book, and The Pregnancy Book. William and Martha Sears are the parents of eight children, and grandparents of three.)  — William Sears

Perfect Parenting, a parent-friendly compilation of choices and strategies, is practical, wise and witty. It gives parents a pocketful of solutions to everyday conflicts. -- (Susan Beekman, author, Battles, Hassles, Tantrums and Tears)  — Susan Beekman

Some parents are lucky. They go into parenting with skills that they learned by observing effective ways their parents handled certain problems. We have all met them, or maybe you are even one of them. But any one person's experience is limited. Imagine pulling together the collective skills of many of these people and then putting them into a package where all of us could easily access this accumulated wisdom for almost any parenting problem you would have. With Perfect Parenting, Elizabeth Pantley's latest book has given all of us such a wonderful resource. -- (Rona L. Levy, Ph.D., Professor, University of Washington Seattle, Washington)  — Rona L. Levy

Perfect Parenting is full of no-nonsense, practical wisdom about many of the most common, and vexing, child-rearing issues. Parents will find solutions they can put into practice right away. -- (Peter Herbst, Editor-in-Chief, Family Life Magazine)  — Peter Herbst

Perfect Parenting is good news, for parents and kids alike. Here's a wealth of wisdom about children's behavior, coupled with ingenious yet practical solutions to almost every imaginable problem. Elizabeth's approach puts parents in charge, but lets children know they're respected and loved. And it's all wrapped up in one easy-to-access package. -- (Tamara Eberlein, Author, Whining: Tactics for Taming Demanding Behavior and Sleep: How to Teach Your Child to Sleep Like a Baby)  — Tamara Eberlein

Perfect Parenting includes just about every issue that comes up for discussion in our parenting classes. The lists of possible solutions will ppeal to a wide variety of parenting styles; there is something for everyone! The "think about it" sections that appear after each realistically described situation help to establish a problem-solving perspective and allow the mind to open up to the numerous ways parents' and children's needs can be met. We are fortunate to have Elizabeth's experiences and humor to help guide us to better relationships with our children. -- (Connie Schulz, M.S., C.F.L.E. Family Outreach Specialist, State College Area School District)  — Connie Schulz

Perfect Parenting is a must-have book for today's busy parents who may not have time to read a complete book to find answers to their childrearing problems. With Perfect Parenting parents can quickly look up a specific topic and find several practical, easy-to-follow solutions, all of which foster a loving and respectful parent-child relationship. -- (Katey Roemmele, Editor, Northwest Family Magazine, Bellingham, Washington)  — Katey Roemmele