Fussbusters at Home: Around-The-Clock Strategies and Games for Smoothing the Rough Spots in Your Preschooler's Day

This one-of-a-kind parent's survival guide makes daily life with young children more rewarding and less daunting.

Here is a unique parenting book filled with coping strategies, activities, and ideas for successfully managing day-to-day life with preschoolers. Arranged chronologically over the course of a day, chapters address such topics as waking up, dressing, and managing the morning rush; successful napping without struggles; managing sibling rivalry; making the most out of outdoor play; and, finally, winding down, bath time, and bedtime. Special attention is given to helping preschoolers cope with transitions, meal times, and changes in routines.

Each chapter begins with an introduction that highlights common problems, discusses relevant developmental issues, and offers general suggestions to avoid troublesome moments. Detailed, individual activities with easy-to-follow instructions, rhymes, and games follow. Sidebars include important, relevant information on safety issues, real-life anecdotes, and references to enriching resources, such as book and music suggestions. Using the ideas in the book, parents can transform boring or aggravating at-home tasks into experiences that kids-and adults-may find pleasurable and stimulating.

With an advanced degree in clinical child psychology and years of professional experiences in child and youth services, author Carol Baicker-McKee recognizes the special needs and abilities of toddlers. As a three-time veteran of the delivery room, she brings personal experience, humor, and hard-won insight into the special joys and struggles of day-to-day life with young children.