Nothing is worse than dragging a screaming child through a grocery store. The author’s tantrum-ending tips run the gamut from an “I’m in charge” attitude to offering the yelling kid “some cheese with your whine.” A tantrum at home will usually end when Mom does something silly—like putting on her favorite dance track and showing the toddler her favorite moves. Here’s advice that nearly always works!

Moms and dads sometimes find their kids resisting the recommendations and strategies proposed by childcare specialists. That’s when it’s time to turn to Last Straw Strategies , a series of lighthearted books filled with practical, old-fashioned wisdom that has passed down through the ages. A longtime journalist and an experienced mom, Michelle Kennedy offers pragmatic solutions instead of fashionable psychological theory. Her user-friendly books contain sound suggestions for relieving three of the most common frustrations suffered by new crying, eating problems, and sleeping problems. Her attitude—infused with wit, energy, and compassion—is perfectly complemented by humorous two-color line illustrations that appear with most of her examples. Parents might want to laugh at some of the proposed solutions, but their laughs will become delighted smiles when they discover that the solutions really work!