I Brake for Meltdowns - Annotated by Michelle Nicholasen & Barbara O'Neal (Paperback)

About the Book

From a mother of five children under five and a childcare director with 30 years experience, a book to give hope to all parents of toddlers"

Book Synopsis

Any parent of a toddler knows the drill: you're having a nice day with your child, then suddenly-meltdown! How to react? Or not react? I Brake for Meltdowns offers parents welcome relief: an annotated listing of all the exasperating things little kids do and step-by-step advice on how to handle each situation. From "Public Meltdowns" to "In Search of Sleep" to "Dinner Disasters," this book covers every bugaboo by category-including biting, teeth-brushing, refusal to wear a coat, and what to do when your youngster won't hug Aunt Marge. Handy action points, suggested language, and "Been There" sidebars point the way to resolution. Infused with funny, often commiserating advice, this is an invaluable resource for parents who try their darnedest but need a cheat-sheet for when they're stumped by their willful tots.

Review Quotes

LibraryJournal.com, 6/10/08
"Show[s] parents how to intervene by providing language that is most often very sensible and would help parents in the middle of a crisis."About.com
"I'll be totally frank here: I absolutely loved this book!...Does an outstanding job of organizing kid behaviors...A great buy...Makes parents feel they really can effectively manage almost anything--and isn't that the point?"Boston Globe BoMoms blog
"A clever cheat sheet...You'll appreciate [the local authors'] calm, non-violent advice for top-level badness."Words To Mouth blog
"Incredible resource...Like the What to Expect When You're Expecting for the toddler years."Mid-Ohio Valley Parent, 3/09
"This is a handy reference book to keep around."Mindful Mama blog, 9/23
"Offer[s] practical solutions to real-world challenges involving children in this age group."

About the Author

Michelle Nicholasen, an award-winning filmmaker for Frontline and Nova, is a full-time mom. She lives outside of Boston.

Barbara O'Neal, mother and grandmother, has co-directed the Arlington Children's Center for thirty years. She lives outside of Boston.