How to Con Your Kid is another great offering from the folks over at Quirk Books. With fun, upbeat prose, the author suggests ways to con your kids into keeping their clothes on (are you dealing with an inveterate nudist?), meet strangers without hiding, let you leave them in the care of others, survive an airplane trip and play alone, among others. Heck, my husband could use many of the airplane trip tips on me!

Each chapter consists of the groundwork for the con, the basic cons, the short cons (one-liners), games to play, songs to sing and what to do if your child is on to you. This isn't a dry child-rearing tome, so don't pick it up looking for an academic treatment of the subject. With that said, the entire book follows a terrific child-rearing philosophy without stating it directly. All the cons are stated in a positive light. The short cons are questions with two choices, both of them positive for the parent (Do you want to put back the stuffed animal or should I? I am going to pick up your socks, so are you picking up your shirts or pants? Do you want a bubble bath or swimming bath tonight?) We've all heard that the average child hears the word "no" more than 400 times a day (per a UCLA study), so this book is a refreshing example of how to parent with positive statements. All the suggestions incorporate a positive attitude from the parent (talking about the doctor as a personal friend, practicing staging a hair salon at home, etc.), which should rub off on your kid.

Many suggestions also recommend avoiding forbidden fruit; a parent can orchestrate moderation to keep their kid on an even keel. The chapter on chores breaks out chores by age level and recommends establishing a routine and giving your kids responsibility. The advice on dealing with crying is pure genius -- and you'll have to pick the book up to find out why.

The finale is a half dozen charts to track and reward good behavior with the included stickers. You get big bang for your buck with this small format hardcover.

by Jessica Lux-Baumann
Rambles.NET
14 October 2006