The Big Book of Parenting Solutions

July 20, 2009
Borba, author and Today Show
regular, employs a cookbooklike approach in her latest volume: rather than read through the entire tome, parents can flip to topics pertinent to their family. Borba opens with a friendly overview, noting that contemporary parents feel more stressed and find their roles increasingly difficult (June Cleaver, she points out, didn't have to deal with cyberbullying or Facebook). With characteristic wit, Borba identifies the “seven deadly parenting styles,” including helicopter, buddy, incubator, bandage, paranoid, accessory parenting (judging themselves by their kids' accolades) and secondary parenting (relinquishing power to such outsiders as marketers or the media). In nine sections on family, behavior, character, emotions, social scene, school, special needs, day-to-day and electronics, the author urges readers to roll up their sleeves and get back to basic, instinctual parenting. As she tackles 101 issues ranging from sibling rivalry, lying and peer pressure to cell-phone use and TV addiction, Borba helps readers identify the reason underlying the behavior or problem, and work with 10 essential principles of change. With her no-nonsense yet compassionate voice, Borba once again delivers an indispensable resource for parents of toddlers to 13-year-olds.

September 28, 2009
Talk-show-circuit rock star Borba (Building Moral Intelligence) aspires to offer parents with kids ages three to 13 the "only parenting book [they'll] ever need." She organizes the text into broad categories (e.g., "Family"; "Behavior"), then divides it into tabbed sections and by problem (e.g., the arrival of a new baby). Readers can also browse the content by what to expect for preschoolers, school ages, and tweens. The "helpful advice" shared by other parents is sometimes ridiculous (e.g., Granny's purchase of an iPod to help a child respond to tension in the home). Overall, ABorba's attempt at comprehensiveness makesAher bookAunwieldy and overwhelming. Best to avoid.-Julianne J. Smith, Ypsilanti Dist. Lib., MI

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