Popular parenting expert Dr Laura Markham has garnered a large and loyal readership around the world, thanks to her simple, insightful approach that values the emotional bond between parent and child. However, as any parent of more than one child knows, its challenging for even the most engaged parent to maintain harmony and a strong connection when competition, tempers, and irritation run high. In this highly anticipated guide, Dr Markham presents simple yet powerful ways to cut through the squabbling and foster a loving, supportive bond between siblings, while giving each child the vital connection that he or she needs.

Calm Parents, Happy Siblingspresents hands-on, research-based advice on:

Creating deep connections with each one of your children, so that each truly believes that you couldnt possibly love anyone else more.

Fostering a loving family culture that encourages laughter and minimizes fighting.

Teaching your children healthy emotional self-management and conflict resolution skills so that they can work things out with each other, get their own needs met and respect the needs of others.

Helping your kids forge a close lifelong sibling bond, as well as the relationship skills they will need for a life of healthy friendships, work relationships, and eventually their own family bonds.

Dr Laura Markham is a clinical psychologist, parenting coach and mother of two children. She has helped thousands of families worldwide with her relationship-based model of parenting. For more information visit www.ahaparenting.com

1: Introduction1: If Youre Welcoming a New Baby2: If Your Children Are Constantly Fighting1: CALM PARENTING1: How You Can Be a Calm Parent1: The Parenting Skills That Help You Become Calmer as a Parent2: How Calm Discipline Supports the Sibling Relationship1: Why Punishment and Permissiveness Cause More Sibling Fighting2: Rethinking Discipline3: Rethinking Time-outs4: Rethinking Rewards5: The Difference Between Consequences and Limits6: What If Empathy Doesnt Work?7: Preventive Maintenance8: When Your Child Is Acting Out: Time-in9: Helping Kids with Big Emotions: Scheduled Meltdowns10: How to Help Each Child with Big Emotions When You Have More Than One Upset Child3: What Causes Sibling Rivalry And How Parents Can Make It Better1: Your Childs Point of View: Thats Not a Friend, Its a Replacement2: Factors That Can Exacerbate Rivalry3: The Power of Parents to Foster a Super Sibling Relationship2: PART TWO: TEACHING CALM4: Coaching Kids to Communicate Feelings and Problem-solve1: Coaching Essential Emotional Intelligence Skills2: Your New Role: Interpreter3: Coaching Kids to Identify and Communicate Their Needs and Feelings4: Coaching Kids to Set Limits with Each Other5: Coaching Kids to Listen to Each Other6: Coaching Kids to Problem-solve7: Basic Negotiation Tools to Teach Kids5: When Problem-solving Fails: Teaching Conflict Resolution1: What About We Get Along Shirts?2: Why Fighting Is Essential to Teach Children Relationship Skills3: How to Help Children Learn to Work It Out Themselves4: Empowering Kids to Stand Up to Teasing5: Mean Words6: When Your Child Says He Hates His Sibling7: Intervening in a Sibling Fight: The Basics8: Should You Punish Your Child for Aggression?9: When Your Toddler Is the Aggressor Against Your Older Child10: Coaching Kids to Handle Aggression from Younger Siblings11: How to Stop Repeated Aggression12: Teaching Skills: Intervening in a Sibling Fight13: Helping Kids Make Repairs After a Fight, Instead of Forced Apologies6: Why Cant They Just Share? Why Kids Fight Over Possessions1: Rethinking Sharing: A Radical Solution2: Self-regulated Turns: What Children Learn3: Coaching Kids as They Wait for Their Turn7: Easing the Competition1: Its Not Fair!2: Never Compare3: Resist Labelling4: How to Celebrate Each Child Without Fuelling Competition5: Who Gets to Push the Lift Button?6: How to Ensure You Dont Unwittingly Foster Competition7: Helping Kids with Competitive Feelings8: Birth Order and Competition9: What If You Prefer One Child?8: Tools to Prevent Rivalry and Nurture Bonding1: Expect Your Children to Value Each Other2: Family Routines That Foster Sibling Bonding3: Family Rules and Mottos That Support Sibling Closeness4: How to Create More Positive Interactions Between Your Children5: Strategies to Create a Sibling Team6: Shifting Alliances: How to Keep Kids from Ganging Up on Each Other7: Why Rough and Tumble Reduces Sibling Rivalry8: Why Not Tickling?9: When Kids Share a Room10: When One Child Has a Friend Over11: Family Meetings: The Resource Youll Be So Glad You Discovered3: PART THREE: BEFORE THE NEW BABY AND THROUGH THE FIRST YEAR9: Before the Baby Arrives: Creating a Warm Welcome1: Telling Your Child About the New Sibling2: Twelve Ways to Help Your Kids Begin Bonding3: During Your Pregnancy4: Be Sure Your Child Can Rely on Both Parents5: Ten Tips to Support Your Child Emotionally as He Moves Towards Becoming a Big Sibling6: Weaning Versus Tandem Nursing7: Preparing Your Child for the Separation During the Upcoming Birth8: If Youre Planning to Have Your Child at the Birth9: Creating a Transition Book for Your Child10: Making an Activity Box for Your Child11: Work Through Your Own Emotions About Having a Second Child12: Loving Each Child Best10: Getting Off to a Good Start: Birth and the First Few Months1: Introducing Your Child to the New Baby2: The First Week: Settling In as a Family3: How to Keep Your Child Occupied While You Feed the Baby4: Helping Your Child with Her Mixed Emotions About the Baby5: What About Those Overzealous Hugs?6: Regression: When Your Child Goes Backwards7: Managing Naptime and Bedtime with More Than One Child8: The Early Months: The New Normal9: When Your Child Has a Hard Time Adjusting10: Daily Practices to Stay Connected to Your Child Now That He Has to Share You11: Using Games to Help Your Child with Jealousy12: Reading Books to Your Child About Becoming a Big Sib13: Nine Tips to Foster a Great Relationship Between Your Children Right from the Start11: Building a Positive Foundation When the Baby Begins to Crawl1: Ten Tips to Maintain a Peaceful Home as Baby Moves Towards Toddlerhood2: Dividing Your Time3: How to Help Your Older Child Solve His Problems with the Little One4: What to Say When Your Child Is Jealous of the Baby5: What to Do About Toy Grabbing6: When Your Child Is Aggressive Towards the Baby7: What If the Aggressor Is Too Young to Understand?8: What If Its the Baby Whos Aggressive?9: Games to Help Your Children Bond with the Baby12: Final Note: Choose Love13: Acknowledgements14: Notes15: Index

From the author of Calm Parents, Happy Kids, a practical, highly effective guide to handling squabbles and fights while maintaining the emotional connection that every child needs.