I write this book in a position to view parenting from many different angles. I am the parent of two adult children and all indications are that they are happy and successful. I was a single parent for the latter part of my children's teenage years, after the loss of their father. I am a working mother who has had a twenty-year career as a parenting consultant. In those twenty years I have worked with hundreds of families to improve their relationships and have helped them deal with their everyday problems.

I began to take notes on my thoughts, observations, anecdotes and my experiences. I had no specific plan in mind for a book. But as I started to write, I realized that a blueprint was emerging. This blueprint was to help families get to a healthy place and highlighted what I believe are the fundamentals of parenting. It was the first time that I was able to see my guidance and advice to my clients and their families take form on paper. A formula emerged. It is practical and quite simple, and I believe it is too close and obvious for us to realize. I feel that Parenting is really quite simple and instinctual, yet we get so far away from it since we are actually trying too hard. The truth is that we as parents can take control of our families and raise healthy happy children if we look at parenting from a different perspective. This book is an attempt to bring the sum total of my experience and expertise by providing a plan that will make their journey as a family easier and more successful. If you are concerned about how to deal with your children, let me assure you that you are not alone. I hope you will recognize yourself and your children in these pages.

As parents, we must realize that the pace and nature of our life is changing every day. Nowhere is this more evident than in watching our children grow up and seeing what they are exposed to. As a parenting consultant whose work consists of helping parents and their kids find ways to resolve interpersonal conflicts and problems, I have seen at close hand how the changing ways in which kids are socialized today affect them and their parents. This book is designed to help you navigate today's difficult world of child rearing. It will present you with a plan for parenting- a plan that has worked with the countless families I have worked with-I call it my blueprint for parenting.

Parenting is an emotionally charged business, and our emotions often get in the way of our decision-making and better judgment. As in a business, parents need to eliminate what doesn't work, keep what's working well, and always look to improve things with fresh new ideas and solutions. By helping you as a parent to better understand what you are going through, this book will empower you to handle your own emotions and your children, and, by doing so, regain control of your family.

This is a practical book for parents who are busier than ever and need to discuss the here and now. After reading this book, you will have greater insight into why your children behave the way they do, but more important, how to prevent certain problems from arising before your child is of age. You will learn to say "no" to your children, and you will understand how and why to do so. It is all about learning to distinguish what is a reasonable request and what is not. You will learn how to be creative in communicating and modeling positive behaviors for your child.

Lastly, you will understand the importance of feelings and the role they play in the parent-child relationship. The end result will be that your relationships with your children will flourish and you will have less stress, making you a better, more confident parent.

Parents always make mistakes. Our parents made mistakes and we survived. We will make mistakes and our children will survive. We're human. Making mistakes doesn't make us "bad" parents. If you understand that you can be wrong, your children can then also understand that they can be wrong. If you follow the principles of my parenting plan that follows, you will be well on your way to developing and maintaining a happy healthy family. At the same time, to be successful with this plan, parents need to apply it in thoughtful, creative and open-minded ways. This book will show you how! Remember that there is no perfect parent or child, so expect a little bit of difficulty along the way.