Part I. The essential toolbox. Tools for handling emotions . . . What's all the fuss about feelings? ; Tools for engaging cooperation . . . Feelings schmeelings, she has to brush her teeth ; Tools for resolving conflict . . . Avoiding combat on the home front ; Tools for praise and appreciation . . . Not all odes are equal -- Tools for kids who are differently wired . . . Will this work with my kid? -- The basics . . . You can't talk your way out of these -- Part II. The tools in action. Food fights: the battle at the kitchen table ; Morning madness: escaping the intense gravitational pull of your home ; Sibling rivalry: give the baby back! ; Shopping with children: mayhem at the market ; Lies: kids and the creative interpretation of reality ; Parents have feelings, too ; Tattling--snitches and whistle-blowers ; Cleanup: the dirtiest word ; Doctor's orders: medicine, shots, blood draws, and other horrors ; Shy kids: fear of friendly folks ; Little runaways: kids who take off in the parking lot and other public places ; Hitting, pinching, poking, punching, pushing: I barely touched him! ; Sleep: the Holy Grail ; When parents get angry! ; Troubleshooting: when the tools don't work.