Just Tell Me What to Say: Sensible Tips and Scripts for Perplexed Parents [Paperback]

Betsy Brown Braun (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 19, 2008

Parents are often perplexed by their children's typical behaviors and inevitable questions. This down-to-earth guide provides "Tips and Scripts" for handling everything from sibling rivalry and the food wars to questions about death, divorce, sex, and "whyyyy?" Betsy Brown Braun blends humor with her expertise as a child development specialist, popular parent educator, and mother of triplets. Whatever your dilemma or child's question—from "How did the baby get in your tummy?" to "What does 'dead' mean?" to "It's not fair!"—Betsy offers the tools and confidence you need to explain the world to your growing child.

Editorial Reviews

Review

“Parents of young children will find themselves reaching for this wonderful book by Betsy Brown Braun over and over again!” (--Reveta Bowers, Head of School, The Center for Early Education )

“Betsy Brown Braun is a master teacher and one of the wisest parenting experts I have ever known.” (--Steven Carr Reuben, Ph.D., author of Children of Character: Leading Your Children to Ethical Choices in Everyday Life )

“Betsy Brown Braun is a fine observer of children....This is a book I will recommend to all my parents.” (--Robert M. Landaw, M.D., Pediatrician and Assistant Clinical Professor of Pediatrics, UCLA )

About the Author

Betsy Brown Braun is the bestselling author of Just Tell Me What to Say, a renowned child development and behavior specialist, popular parent educator, and mother of adult triplets. She is a frequent speaker at educational and business conferences, has been a guest expert on Today, the Early Show, Good Morning America, and NPR, and has been cited in USA Today, the New York Times, Family Circle, Parents, Parenting, Cookie, and Woman's Day, among other publications. As the founder of Parenting Pathways, Inc., Betsy offers private consulting and parent seminars as well. She and her husband live in Pacific Palisades, California.

Product Details

• Paperback: 256 pages
• Publisher: William Morrow Paperbacks; 1 edition (February 19, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0061452971
• ISBN-13: 978-0061452970
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6.3 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (37 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #39,918 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

18 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Calm, wise, honest and helpful, February 26, 2008

By 

Julie Neal (Sanibel Island, Fla.) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Just Tell Me What to Say: Sensible Tips and Scripts for Perplexed Parents (Paperback)

Oh, I wish I'd had this book when my daughter was younger! It is directed at parents of kids aged 2 to 6. Maybe for her next book Betsy Brown Braun could do a book for kids aged 14 to 16. My daughter's 14th birthday was yesterday. Betsy, please hurry.

"Just Tell Me What To Say" is just that: a collection of situations with scripts of what to say to kids. It is calm, wise and completely honest. It has great advice. On the topic of swearing, for example, tips include suggesting funny alternative words to swear words ("Fooey-spitooey!" "Rats!") and that parents should never wash out a child's mouth with soap.

Chapters:

1. SMALL TALK IS BIG TALK. Communicating with your children
2. "TOMMY JUST DOESN'T LISTEN." Discipline do's and don'ts
3. "IT'S ALL MOLLY'S FAULT." Sibling issues
4. "HOW MANY BITES `TIL I CAN GET DESSERT?" Children's eating habits and behaviors
5. "GET YOUR FINGER OUT OF YOUR NOSE!" Manners and social graces
6. "IT'S NOT FAIR!" Day-to-day parenting dilemmas
7. "HOW DID THE BABY GET IN YOUR TUMMY?" Learning about the Birds and the Bees
8. "WHY DID MOMMY'S HAIR FALL OUT?" Talking about serious illness
9. "WHY IS MY GOLDFISH FLOATING IN THE TOILET?" Learning about death
10. "MOMMY AND DADDY HAVE SOMETHING TO TELL YOU." Talking with your children about divorce
11. "IS THE FIRE GOING TO COME TO OUR HOUSE?" Answering questions about natural disasters, terrorism and war.

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Every Parent Needs a Copy of this Book!, February 28, 2008

By 

Barb Webb "www.BarbWebb.com" (Georgia, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Just Tell Me What to Say: Sensible Tips and Scripts for Perplexed Parents (Paperback)

Before I picked up this book, as any parent, I thought I already had a lot of the answers. After all, I'd already survived one teenager.

From page one of Just Tell Me What to Say, I didn't have enough answers, and thankfully, this book would give me them all.

Throughout the chapters of Just Tell Me What to Say, I found a treasure trove of information and advice, many things I did not have in my parent arsenal of answers... but do now! By the end of the book, I felt empowered, ready to take on questions from my toughest toddler, and comforted by the fact that I have an invaluable resource handy, should I need to deal with more sensitive issues like illness and death.

Just Tell Me What to Say covers it all, from sex to divorce, to rudeness in public and picky eaters. The author, Betsy Brown Braun, provides tips and scripts, and oodles of advice, written in a fun, friendly, "parent to parent" style that's easy to identify with and comprehend. Ms. Braun is truly an expert and her advice, priceless.

I could go on and on praising the merits of this book, but in a nutshell-I'm convinced Just Tell Me What to Say is a book that every parent and childcare professional needs. Get a copy and read it today, you'll be grateful you did...and your children will be, too.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Thank goodness!, April 18, 2008

By 

K. W. Laughery - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Just Tell Me What to Say: Sensible Tips and Scripts for Perplexed Parents (Paperback)

Thank goodness! This is NOT another "Raise-Your-Child-According-To-Me" book. Betsy assumes you already know a little something about parenting and can handle most day-to-day situations. But she also knows that we're all going to get stuck occasionally wondering about the right thing to say. THIS is when you pick up her book and look for help -- and you WILL find it. It's brilliant! Think of it as WD-40 for the parenting brain.