What can kids do when they're angry? Anxious? Frustrated? How about the "mad" dance? Or kneading bread? Or telling jokes? This 36-card full-color deck describes dozens of soothing strategies for both kids and adults. Written in both English and Spanish. A favorite of parents, grandparents, classroom teachers and special-needs professionals.

Who's responsible for happiness? Is it your obligation as a parent to make your children happy? No, says veteran parent educator Crary in this thoughtful new book. And worse yet, if you put too much effort into preventing or reducing your child's dissatisfaction with homework, chores or other parts of our daily routine, your children do not develop the skills they need to handle frustration and disappointment. This practical, easy-to-read guide walks parents through the concept of emotional competency, which begins by teaching children to identify and acknowledge their feelings. Then it provides exercises and examples that demonstrate how children--even toddlers--can cope with their, emotions, using self-calming techniques (exercise or a few minutes with a favorite book, for example) and problem-solving tools. Parents who too often find themselves overwhelmed by frustrated children will appreciate the step-by-step recommendations. Crary's straightforward suggestions will help you survive emotional meltdowns--and think through how to prevent future problems. She also identifies how a parent's role changes as children grow and become better able to handle disappointments. Perhaps just as important, the author talks about how parents can keep themselves calm so they can recognize and manage both the causes and the results of children's frustration. A parent educator for more than three decades, Elizabeth Crary has written 32 books and dozens of articles on child guidance issues. Her landmark Without Spanking or Spoiling, published in 1979, continues to be a Parenting Press bestseller (see page 16), in part because it acknowledges that every family may have different needs and styles. It isthis commitment to helping families and teachers explore alternatives and select the options which work best for them that makes Crary's books, classes and speeches so well received. Early praise for Dealing with Disappointment: "Wonderfully valuable! A 'sanity saver' for the toddler years and beyond." "Helpful strategies and examples to assist kids in coping with and identifying their feelings." What readers and reviewers say about Elizabeth Crary's other books: "Concrete, specific suggestions..." "Inventive, effective solutions for common problems with children ages 1-5." ..".encourages flexibility and realistic expectations in parents and caregivers." "A treasure-trove of clear, useful ideas for every parent who has ever felt frustrated..." *Save $5 when your order includes both this book and the Feeling Elf Cards, page 4

When you're angry, how do you know it? And when you're angry, how do you show it? This simple book helps the very young understand strong emotions. With just a few words, it also suggests how kids can express feelings like anger in safe, socially acceptable ways.

Responsibility is a skill you can teach. Hard to believe? Not with the no-nonsense advice in this classic book. For more than a decade, parents have been relying on Elizabeth Crary's step-by-step guide to getting kids to both accept and learn responsibility. Whether you're teaching a small child to pick up his socks or a teenager to handle peer pressure, you'll appreciate the real-life examples, complete with consequences. Crary also helps parents be realistic in their expectations. She explains normal developmental stages and learning styles, so we understand how our kids best absorb and retain information. Wondering when your kids will finally take responsibility for routine chores? Elizabeth Crary's research shows that developing responsibility takes time. How much time? That's what you'll find on page 51 of Pick Up Your Socks.... After surveying hundreds of families, Crary put together a chart that shows when you can expect your kids to remember to brush their teeth, feed the pets, take out the trash, make their beds and all those other jobs you'd like them to do.

Too often kids' feelings get ignored. This series helps children and adults accept and acknowledge their emotions. It also helps them distinguish between feelings and actions. Even more important, the stories give kids several ways to cope with feelings by utilizing the books' "choose-your-own-ending" format. They also allow parents and teachers to discuss other situations in a nonjudgmental way. Especially valuable for children aged 3-9, each of these books is 32 pages, 7 x 8$1/2 inches. All were written by Elizabeth Crary and illustrated by Jean Whitney.

A young boy considers eight ways to get someone to play with him. Text encourages problem solving by looking at alternatives and possible consequences.

This series recognizes that children are entitled to their feelings even when their behavior needs to be corrected. It acknowledges specific feelings and offers children several ways to deal with them. Each book features a choose-your-own-adventure format, and shows what different outcomes of choices might be--allowing children to back up and try another solution if they don't like the outcome, or to try a variety of choices to see how each might turn out. When Matt's little brother ruins his best baseball card, Matt wants to "knock him flat." Readers will identify with Matt's feelings, and can help him choose a better way to handle his anger.

Presents a situation where a child is lost at the zoo and encourages critical thinking on the part of the reader to resolve the problem.

Teasing, theft and the need for privacy are just a few of the interpersonal issues children need to be able to handle. These new books introduce problem-solving techniques, including:
-- Brainstorming possible solutions;
-- Anticipating how each action will affect others; and
-- Selecting the best solution for the situation.

Each story presents several alternatives for readers to consider. Every choice leads to a different ending. Kids can decide whether they like how the story turns out -- or whether they want to go back and try another way of solving the problem. The stories also give adults an opportunity to ask children what other solutions they can suggest.

Teasing's terrible -- but it's one of those problems kids have to learn to handle.

Like all "Kids Can Choose" books, Heidi's Irresistible Hat helps children think through several possible solutions to an interpersonal issue. It shows how a girl deals with a classmate who just can't keep his hands off her special hat. She -- and the reader -- can try several alternatives for controlling the teasing. Heidi could get help from a grownup, ignore it, create a "walking wall" of friends to protect her, tie the hat on her head so tightly it can't come off . . . or?

Each choice leads to a different ending for the story. Kids can decide whether they like this ending or want to go back and try a different way of solving the problem.

A young boy discusses his feelings of frustration with his mother who suggests ways for him to understand and deal with such emotions.

A little boy considers eight things to do while he waits to take his turn. Presents questions about behavior and feelings for an adult to ask the child as each alternative in the story is considered.

Using a story about two friends, Jenny and Eduardo, explores the various ways Jenny might react when Eduardo calls her a dummy, and the consequences of her possible reactions.

Parents can love their kids -- and still set limits -- with Elizabeth Crary's "Star Parenting" concept:
-- Stop and focus;
-- Think of ideas;
-- Act effectively; and
-- Review, revise and reward.

This practical guide is full of examples that show how parents can use this problem-solving process -- every day, in every kind of parenting situation. Crary also describes typical development stages, so parents are sure their expectations for their kids are reasonable. She clarifies the difference between normal behavior and defiance and irresponsibility.

Why should parents make the effort to insist that children do chores? Of course there is the immediate value of getting help around the home, but far more important is the research that Elizabeth Crary cites, research that indicates the importance of doing chores in preparing children for responsible adulthood. In fact, this research shows that doing chores from a young age is more important in successful adulthood than IQ. In this easy-to-read guide, Crary explains what kids can realistically be expected to do at what ages, how to introduce chores and increase the level of responsibility as a child grows, and how to deal with children's resistance to helping.

Illustrates the use of problem-solving skills, critical thinking, and conflict resolution through an example of mother-child separation.