Raising a Self-Reliant Child ─ A Back-to-Basics Parenting Plan from Birth to Age 6

With this practical guide, parents can end daily power struggles with their preschoolers, toddlers, and infants and create more time for the family to spend on things that matter by encouraging early childhood independence skills.

Every parent wants their child to be self-reliant, but in our speed-obsessed society, it's not always easy to wait for a five-year-old to tie his shoe when it's so much faster to do it for him. Dr. Alanna Levine has seen first-hand how well-meaning parents don't emphasize independence from an early age, and how this can lead to the modern phenomena of helicopter parents and boomerang children. Dr. Levine has distilled her observations into a straightforward guide based on teachable moments from breakfast to bedtime, including self-soothing, toilet training, mealtime, playtime, and chores. Parents will learn the tools they need to teach and model independence for their children as part of their everyday routine, so kids develop both confidence and skills in trying new tasks, situations, and communications on their own. While instilling independence in young children takes time and patience at the outset, Dr. Levine's methods will help families save time in the long run, as children become responsible for their daily routines and families can focus on more meaningful and productive activities.

DR. ALANNA LEVINE is a national spokesperson for the American Academy of Pediatrics, the world’s foremost pediatric organization. Dr. Levine has been featured on the TODAY show and Good Morning America, and lives in New York with her husband and two children.