Keep Calm and Parent On: A Guilt-Free Approach to Raising Children by Asking More from Them and Doing Less

From a modern-day Mary Poppins and the former star of TLC’s Take Home Nanny comes a holistic and guilt-free approach to parenting children ages seven and under.

Emma Jenner lives, teaches, and nannies by this philosophy: if parents are in control, they can enjoy their children more. And what could be more enjoyable than well- behaved, respectful, healthy, thriving kids?

Keep Calm and Parent On effectively places parenting expert Emma Jenner on your shoulder, helping you see your child’s behavior from an objective standpoint that puts you firmly in charge. Each chapter opens with a checklist of questions to ask yourself when you run into a specific problem, whether it’s sleeping, nutrition, communication, manners, consequences, or self-esteem. Jenner then breaks down each checklist, explaining how bad behavior is really just a habit that needs to be corrected. By connecting the dots in all areas of your child’s life, you can understand why he or she is acting out—and how to fix it. For example, the best discipline techniques in the world won’t work if a child is sleep-deprived, and a child will not demonstrate good manners if communication is faulty and he doesn’t understand what’s expected of him. Each chapter also features handy sidebars, as well as instructive and memorable quizzes. A strong proponent of raising our expectations, Jenner shows how parents can do more by doing less for their children.

With an interactive format and straightforward solutions, this invaluable guide is designed to give parents bite-size takeaways they can use immediately with their children. Jenner’s blend of British and American parenting styles is more than advice; it is proof that all children are capable of behaving—and that you have the keys to unlocking their potential.

Emma Jenner grew up in England and has studied and worked with children for seventeen years. In 2008 she starred in TLC’s Take Home Nanny, and in 2010 she founded Emma’s Children, a consulting service to help educate parents. She is frequently interviewed as a childcare expert and is a parenting columnist for LA Parent Magazine and Huffington Post.