Practical parenting tips: Over 1,500 helpful hints for the first five years

Here are just a few of the ideas in this book that parents have actually used to make life with young children easier:

Childproofing

• Keep a rubber band around the toilet tissue roll to prevent waste and clogged toilets due to "flushing fascination."

• Drape a towel over the top of the bathroom door to keep children from shutting it tightly and locking themselves in.

Tantrums

• Listen. Acknowledge the source of frustration.

• Whisper in your child's ear. The screaming may stop or turn into a giggle.

• Disappear into another room. You'll feel better and the tantrum will lose steam.

Hair Care

• Sit your child in a high chair to prevent "wandering." Spread a newspaper underneath.

• Remove gum from hair with peanut butter. Work it into the hair and then comb out both gum and peanut butter.

Bruce Lansky has edited a number of poetry anthologies (including Rolling in the Aisles, Kids Pick the Funniest Poems, If Kids Ruled the School, A Bad Case of the Giggles, Miles of Smiles, and No More Homework! No More Tests!), and 3 silly songbook anthologies. Lansky created the popular GigglePoetry.com website for children and the PoetryTeachers.com website for teachers. He also created the Girls to the Rescue series, the New Fangled Fairy Tales series, and the Can You Solve the Mysteries series.