If one of your New Year’s resolutions is to brush up on your parenting skills, 52 Weeks of Parenting Wisdom is for you. Author Meg Akabas, founder of New York City-based Parenting Solutions™, provides parents from birth to age 10 an easy to follow, week-by-week guide chock full of practical parenting tips. The book covers everything from dealing with sibling rivalries to helping your child discover what they’re passionate about.

An excerpt from 52 Weeks of Parenting Wisdom, by Meg Akabas:

Week 1 – Watch Your Attitude!

It’s not inevitable that children whine and throw tantrums throughout their young years. And they don’t have to grow up to be sullen, rude teens either. It’s all about expectations, truly. You can raise children without tolerating behaviors you find unacceptable. The trick is to start very early and be absolutely consistent about how you deal with those behaviors. Here are some points to keep in mind:

• Never (never!) reward undesirable behavior, especially whining. In the moment, giving in to a demanding, whining child or ignoring an inappropriate remark may be easier than doing the right thing. But consider the future, not the moment.
• Always be sure a consequence (not punishment) follows unacceptable behavior (read about this distinction in Week 9: No More Punishments).
• Be very clear about expectations. That means specific. Telling children that you expect them to “behave” doesn’t really tell them anything. You must tell them how you expect them to behave.

To read more of Meg’s parenting wisdom, grab a copy yourself on Amazon!