Book excerpt: Using Your Head as Well as Your Heart to Raise School-Aged Children This 4th edition of Common Sense Parenting® offers parents of children ages 6-16 a menu of proven techniques to use while facing family challenges: a teen who’s defiant; siblings who constantly bicker; a child having trouble in school; and parents and kids who don’t communicate or have fun together anymore. Step-by-step strategies aid parents in building good family relationships, preventing and correcting misbehavior, using consequences to improve behavior, teaching self-control, and staying calm. This updated edition shows parents how to approach discipline as positive teaching rather than punishment. As each new parenting technique is introduced, the authors explain each step, provide many clear examples, and give you an action plan for implementing it in your home. Also addressed are topics of special interest - how to deal with school problems, computer misuse, and Internet and social media dangers.