The opportunity to review "The No-Cry Discipline Solution" came to me at a low point in my self-perception as a parent. Tasked with a major responsibility on the home front, plus my regular writing work, housework, and of course childcare, I was snappish and irritable with Hamlet in particular. The busier and more distracted I was, the more he acted out--and the more likely it was that I would lose my temper and yell.

Enter Elizabeth Pantley's latest book. I welcomed its "gentle ways to encourage good behavior without whining, tantrums, and tears." Even though I'd never read her other "No-Cry" books, friends of mine who practice attachment parenting had very good results using her methods. Indeed, her first page states, "[D]iscipline is not about punishment, and it doesn't have to result in tears.... Teaching is part of the discipline equation."

One of the features I appreciated most about this book are the "Parent-Speak" segments, short blurbs from other mothers and fathers who have faced the issues Pantley is discussing. They round out the advice with in-the-trenches wisdom; Pantley understands that what works for her as a mother won't work for all of us, so she has asked others to illuminate her points in different lights. Indeed, she writes, "I think that it's important for us to have a wide repertoire of parenting skills so we can modify what we do to make our discipline plan work best for each child in our family, and in each different situation."

Another nice bonus--one I didn't expect--was a section at the end, which discusses almost three dozen specific, common behavior problems. "The solutions," write Pantley, "all have a common denominator: respect--for both child and parent."

My biggest problem in discipline is anger, so I focused on this section of the book. Pantley spends a good portion of time on this, and for good reason: parental anger can exacerbate the problem, as I've found first-hand. From reassuring her readers that everyone gets angry, to examining why we get angry at our children, to a six-step plan that helps parents manage their anger, Pantley teaches how to reverse damaging patterns.

At times I found the book's advice to be a bit simplified. Pantley advises that, to solve many behavior problems, all children under 5 should have a daily nap, and that all meals and snacks should be nutritious. While I wholeheartedly agree that this is ideal, our reality is that Hamlet hasn't napped since he was 2 (if he does nap, he then doesn't get to sleep until sometime between 9 and 10 p.m.) and only now has he become willing to try new foods.

Still, simple advice is often what we parents need. After all, children themselves are simplistic; I do have a tendency to overcomplicate things in life, so simple advice is a breath of fresh air--especially when presented in such a supportive, encouraging tone. You can do this, Pantley seems to tell her readers, even the most doubtful of us.

Read more about the book, including excerpts and Q&A, here.

Check out these free two-minute videos featuring the author herself for more about the "No-Cry" solution and these topics (just click on "Watch the videos" in the right column):

• Parenting Myths and Truths
• Easy Ways to Encourage Cooperation
• Ending Bedtime Battles
• Six Steps to Managing Parental Anger