You love your child. But sometimes you just don’t understand what’s going on with them. Young children can’t yet put their feelings into words. Instead, they show what’s going on through their behavior, often in ways that are completely incomprehensible to adults. You want to do everything right, but sometimes you just don’t know what your child needs or what they’re trying to tell you.

• Your child has seemingly inexplicable tantrums—and nothing calms them down.
• Your child doesn’t listen to you—even though you ask nicely.
• You don’t know whether to comfort, set boundaries, or wait it out.
• You feel like your child doesn’t understand you—and vice versa.

Child psychology expert Claudia Schwarzlmüller presents a simple but profoundly helpful method for dealing with such situations—predicated on your knowing when to lead your child and when, instead, to follow their lead. Identifying these moments—and responding accordingly—is the key to a balanced parenting style that minimizes outbursts and helps your child’s development from infancy through age six.

Does My Child Need Me to Lead or to Follow? tracks the development of a fictionalized child named Alex from infancy through age six, guiding you through dozens of situations that will help you to instantly recognize what your child needs at that moment—because you’ll understand the underlying needs in their behavior.