cover image Not in Front of the Children...: 2how to Talk to Your Child about Tough Family Matters

Not in Front of the Children...: 2how to Talk to Your Child about Tough Family Matters

Lawrence Balter. Viking Books, $20 (240pp) ISBN 978-0-670-84110-3

Balter ( Dr. Balter's Child Sense ), a psychologist and columnist for the Ladies' Home Journal , offers parents insight, reassurance and, best of all, practical advice about issues that often make them queasy--sex, death, financial difficulties and divorce. Writing with freelancer Donahue, Balter asserts that anxiety-inducing events are a part of life in every household, so parents should not lacerate themselves over their occurrence. But there are ways to cushion children from the emotional trauma associated with various tough issues. Considering such matters in separate chapters, Balter describes the most common missteps parents make, suggests alternate ``new moves,'' presents a ``child's-eye view'' and addresses how to handle the problem with toddlers, preschoolers and young children. The chapter on sex, in which he urges candor and respect for privacy, is especially well-balanced. First serial to Ladies' Home Journal and Sesame Street Parents Guide. (Apr.)