Problem: Your child is at the stage where she’s testing boundaries. And her favorite tactics—meltdowns at the mall, acting like a diva on play dates and being impossible at mealtime—are testing your patience. Solution: Take a few discipline tips from the playbook of Penelope Fairchild, author of British Nanny ($10). Her tried and true advice offers strategies for a tantrum prone toddler: “It is best to remove them from a problem straight away, and distract them with something else. I always keep a bubble-blowing kit handy for those moments when a quick diversion is clearly necessary to avert disaster.” When a child won’t share her toys, Fairchild says, “Practice the task with an egg timer, giving each child a set amount of time with each toy.” And for peace at the dinner table: “Don’t make mealtimes a battle, you won’t win. Young children are often daunted by a big helping of food. Give them small potions, with ‘seconds’ if they want. And keep different components of the meal separate on their plates; they often hate it if things are mixed up.”