Introduction: how I discovered the secret to successful communication with toddlers --
Your evolving todder: to best understand your little one, take a giant step
"Help! There's a Neanderthal in my kitchen!" --
12 to 18 months: your "charming chimp-child" --
18 to 24 months: your "knee-high Neanderthal" --
24 to 36 months: your "clever cave kid" --
36 to 48 months: your "versatile villager" --
Nature's wild card: what's your toddler's temperament? --
The clash of civilizations: when modern parents meet stone age kids --
Now you're talking!: to help your toddler understand you, try speaking his language. How to you say that in toddler-ese?: communication that really works! --
Respect and rewards: ways to encourage good behavior --
Time-in: how routine and play can soothe your prehistoric pal --
Gentle diplomacy: ways to set up and enforce limits --
Pushing aside troublesome boulders: how prehistoric parenting can help you get past some common toddler problems. Boulders that trip up one-year-olds: tantrums, public meltdowns, sleep problems, biting --
Boulders that trip up two-year-olds: separation worries, picky eating, toilet learning --
Boulders that trip up three-year-olds: fears, stuttering, medicine taking, new siblings --
Epilogue: civilization, ho! Your happy, confident four-year-old.