I first bought this book when my oldest daughter was just 3 years it old. It quickly became my favorite go to book for being a mom. I had no idea what a spirited child was and was intrigued. I also had no idea just how helpful this book would become. My daughter had several of the traits especially the bonus traits as the author calls them. Those are the traits that make raising a spirited child even more difficult. This book helped me to realize that I was not alone, there were other moms out there that went to bed each night wondering what to do and it also gave some wonderful insight on how to work with I had and to make things easier and happier around our house. Like with most self help books some of the book did not apply and you have to be able to take those and set them aside and really focus on what does. I highly recommend this book for anyone with a child that shies away from new situations, tends to over-react to the smallest things, and may be a bit hyper and especially parents of bright or gifted children! I am sure this book will be very helpful if for no other reason than to validate your feelings and help you move forward.