How to Con Your Kid: Simple Scams for Mealtime, Bedtime, Bathtime-Anytime!

By David Borgenicht and James Grace

The Book Your Children Don’t Want You to Read
 
This revised and updated edition of How to Con Your Kid is the most useful (and sneakiest) parenting manual you’ll ever purchase. Here are hundreds of tips, techniques, and simple scams for getting your child to do exactly what you want—at mealtime, bedtime, bathtime, and beyond. You’ll learn how to:
 
     •  Con your kid into eating by playing on his possessiveness.
     •  Con your kid into bathing by “swimming” in the tub.
     •  Con your kid into talking quietly by whispering back.
     •  Con your kid into returning your iDevice—by any means possible!
 
And dozens more tricks of the parenting trade!

• Language: English
• Publisher: Random House Publishing Group
• Release date: May 18, 2011
• ISBN: 9781594745676

David Borgenicht

David Borgenicht is the coauthor and creator of the Worst-Case Scenario Survival Handbook series. He lives in Philadelphia.

Reviews for How to Con Your Kid

[lilacwolf · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

From Lilac Wolf and StuffI'm unsure how seriously to take this book. There really were some great tips in there, but there were some that will probably drive you and your child to therapy. Like telling a child with ratty hair that there are evil witches in there tangling it up...seriously not a good idea! Or the nose goblins, if it doesn't mess them up it will increase the amount of nose picking.It is seriously a good read, entertaining and as I said, I did come away with a few tips I will try out. Like make getting ready a race. I did that yesterday when it was time to leave Grandma & Grandpa's house and it worked! I said "I bet I"ll get my shoes on before you get your boots on!" And they both raced downstairs and got their boots, raced back up and put them on while I worked (so very hard - lol) on getting my shoes on. And yes they both beat me. Then I raced CW with his coat and Chris raced Ivan. Fastest we ever got back on the road. I think this would make a unique shower gift, in a basket with some other little baby gifts.

[n6robinson · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

The miniature hard cover with cute cover art makes this book ideal for a tabletop or gift basket. What I really liked was how the authors gave practical tips without taking themselves too seriously. The book is quick and easy to read which is perfect for busy parents. The book is divided into sections like Grooming Cons, Getting Ready Cons, and Mealtime and Bedtime Cons. The authors present the con (desired behavior), for example, get your kid to let you leave. Then move to laying the groundwork, in this case, letting your child know in advance that you are going out, and normalizing the experience by enlisting neighborhood kids to talk about how great it is to be at home with a babysitter.The book offers basic cons and short cons for every situation. Basic cons for getting your kid to let you leave include things like saying goodbye positively and quickly and making sure you have everything ready to go (keys, wallet, bowling ball) so that you can make a clean get away. The short cons focus more on the language to use with your child—“Do you want to give me a goodbye kiss or a goodbye hug?”It’s been fun to practice the techniques with my daughter. It’s a comfort knowing that I have a few tricks up my sleeve. I would recommend this book to a friend with young children.