Part I. A spotter's guide to tricky kids -- 1. Ten golden ideas for parenting tricky kids -- 2. The manipulators -- 3. The negotiators -- 4. The debaters -- 5. The competitors -- 6. The dare devils -- 7. The passive resisters -- Part II. The developmental stages of tricky kids -- 8. Infancy and preschool -- 9. Early to mid-primary school -- 10. Late primary school -- 11. Adolescence -- Part III. How to create change -- 12. The chemistry behind their moods -- 13. Eight important mood changers -- 14. Stop what you are doing (step 1) -- 15. Build belonging (step 2) -- 16. Create a culture of cooperation (step 3) -- 17. Start a new dance (step 4) -- 18. The dance (step 5) -- Part IV. Positive life habits -- 19. Thriving in the age of anxiety -- 20. Self-esteem skills -- 21. Self-awareness and awareness of others -- 22. Emotional wellbeing -- Part V. Tricky issues -- 23. When things get stuck -- 24. Violence and depression -- 25. From lying to honesty -- 26. Peer-group pressure -- 27. Perfectionism -- 28. Sexuality -- 29. Survival skills for parents -- Part VI. A supplement for the teachers of tricky kids.