Here are their top tips:
* Get a child's attention: Make eye contact and touch your child on the shoulder or hand to get his attention. Create a ''listen to me" signal.
* Break up tasks into pieces: Give specific directions broken into manageable steps. Instead of saying, ''Clean up this mess,'' they recommend saying, ''Put all the cars into this bin, then put it on the shelf in your bedroom.''
Rice uses a ''Not Done'' pouch because she knows how, even as an adult, it's hard to put a project down that isn't finished.
* Play is important: True play - not sports or computer games - involves children using their imagination, such as using wooden blocks to build a roadway for race cars.
* Create a routine: For reluctant sleepers, follow a relaxing, consistent routine every night to build toward bedtime.
* Use quiet time. Instead of a ''timeout'' that is punitive, approach a child with words like ''You could use a quiet time to relax.''
