The author of this book has spent over thirty years working with children of all ages in a variety of settings including boarding schools and children's homes. He does not hold a degree in psychology or have letters after his name. He gained all his paper qualifications while he was doing the job. For those who think paper qualifications are required, the author does hold a certificate of qualification in social work but does not draw on this for the purposes of this book. The qualification he does have to write this book is experience. He has worked with difficult, maladjusted, those with learning difficulties, as well as so called 'normal' children. In this book, he attempts to pass on that experience to parents in a clear and straightforward manner without the jargon of psychology.