MSI Press Blog

  In a world full of parenting books that lecture and overwhelm,  I Love My Kids, But I Don’t Always Like Them  by Franki Bagdade is a breath of fresh air. With the cadence of a casual coffee chat between two exhausted parents and the wisdom of a seasoned behavioral expert, this award-winning guide offers something radical—hope. At the heart of that hope is one of the most powerful, underestimated parenting tools of all:  active listening . Franki’s message is clear—when parents begin to truly listen to their children (not just hear them), everything changes. Behavior improves. Conflicts soften. Relationships deepen. In fact,  active listening  is often the first step in transforming not just your child’s behavior, but your entire family dynamic. What Is Active Listening? Active listening means being fully present with your child—putting away your phone, pausing your multitasking mind, and tuning in not just to the words, but to the  feelings  beh...

Social skills don’t always come naturally—and for some kids, navigating friendships, reading body language, or taking turns can feel like climbing a mountain with no map. Whether your child is shy, impulsive, anxious, or just figuring out how to “people,”  I Love My Kids, But I Don't Always Like Them .  is the compassionate guidebook you didn’t know you needed. Franki, a seasoned expert in behavior with two decades of experience observing kids in classrooms and camps, knows what it looks like when a child flounders socially—and how much it can drain a parent’s energy. With warmth, humor, and refreshing honesty, she invites readers into her own messy, real-life journey raising three very different children. Her book offers no shame and no finger-wagging—just real tools to help your child grow into their social self, even if you’re running on coffee and fumes. Inside this award-winning parenting survival guide, you’ll find strategies for helping kids build relationships, navigat...

  Temper tantrums. Whether you're navigating your toddler's grocery-store meltdown or managing a child whose frustration has hit peak volume during bedtime, tantrums can feel like the emotional equivalent of walking barefoot across Legos. It’s in these loud, chaotic, soul-draining moments that we parents are asked to summon something superhuman: calm. Franki Bagdade’s award-winning parenting guide,  I Love My Kids, But I Don’t Always Like Them , doesn’t offer a fairy tale version of parenting—it delivers real talk for real life. With a career in behavioral observation and a deeply personal understanding of parenting exhaustion, Franki meets parents where they are: frazzled, burned out, and wondering what on earth just happened. The book is refreshingly honest, peppered with humor, and built on hard-earned wisdom. Franki’s stories and strategies help parents stay grounded, even when their child’s emotions are spinning out like a top in a tornado. Her approach is not about perfe...