Rice for Breakfast: A Parenting Book for Primary School Children
Why doesn’t your child ‘calm down’ when you ask them to? Why is sitting down to dinner such a challenge?
Who's it for?
This book is for parents and carers of children aged 4 to 11 from Reception to Year 6. It’s for you if:
- Everyday moments, like mornings, dinner and bedtime, have become battles
- Your child holds it together at school, then falls apart at home
- You want to parent without punishment, but still have boundaries
- The advice you’ve read was written for toddlers or teenagers, not your child
What's inside?
he book follows your child’s day, so you can dip into the moment you need help with.
- Mornings: waking up, getting dressed, the school run
- School: drop-off, and the after-school meltdown
- Mealtimes: why dinner is such a challenge
- Play and screens: what’s really going on when they won’t stop
- Parties and big days out: why the best days can end in tears
- Bedtime: the stalling, the worries, the endless questions
Questions this book answers
Why won’t my child calm down when I ask? A child’s brain is still learning to manage big feelings. The book explains what they can and can’t do at each age, and what helps instead.
Why is dinner such a battle? Sitting still, trying new foods and following table rules all ask a lot of a primary-age child. The book shows where expectations and development don’t match.
Is my child ‘strong-willed’, or is something else going on? The book helps you look underneath the behaviour, so you can respond to what your child needs.
Why this book: the author
Rebecca Earlby is an accredited play therapist, trained with the Academy of Play and Child Psychotherapists (APAC), and registered with Play Therapy UK. She has spent 10 years helping children make sense of big feelings, and helping their parents make sense of them too.
She also runs Lily Pad Play Therapy in Epsom, Surrey, and hosts the Rice for Breakfast Podcast.
Gentle parenting, with boundaries
Rice for Breakfast is rooted in gentle parenting. But gentle doesn’t mean anything goes. The book is about realistic expectations: understanding what your child can do at their age and stage, then setting boundaries that fit. It’s for parents who’ve tried gentle parenting and found it didn’t quite work for their older child.
Who it's not for
This book focuses on the primary years. If your child is a baby, toddler or teenager, the core ideas will still help, but the everyday examples won’t match your stage.
What readers say
Review One
This book focuses on the primary years. If your child is a baby, toddler or teenager, the core ideas will still help, but the everyday examples won’t match your stage. Read More
Review Two
Loved this book. So refreshing to read a book about parenting / life / kids that feels like it has been written by an actual human. Read More
Review Three
Tiny humans don’t come with a manual but this book is as close as you can get. It’s a perfect guide for every event your child will go through from getting dressed to big days out. Read More
Review Four
This book is truly a life saver! Rebecca speaks to us as parents in a way not many authors do. I’ve read a lot of parenting books and what sets this book apart is Rebecca’s humanity and openness but also the practical advice and examples she gives. Read More
Review Five
This book is a refreshing read that expertly normalises the messy, unpolished realities of parenting. The author strikes a brilliant balance by including enough factual science to be informative, yet keeps it simple enough to ensure it never feels over-complicated. Read More
Review Six
This book is written in a way that everyone will be able to understand. It’s really challenged the way I parent as I have taken on ways my parent did with the assumption that’s the only way
In fact, learning to parent YOUR individual child for who they are, is a recipe for them thriving.
Details
Publisher – Lily Pad Play Therapy Ltd.
Language – English
Perfect Bound
Contributors
Kazandra Cooper
By author
Published Date – 2026-05-05
ISBN – 9781036914813
Dimensions – 20.3 x 12.7 x 1.5 cm
Page Count – 254
FAQs
What age is Rice for Breakfast for? It’s written for parents of primary school children, roughly ages 4 to 11.
Is it a gentle parenting book? Yes. It’s rooted in gentle parenting, with a focus on realistic expectations and clear boundaries.
Does it help with strong-willed children? Yes. It helps you understand what’s driving the behaviour, so you can respond with less conflict.
Is it a book for parents or for children? It’s for parents and carers. It’s not a children’s storybook.
Can I read it in any order? Yes. It follows a child’s day, so you can jump to the part you need.
Where can I buy it? The paperback is available from The Great British Bookshop, and the ebook from Amazon.
Want more support?
If you’d like to talk through your child’s behaviour one-to-one, book an online parenting consultation with Rebecca. Or listen to the Rice for Breakfast Podcast.