BY KAREN BOSSICK

Throw away nagging, threatening pleading and bribing and establish an emotional connection with your child.

That’s the idea behind best-selling author Dr. Laura Markham’s book “Peaceful Parent, Happy Kids: How to Stop Yelling and Start Connecting.”

The Sun Valley Community School Parents’ Association will host a free virtual book discussion via Zoom with Markham at 6 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 18.

Go to communityschool.org/news/events for the Zoom link.

Markham’s approach, which is based on the latest research on brain development and extensive clinical experience, is considered simple yet effective. When you have that vital connection, she says, you don’t need to threaten or even punish.

Her parent-tested book provides step-by-step examples, offering solutions and kid-teted phrasing for parents of toddlers through elementary years.

Markham, who lives in Brooklyn, N.Y., trained as a clinical psychologist at Columbia University. She is the author of three best-selling books, including “Peaceful Parent, Happy Siblings: How to Stop the Fighting and Raise Friends for Life” and “The Peaceful Parent, Happy Kid Workbook.”

She is the founding editor of AhaParenting.com and has been interviewed for thousands of articles by such publications as The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, Men’s Health and Parents Magazine. She tackles such subjects as separation anxiety, sass and cell phones.

This is the second in the school’s Book + Speaker Series. New York Times bestselling author Jessica Lahey spoke in December and Dr. Michele Borba, author of “Thrivers,” is scheduled to speak on April 29.