## References and adaptation notes

**[1] Sun Tzu. The Art of War. Translated by Lionel Giles, 1910.** The reference text is the basic, unannotated text in [Project Gutenberg, eBook 17405](https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/17405), available as the [complete numbered text](https://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/17405/pg17405-images.html). Accessed September 3, 2026. Chapter names and paragraph numbers in this book follow that edition, with “Maneuvering” regularized for readability. The source is traditionally attributed to Sun Tzu; this book does not investigate the history of its composition or claim to settle questions of historical authorship. Giles's translation is used as an identifiable English source, not as the only possible rendering of the Chinese text.

**[2] American Academy of Pediatrics. “What's the Best Way to Discipline My Child?”** [HealthyChildren.org](https://www.healthychildren.org/English/family-life/family-dynamics/communication-discipline/Pages/Disciplining-Your-Child.aspx). Page dated November 5, 2018; accessed September 3, 2026. Consulted for its guidance on clear limits, teaching behavior, avoiding physical punishment and shaming, and adults repairing their own mistakes. This guidance is independent of the Sun Tzu analogy. It does not validate the book's original exercises, categories, or suggested schedule.

**[3] American Academy of Pediatrics, Council on Communications and Media. “How to Make a Family Media Plan.”** [HealthyChildren.org](https://www.healthychildren.org/English/family-life/Media/Pages/How-to-Make-a-Family-Media-Use-Plan.aspx). Updated January 20, 2026; accessed September 3, 2026. Consulted for family discussion, household-specific media arrangements, parental participation, and review as circumstances change. The device scenarios and proposed household arrangements in this book are original illustrations, not an AAP-endorsed program.

**[4] StopBullying.gov. “Support the Children Involved.”** [StopBullying.gov](https://www.stopbullying.gov/prevention/support-the-children-involved). Content reviewed May 19, 2026; accessed September 3, 2026. Consulted for adult support and follow-up, attention to unequal power, and the limits of peer mediation in bullying situations. The fictional activity case illustrates those distinctions without claiming a predictable outcome or replacing situation-specific support.

**[5] American Academy of Pediatrics. “How to Support Children after Their Parents Separate or Divorce.”** [HealthyChildren.org](https://www.healthychildren.org/English/healthy-living/emotional-wellness/Building-Resilience/Pages/How-to-Support-Children-after-Parents-Separate-or-Divorce.aspx). Page dated September 29, 2020; accessed September 3, 2026. Consulted narrowly for support, routines, and reducing exposure to adult conflict. Caregiver safety and capacity remain relevant. This book does not offer custody recommendations, legal guidance, or a timetable for emotional recovery.

### How the sources were used

This is a practical philosophical adaptation, not a scholarly translation or a systematic review of parenting research. The source map makes the extent and limits of the ancient analogy inspectable. Military passages are summarized rather than silently recast as child-development facts. Where the ancient method conflicts with responsible care, the text says so.

No modern quotation collection or recent English translation supplies the prose of this book. The family scenes and scripts were written for illustration. Suggested tools are proposals for thoughtful use and review; they should not be presented as tested treatments or used to explain away a child's need for individual assessment and support.

The essential guidance and complete appendices in this edition can be read without a website, QR code, or external worksheet. The links above identify sources for readers who wish to examine them. The WisdomSpan companion is organized as an edition-matched archive of Appendix A, Appendix B, working sheets, references and corrections. Substantive updates should identify their date and the edition they affect; original source, contemporary guidance and new interpretation remain distinct.