Personal growth

Uncle Sam is the worst helicopter parent in America. Children are taken from their parents because they are obese. Parents are arrested for letting their children play outside alone. Sledding and swaddling are banned. From games to school to breast-feeding to daycare, the overbearing bureaucratic state keeps getting between kids and their parents. The state’s safety, hygiene, and health regulations rule, and the government’s judgment may not coincide with yours. Which foods and drinks to send to school, what toys to buy, whether to breast- or bottle-feed babies are all choices that used to be left to you and me. Not anymore. As a mom to four kids, I should be used to it, but I’m not. All the government-mandated parenting gets under my skin. And I’m not alone. No Child Left Alone explores the growing problem of an intrusive, interfering government and highlights those parents—all the Captain Mommies and Captain Daddies across America—fighting to take back control over their families.

Recreational screen media use is quickly replacing family time, by no fault of parents. They are doing the best they can based on the information available to them, which claims nothing can be done to stop their children's screen dependence. Parents seeking change need a new framework for action. Breaking the Trance does not blame parents or vilify technology, but it does give parents clear and effective strategies to implement immediately. The results will restore a sense of care and connection within the family.

Decades of research have demonstrated that the parent-child dyad and the environment of the familyâ€"which includes all primary caregiversâ€"are at the foundation of children’s well- being and healthy development. From birth, children are learning and rely on parents and the other caregivers in their lives to protect and care for them. The impact of parents may never be greater than during the earliest years of life, when a child’s brain is rapidly developing and when nearly all of her or his experiences are created and shaped by parents and the family environment. Parents help children build and refine their knowledge and skills, charting a trajectory for their health and well-being during childhood and beyond. The experience of parenting also impacts parents themselves. For instance, parenting can enrich and give focus to parents’ lives; generate stress or calm; and create any number of emotions, including feelings of happiness, sadness, fulfillment, and anger.

Blending Families responds to the need for a book that explores step-parenting by starting with the marriage as the central relationship in a new blended family unit. Just as you are better able to help your child in an airplane emergency if you put your oxygen mask on first, you are better able to blend two families if you take care of the marriage first. Starting with a discussion of attachment styles, the authors explore how those styles translate into the new family unit when trying to forge a new marriage while parenting tween and teen children in a family unit that is new to them as well. They provide parenting guidance premised on the fact that parenting occurs within a context, and in this case, a context that is unfamiliar territory for everyone involved. Using true stories throughout, they explore the variety of challenges that may arise, such as sibling rivalry, puberty, dating, emotional and intellectual differences, and preferential treatment, and offer suggestions for overcoming obstacles to fully blending. By focusing the light on the marriage as the most important source of stability, the authors encourage readers to develop a style of parenting that works for everyone and brings a sense of unity and strength to the household.

A guide to help parents teach their daughters to resist negative cultural messages. Never before have adolescent girls faced so many confusing and contradictory expectations. From a young age, popular culture teaches girls that their worth is based on their appearance, their ability to gain attention, and an ever-increasing accrual of accomplishments. With such unattainable standards, it is no wonder that many girls experience stress, self-doubt, and even mental health problems. Girls struggle to develop an authentic sense of self, even as they attempt to meet a set of impossible cultural expectations. 

Stop feeling like sh*t for being a mom―laugh-out-loud affirmations for every parent Guess what? This “parenting book” is not designed to make new parents feel bad. Authors and co-hosts of the popular comedy podcast One Bad Mother, Biz Ellis and Theresa Thorn, know firsthand that raising kids is tough. They also know that, most likely, parents are winning more than they’re failing. This book reminds parents that it’s okay to have a low bar. Celebrate what did happen, not what didn’t, including gems such as: Did you get up this morning? Great! You’re doing an awesome job! Your kid fell asleep? Even if it was just for two hours, that’s amazing. Good job! Has your kid eaten? That’s probably your doing, so yeah, you’re a winner! The perfect gift for the growing family, You Are Doing a Great Job! is the much-needed reminder to screw all expectations and advice. It belongs on the shelf next to Go the Fu*k to Sleep and Let’s Panic About Babies. Or better yet, tear out the pages and hang them up.

An innovative approach that teaches parents how to reconnect with the entire family and reclaim their parenting power. The program is designed to help parents let go of the addicted family system and begin parenting with renewed strength and positive power. Krovitz-Neren’s 5-Step Foundational Parenting Model is new to the addiction field and, unlike previous books, teaches parents a systematic approach to support their children in their successful long-term recovery. Unique in that it incorporates the perspectives, needs, and desires of teenagers and young adults, providing fresh insight and helping parents understand what their child is experiencing in active addiction.

A step-by-step resource guide written at basic high school reading level for divorcing parents, POSITIVE PARENTING 101 helps moms and dads anticipate the needs of their children during the trauma of divorce. This book, along with its companion online course, fulfills the parent education requirement now mandated by most family courts for divorcing families in the U.S. and Canada. With this easy-to-read book in their hands, parents will develop collaborative strategies for interacting with a divorcing spouse; select the most effective parenting style for addressing needs of children as they develop over time; and learn effective ways to help kids manage feelings--both DURING and AFTER divorce.

This health and wellness handbook follows the typical checkup schedule from birth to age four with the goal of instilling calm and confidence in new or anxious parents. With the tangle of information available on the internet, it’s easy for new parents to become overwhelmed. In this handbook, Dr. Luke Voytas, a practicing pediatrician (and father of two young kids), helps parents feel confident and calm by providing advice that is a blend of research-based information and common sense. Beginning with preparations leading up to baby’s birth, including how to find the right pediatrician, it follows the traditional checkup schedule—month by month, year by year—through age four. In a friendly, often humorous, and reassuring voice, he also delves into common illnesses and concerning topics including behavior, eating, and sleep, and provides answers to questions parents frequently ask. This handbook provides reliable information that empowers parents to make decisions that are best for their child and will surely be a trusted resource for everyday use.

Communicating Interpersonal Conflict in Close Relationships: Contexts, Challenges, and Opportunities provides a state-of-the-art review of research on conflict in close personal relationships. This volume brings together both seasoned and new voices in communication research to address the challenges in evaluating conflict. Contributors review the current state of research on themes related to power, serial arguments, interpersonal and family dynamics, physiological processes, and mechanisms of forgiveness by presenting theoretical reviews, original unpublished data-driven research, and discussions about the methodological challenges and opportunities in studying interpersonal conflict. An essential resource for graduate students and faculty interested in interpersonal conflict in close relationships between romantic partners, families, or friends, this volume is intended for advanced coursework and individual study in communication, social psychology, and close relationship scholarship.

What do we, as parents, need to give our children to ensure they grow up to be happy, well-balanced and resilient people? Parenting tutor and mother of two Christiane Kutik tells us that, above all, children need their parents to give them strong values to help them find their way in life.

First published in 1982. Routledge is an imprint of Taylor & Francis, an informa company.

Quality parenting doesn’t happen easily or by coincidence―it necessitates conscious awareness and intentional effort. Roots and Wings presents a user-friendly approach based on the principles and practices of mindfulness and twelve-step-oriented recovery, along with elements of psychological theory, contemporary counseling, and neuroscience. Designed for parents in recovery, most of this invaluable guidance is applicable to anyone who wants to learn how to develop the awareness and skills to become the parents they want to be and the parents their children need.

As seen in The Wall Street Journal--from free play to cozy together time, discover the parenting secrets of the happiest people in the world What makes Denmark the happiest country in the world--and how do Danish parents raise happy, confident, successful kids, year after year? This upbeat and practical book presents six essential principles, which spell out P-A-R-E-N-T:

The definitive handbook to raising vegan children you’ve always wished you had.  Is bringing up a vegan baby unhealthy? The Smart Parent's Guide to Raising Vegan Kids is the ultimate vegan parenting manifesto that takes on this myth and answers all the other questions you’ve always wondered about―the vegan way. Raising ethically vegan children, in fact, lays the groundwork for a lifetime of excellent health for your child, the animals, and the planet.

It doesn’t matter whether someone is a celebrity, a “civilian,” or a single mother or father. . . parenting is a topic that brings up common feelings in just about all moms and dads: love, trepidation, angst, tenderness, frustration, wonderment, sadness, delight, and awe. In this book, well-known parents such as Gwyneth Paltrow, Donald Trump, Carnie Wilson, Téa Leoni, Madonna, Jim Carrey, Reese Witherspoon, Adam Sandler, Denis Leary, Wayne W. Dyer, Hugh Jackman, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Antonio Banderas, Sarah Jessica Parker, Connie Chung, Maury Povich, and many more share their varied experiences in the world of parenting. Sometimes humorous, often heartbreaking, always thoughtful, and occasionally embarrassing, the accounts presented here are truly entertaining and relatable. This is the perfect book for all parents—no matter whether one’s kids are babies, teens, or Baby Boomers. So open up the book anywhere . . . and prepare to laugh, cry, nod your head in agreement, and ache with empathy and joy.

Raising an autistic child comes with its own unique set of challenges, not least of which is dealing with the constant scrutiny of your parenting. This collection of stories from all corners of the globe celebrates the love, commitment and heroism of mothers of autistic people. These intimate accounts reveal both the differences in cultural attitudes, and the universality of the autism experience. Mothers from different cultural and socio-economic backgrounds speak out about the highs and lows of raising autistic children, and the shift in attitudes to autism as they watch their children enter adult life. Putting to bed the belief that autism is a result of poor parenting, this book not only lets parents know they are part of a supportive global community, it also highlights the positive aspects of autism and champions neurodiversity.

A gender-specific parenting guide offers expert advice, practical information, and checklists for parents raising a baby girl, covering such topics as how to select the right doctor, female hygiene and common health questions, great toys for girls, educational tools, enhancing a girl's sense of identity, and the social, cognitive, and emotional development of baby girls. Original.

A powerful new parenting book that gives parents the exact words to solve any sticky parenting situation! A toddler meltdown over the wrong pair of pants, siblings fighting in the back of the car, kids crying when you try to leave the house... Parents have the best intentions to be patient and loving, but in the heat of the moment, they too often find themselves feeling helpless, desperate, and so frustrated that they resort to yelling, threatening, bribing, or caving. Now Say This solves the dilemma: how can you be empathic and effective at once? Based on the popular 3-step "ALP" model the authors have taught thousands of parents in their clinical practice, and written in a friendly, balanced, and research-based tone, Now Say This addresses issues such as, * Tantrums * Engaging cooperation * Sibling relationships * Screentime * Bedtime Best of all, it answers the question, "Now, what do you actually say?" using scripts and body language from real life examples. Now Say This is a guide that transforms remarkable ideas into practical how-to's that busy parents can use right away.

25 no-nonsense rules that teach your kids values and discipline from the inside out NBC Today show expert Dr. Ruth Peters shares her best and newest advice for helping families restore order and keep the peace with proven, painless methods that once and for all get your children to: * Understand and follow your family's values * Do their work when and how YOU want it done-- without whining * Follow your rules, even when their friends don't * Develop compassion and empathy Now, you'll know: * When snooping in their rooms is okay-- and how to do it * When making peace is the WORST thing you can do * The 5 questions you must ask your teenager every time he leaves the house * Why your kids should earn their privileges-- and how to get them to