Bringing a baby into the family is undeniably one of lifesmost momentous experiences, marked by expectation, joy, andhundreds of tasks and questions. Which baby gear essentials do youneed to buy and when? How can you reorganize your home to make roomfor your baby? When should you start looking for a daycare centeror nanny? One Year to an Organized Life with Baby prioritizeseverything that parents-to-be need to know in order to get theirhome and life ready for a new baby, as well as strategies forkeeping it all together once the baby is born. Packed withtimelines, checklists, and tips, this unique week-by-week,month-by-month program eliminates stress and refocuses prospectiveparents so that they can fully enjoy the changing landscape oftheir lives.

Turn Your Child into a Great Reader! Are you concerned about your child's reading ability? Does yourchild hate to read? If so, you are not alone. In fact, 38 percentof American fourth graders are unable to read at a basic level. Butnow you can turn your nonreader child into a reading star—in just afew short weeks. Based on research done at Yale, this simple yet revolutionary guidemerges the three essential elements of reading instruction:auditory training, phonics, and whole language. Inside, teachersand parents will find easy-to-read cartoons, games, and fun phonicsheets that will help almost any child read at or above gradelevel. Reading expert Peggy Wilber will show you how to help yourchild develop better fluency, language skills, and comprehension.You'll learn how to: Determine your child's specific reading needs Help your childdevelop comprehension strategies Enhance your child's phonic skillsChoose great reading selections at the right level for your childAnd much more! "This is an effec

Safety skills for children outside the home Warning signs of sexual abuse How to screen baby-sitters and choose schools Strategies for keeping teenagers safe from violence All parents face the same challenges when it comes to theirchildren's safety: whom to trust, whom to distrust, what tobelieve, what to doubt, what to fear, and what not to fear. In thisempowering book, Gavin de Becker, the nation's leading expert onpredicting violent behavior and author of the monumental bestsellerThe Gift of Fear, offers practical new steps to enhance children'ssafety at every age level, giving you the tools you need to allowyour kids freedom without losing sleep yourself. With daring andcompassion, he shatters the widely held myths about danger andsafety and helps parents find some certainty about life'shighest-stakes questions: How can I know a baby-sitter won't turn out to be someone whoharms my child? (see page 103) What should I ask child-care professionals when I interview t

In Raising Cain, Dan Kindlon, Ph.D., and Michael Thompson,Ph.D., two of the country's leading child psychologists, share whatthey have learned in more than thirty-five years of combinedexperience working with boys and their families. They reveal anation of boys who are hurting--sad, afraid, angry, and silent.Kindlon and Thompson set out to answer this basic, crucialquestion: What do boys need that they're not getting? Theyilluminate the forces that threaten our boys, teaching them tobelieve that "cool" equals macho strength and stoicism. Cuttingthrough outdated theories of "mother blame," "boy biology," and"testosterone," the authors shed light on the destructive emotionaltraining our boys receive--the emotional miseducation ofboys. Kindlon and Thompson make a compelling case that emotionalliteracy is the most valuable gift we can offer our sons, urgingparents to recognize the price boys pay when we hold them to animpossible standard of manhood. They identify the social andemotional challenges th

Today’s busier, faster, supersized society is waging anundeclared war . . . on childhood. As the pace of life acceleratesto hyperspeed–with too much stuff, too many choices, and too littletime–children feel the pressure. They can become anxious, havetrouble with friends and school, or even be diagnosed withbehavioral problems. Now, in defense of the extraordinary power ofless, internationally renowned family consultant Kim John Paynehelps parents reclaim for their children the space and freedom thatall kids need, allowing their children’s attention to focus andtheir individuality to flourish. Based on Payne’s twenty year’s experience successfully counselingbusy families, Simplicity Parenting teaches parents how to worryand hover less–and how to enjoy more. For those who want to slowtheir children’s lives down but don’t know where to start, Payneoffers both inspiration and a blueprint for change. · Streamline your home environment. The average child has morethan 150 toys.

The Breastfeeding Book Your Doctor Recommends Why is breastfeeding best for my baby? Will I like it? What if ithurts? What happens when my maternity leave is over? Will I be ableto use a breast pump? How can I make this work? The American Academy of Pediatrics, the organization thatrepresents the nation’s finest pediatricians, answers thesequestions and many more in this invaluable resource to help you andyour baby get the healthiest possible start. The benefits ofbreastfeeding will last a lifetime, for both you and yourbaby. Here is everything new mothers need to know about breastfeeding.From preparing for the first feeding to adjusting to home, family,and work life as a nursing mother, this comprehensive resourcecovers: ? Preparing for breastfeeding before your baby is born ? Breastfeeding benefits for mothers and babies, including themost recent neurological, psychological, and immunological researchshowing why breastfeeding enhances your infant’s immune system andp

In perhaps the most important parenting book of the decade,Dr. Harvey Karp reveals an extraordinary treasure sought by parentsfor centuries—an automatic “off-switch” for their baby’scrying.

P.E.T., or Parent Effectiveness Training, began almost fortyyears ago as the first national parent-training program to teachparents how to communicate more effectively with kids and offerstep-by-step advice to resolving family conflicts so everybodywins. This beloved classic is the most studied, highly praised, andproven parenting program in the world -- and it will work for you.Now revised for the first time since its initial publication, thisgroundbreaking guide will show you: How to avoid being a permissive parent How to listen so kids will talk to you and talk so kids willlisten to you How to teach yourchildren to "own" their problems and to solve them How to use the "No-Lose" method to resolve conflicts Using the timeless methods of P.E.T. will have immediate results:less fighting, fewer tantrums and lies, no need for punishment.Whether you have a toddler striking out for independence or ateenager who has already started rebelling, you'll find P.E.T. acompassionate,

An exceptional father-son story about the reality that testsus, the myths that sustain us, and the love that saves us. Paul Coates was an enigmatic god to his sons: a Vietnam vet whorolled with the Black Panthers, an old-school disciplinarian andnew-age believer in free love, an autodidact who launched apublishing company in his basement dedicated to telling the truehistory of African civilization. Most of all, he was a wilytactician whose mission was to carry his sons across the shoals ofinner-city adolescence—and through the collapsing civilization ofBaltimore in the Age of Crack—and into the safe arms of HowardUniversity, where he worked so his children could attend forfree. Among his brood of seven, his main challenges were Ta-Nehisi,spacey and sensitive and almost comically miscalibrated for hisenvironment, and Big Bill, charismatic and all-too-ready for thechallenges of the streets. The Beautiful Struggle follows theirdivergent paths through this turbulent period, and their father

Is it possible to raisea contented only child? Can we be happy with only one child? Theanswer to both of these questions is a resounding yes. In recent years, the number of couples choosing to have one childhas risen sharply. Whether it's by choice or fate, having a singlechild presents unique considerations, opportunities, andadvantages. Social psychologist Susan Newman, who has been studyingsingle-child families since the 1980s, shatters the myths of thelonely, spoiled only child, and provides in-depth coverage of thecritical issues including: ? Making the right family size decision for you ? Withstanding the pressure to have another ? Maintaining a balance of power in a three-member household ? Single-parenting the only child ? Setting boundaries with a child who is used to having yourundivided attention ? Fostering high achievement, creativity, and independence in onlychildren ? The effects of having parents, instead of siblings, as rolemodels ? Confronting age-old only-child stereotypes ? Buil