Why does talk in families so often go in circles, leaving ustied up in knots? In this illuminating book, Deborah Tannen, thelinguist and and bestselling author of You Just Don'tUnderstand and many other books, reveals why talking to familymembers is so often painful and problematic even when we're alladults. Searching for signs of acceptance and belonging, we findsigns of disapproval and rejection. Why do the seeds of family loveso often yield a harvest of criticism and judgment? In I OnlySay This Because I Love You , Tannen shows how important it is,in family talk, to learn to separate word meanings, or messages,from heart meanings, or metamessages — unstated but powerfulmeanings that come from the history of our relationships and theway things are said. Presenting real conversations from people'slives, Tannen reveals what is actually going on in family talk,including how family conversations must balance the longing forconnection with the desire for control, as we struggle to be closewithout giving up

The number of anxious, depressed, hyperactive and withdrawnchildren is staggering—and still growing! Millions have experiencedbullying, violence (real or in the media), abuse or sexualmolestation. Many other kids have been traumatized from more“ordinary” ordeals such as terrifying medical procedures,accidents, loss and divorce. Trauma-Proofing Your Kids sends alifeline to parents who wonder how they can help their worried andtroubled children now. It offers simple but powerful tools to keepchildren safe from danger and to help them “bounce back” afterfeeling scared and overwhelmed. No longer will kids have to bepassive prey to predators or the innocent victims of life’scircumstances. In addition to arming parents with priceless protectivestrategies, best-selling authors Dr. Peter A. Levine and MaggieKline offer an antidote to trauma and a recipe for creatingresilient kids no matter what misfortune has besieged them.Trauma-Proofing Your Kids is a treasure trove of simple-to-follow“st

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.

Raising decent, caring, and responsible children is the mostcomplex and challenging job in every parent’s life—and anincreasingly difficult one in today’s society. Here is the mostauthoritative book available on this crucial subject, a valuableand sensitive guide for parents who want their children to grow upwith lifelong positive values. Based on fascinating research, this groundbreaking work bypsychologist and educator Dr. Thomas Lickona describes thepredictable stages of moral development from birth to adulthood.And it offers you down-to-earth advice and guidance for eachstage: ? Seven caring ways to discipline “terrible twos” ? Why your preschooler “lies” and how to handle it ? What to do about a four-year-old’s back talk ? How to handle your seven-year-old’s endless negotiations aboutwhat’s “fair” ? Why teens have trouble with peer pressure—and how to helpthem ? How to talk to your child about drugs, drinking, and se

"CONGRATULATIONS--YOU'RE EXPECTING TWINS!" Remember when you first heard the news? After regaining the powerof speech, you allowed the joy and anxious anticipation to settlein. Though family and friends simply suggest buying two ofeverything, parents of twins (triplets, quadruplets, right on up)need more than multiple strollers. For along with equipment, theyneed more facts, more advice, more patience, more support. Now helpis here with The Art of Parenting Twins. Whether you have just discovered you're expecting two (or more)babies, are about to give birth, are struggling through thoseincredible first weeks, or are engaged in the whirlwind ofchild-rearing, here are the answers and resources you've beenlooking for. Written by the president and founder of Twin Services,Inc., this complete up-to-date guide will give you the skills youneed. The Art of Parenting Twins covers such vital issues as - Bonding with more than one baby - Breast-feeding techniques

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

In the tradition of recent hits like The Bitch in theHouse and Perfect Madness comes a hilarious andcontroversial book that every woman will have an opinion about,written by America’s most outrageous writer. In our mothers’ day there were good mothers, neglectful mothers,and occasionally great mothers. Today we have only Bad Mothers. If you work, you’re neglectful; if you stay home, you’resmothering. If you discipline, you’re buying them a spot on theshrink’s couch; if you let them run wild, they will be into drugsby seventh grade. If you buy organic, you’re spending their collegefund; if you don’t, you’re risking all sorts of allergies andillnesses. Is it any wonder so many women refer to themselves at one time oranother as “a bad mother”? Ayelet Waldman says it’s time for womento get over it and get on with it, in a book that is sure to sparkthe same level of controversy as her now legendary “Modern Love”piece, in which she confessed to loving her husband more than

From "Goo" to Gab — Guiding Your Child to EffectiveCommunication The first five years of a child's life are the most critical forspeech and language development, and, as a parent, you are yourchild's primary language role model. So what are the best ways tohelp your child develop the all-important skill of communication?Fun, easy, and engaging, this book shows you how! Inside, you'lldiscover all of the essential steps and checkpoints from birththrough age five, tips to help your child progress on schedule, andeasy methods to: · Evaluate and monitor your child's language development · Understand and deal with environmental impacts such astelevision and cultural styles · Recognize the signs of language development problems · And much, much more!

Start Setting Effective Limits — Now! Do your children misbehave? Do they repeatedly ignore or refuseyour requests for proper behavior? Are you constantly fluctuatingbetween permissive and authoritarian parenting, with little or nosuccess? Are you convinced there has to be a better way? There is.Setting Limits will help you establish the positive, respectful,and instructional groundwork your children need for proper ethicaland behavioral development In this revised and expanded edition of his popular book, RobertMacKenzie, Ed.D., demonstrates proven techniques and proceduresthat not only correct misbehavior but instill the cooperation andconduct you want and expect from your children. This book showsparents how to: ?Enforce clear, firm, and effective boundaries ?Put an end to conflicts and power struggles ?Establish rules that encourage cooperation ?Teach children important problem-solving skills ?Apply logical consequences of misbehavior Children need

div In an attempt to gather what wisdom he could toguide his son into adulthood, Kent Nerburn published a powerfulcollection of essays that touched the hearts of parents andchildren everywhere. In this beautiful revised edition, Nerburnrefines his advice and expands his thoughts. /div

Stanley Greenspan, internationally known for his work withinfants, young children, and their families, and his colleague,nationally recognized child psychologist Serena Wieder, have forthe first time integrated their award-winning research and clinicalexperience into a definitive guide to raising children with specialneeds. In this essential work they lay out a complete, step-by-stepapproach for parents, educators, and others who work withdevelopmental problems. Covering all kinds of disabilitiesincludingautism, PPD, language and speech problems, Down syndrome, cerebralpalsy, and ADDthe authors offer a new understanding of the natureof these challenges and also specific ways of helping childrenextend their intellectual and emotional potential. The authorsfirst show how to move beyond labels to observe the uniqueprofilestrengths and problemsof the individual child. Next, theydemonstrate the techniques necessary to help the child not onlyreach key milestones but also develop new emotional andintellectual

In this fully revised and expanded second edition, SettingLimits author Robert MacKenzie is back with even more time-provenmethods for dealing with misbehavior and creating positive,respectful, and rewarding relationships with children prone toacting out and disobedience. Disruptive misbehavior, constant power struggles, manipulativeor aggressive behavior--the challenges facing parents and teachersof strong-willed children can seem overwhelming at times. That'swhy thousands of parents and educators have turned to the solutionsin Setting Limits With Your Strong-Willed Child. This revised andexpanded second edition offers the most up-to-date alternatives topunishment and permissiveness--moving beyond traditional methodsthat wear you down and get you nowhere, and zeroing in on whatreally works so parents can use their energy in more efficient andproductive ways. With fully updated guidelines on parenting toolslike "logical consequences," and examples drawn directly from themodern world that childre

Nature didn’t finish your child’s brain at birth. It’s up toyou to maximize your child’s mental skills without causingadditional stress. Acclaimed neurologist David Perlmutter, MD,offers these valuable tools: Simple games to reinforce memory pathways in the brain Information on common household products and children’s toys thatcontain brain-damaging neurotoxins The right foods and supplements to boost intelligence and turn onyour child’s smart genes How to turn the television, the computer, and video games intoeducational tools Proven ways to reduce the risk of your child developing ADD andADHD Between birth and age five, your child has up to thirty IQ pointsat stake. Scientists now know that the human brain is undergoing aconstant and dramatic transformation in the first years of life.During this peak time of development, every activity and experienceleaves an indelible mark on your baby’s brain, for better or worse.The right kind of stimulation and nu

What is it about four-year-olds that makes them solovable? What problems do four-year-olds have? What canthey do now that they couldn't do at three? Drs. Amesand Ilg, recognized authorities on child behavior anddevelopment, discuss these and scores of other questionsunique to four-year-old girls and boys, and they offerparents practical advice and enlightening psychologicalinsights.

In the best-selling tradition of Kids Say the Darndest Thingsand Really Important Stuff My Kids Have Taught Me, this warm andfunny book offers 147 truly wise parenting tips in the words andhandwriting of kids who don't always know how to spell, but alwaysknow what they need. If kids came with an instruction manual, this would be it -- aclever and poignant collection of suggestions, observations andreminders to parents from the experts themselves (kids 6-12). Organized into three sections: (Love and Caring, Family andFriends, and Guidance and Independence), these one- or two-linerequests will bring a smile to your face, a lump to your throat,and a renewed sense of confidence that you can give your kids thelove and support they deserve.

Have you ever stepped back to watch what really goes on whenyour children play? As psychologist Lawrence J. Cohen points out,play is children's way of exploring the world, communicating deepfeelings, getting close to those they care about, working throughstressful situations, and simply blowing off steam. That's why"playful parenting" is so important and so successful in buildingstrong, close bonds between parents and children. Through play wejoin our kids in "their" world-and help them to - Express andunderstand complex emotions- Break through shyness, anger, andfear- Empower themselves and respect diversity- Play their waythrough sibling rivalry - Cooperate without power struggles Fromeliciting a giggle during baby's first game of peekaboo to crackingjokes with a teenager while hanging out at the mall, "PlayfulParenting "is a complete guide to using play to raise confidentchildren. Written with love and humor, brimming with good adviceand revealing anecdotes, and grounded in the latest research, this

Biblical parenting involves encouraging, exhorting, andempathizing with children according to their unique needs andcharacter. This re-release of Different Children, Different Needsclarifies what the Bible means when it commands us to ?

The Goodnight Book for Moms and Little Ones is filled withstories to read, songs to sing, poetry to inspire, activities todelight, recipes to soothe, and prayers to calm. Perfect snugglingmaterial for moms and little ones, this magical book is sure toguarantee a love of bedtime and sweet, sweet dreams. The GoodnightBook for Moms and Little Ones includes: ? Literary Excerpts: Ten excerpts relating to sleep, stars, anddreams from beloved children’s classics. In Charlotte’s Web,Charlotte sings Wilbur to sleep; in Mary Poppins, she glues starsto the sky; and in James and the Giant Peach, James falls asleep inthe web hammock under the soft light of a glowworm. ? Tales Legends: Fourteen stories from Sleeping Beauty andRip Van Winkle to creation tales of the moon and stars fromdifferent cultures. ? Songs: Ten songs and lullabies, including "Dream a Little Dreamof Me," "Goodnight" by Lennon and McCartney, and "Hush, LittleBaby." ? Poetry: Fourteen poems, including "The Land of Nod

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