Stephen Digges is the kind of angry adolescent a lot ofparents would have given up on. He is out of control by the time heis 13 -- running with gangs, stealing cars, fooling around withdrugs and guns, and in general making his family’s life hell.Confronted with his growing recklessness and defiance, his mother,the poet Deborah Digges, decides to try to accept Stephen on hisown terms--a course that stuns her family and leads to the breakupof her second marriage. Digges “shadows” him on his late-nightforays so that she can understand his world, welcomes his gang intotheir apartment, and tries to see life through his eyes. When shediscovers that children who are devoted to animals have an easiertime forming attachments to other people, she fills their home witha menagerie of ailing or abandoned pets. She also turns to anunconventional therapist who offers unusual — but helpful —treatment. The Stardust Lounge isn’t your usual story of rebelliousadolescence. The power of Digges’s memoi
The push for students to excel at school and get into the bestcolleges has never been more intense. In this invaluable new book,the bestselling co-author of Raising Cain addressesAmerica’s performance-driven obsession with the accomplishments ofits kids–and provides a deeply humane response. “How was school?” These three words contain a world of desire onthe part of parents to know what their children are learning andexperiencing in school each day. Children may not divulge much, butpsychologist Michael Thompson suggests that the answers are thereif we know how to read the clues and–equally important–if weremember our own school days. School, Thompson reminds us, occupies more waking hours than kidsspend at home; and school is full not just of studies but of humanemotion–excitement, fear, envy, love, anger, sexuality, boredom,competitiveness. Through richly detailed interviews, casehistories, and student e-mail journals, including those of his ownchildren, Thompson illuminates the deeper psyc
This updated edition of the classic parenting book combinesinsights from Jewish tradition with contemporary thinking about howchildren learn and grow. And it describes the practices, customs,and values that go into creating a Jewish home and raising joyfulchildren within the rich traditions of Judaism.
A good night's sleep is crucial both for a child's well-beingand a parent's peace of mind. This positive, practical guideteaches parents to establish good sleeping habits in their kids andcope with the problems that cause sleepless nights, from colic tobed-wetting to nightmares.
Finally—A Pregnancy Book That Won't Put Men to Sleep My Boys Can Swim! tells real men everything they really want toknow about pregnancy, such as: How much is it going to cost? Whydoes your wife primp before seeing her doctor when she hasn't put astitch of make-up on for you in months? And, most important, what'sit going to do to your sex life? This rollicking, laugh-out-loud book is for expectant dads insearch of bottom-line pregnancy information, without all thatboring touchy-feely stuff you find in those books written forwomen. Inside you'll discover helpful—and hilarious—information andinsights on such topics as: The Maternity Wardrobe: "A key part of the maternity wardrobe ismaternity underwear—parachute-like undies big enough to fit an NFLdefensive lineman." Baby Names: "Don't give your kids mockable names like Thaddeus,which is Greek for 'I'm a dork and should be beaten up.'" The Birth: "No one told me it's normal that babies' heads can bemisshapen at birth.
