Resources for Parents
This book argues that modern divorce rates, career-oriented families, and unhealthy parenting practices are contributing to such childhood problems as obesity, risky sexual behaviors, and mental illness, drawing on a range of medical and social science literature, as well as popular culture, to identify a need for more active parent participation in child care.
HOME ALONE BY Mary Eberstsdt
Grandfather Recommended
In this important and empowering book, veteran psychoanalyst Erica Komisar explains why a mother’s emotional and physical presence in her child’s life–especially during the first three years–gives the child a greater chance of growing up emotionally healthy, happy, secure, and resilient.
In other words, when it comes to connecting with your baby or toddler, more is more.
Compassionate and balanced, and focusing on the emotional health of children and moms alike, this book shows parents how to give their little ones the best chance for developing into healthy and loving adults.
BEING THERE by Erica Komisar, LCSW
Grandfather Recommended
Over the last generation, parents have felt increasingly intimidated by child care “experts,” and have largely surrendered their role as the primary educators of their children. Brian Robertson believes that this development has proved detrimental to parents and children alike. Theories of development, often colored by ideological positions on the family and its role in society, should take a back seat to the instinctive understanding parents have about what rearing children requires. Parenting is for parents, he believes, not for child development experts, and especially not for day care “professionals.”
DAY CARE DECEPTION by Brian C. Robertson
Grandfather Recommended
Startling new evidence reveals the critical importance of having a parental presence in a child’s early years. This book explains why continuity of nuturing care by the same person is essential to the emotional well-being of every infant and toddler.
BEING THERE: THE BENEFITS OF A STAY-AT-HOME PARENT By Isabelle Fox, Ph.D.
Grandfather Recommended
Millions of American children spend much of their childhood in daycare. May Saubier dismisses the daycare debate and instead illustrates how the very foundation of daycare is flawed. For the first time, parents step into the lives of their children as she reveals a typical daycare existence. Each chapter documents what Saubier, an experienced educator and daycare provider, has witnessed and the impact felt by the children who “do time” there each week. DOING TIME:
WHAT IT REALLY MEANS GROWING UP IN DAY CARE By May Saubier
Grandfather Recommended
In today’s increasingly complicated world, it’s often difficult for parents to connect with their daughters–and especially so for fathers. In this unique and invaluable guide, Dr. Meg Meeker, a pediatrician with more than twenty years’ experience counseling girls, reveals that a young woman’s relationship with her father is far more important than we’ve ever realized. To become a strong, confident woman, a daughter needs her father’s attention, protection, courage, and wisdom. Dr. Meeker shares the ten secrets every father needs to know in order to strengthen or rebuild bonds with his daughter and shape her life–and his own–for the better.
STRONG FATHERS STRONG DAUGHTERS By Dr. Meg Meeker
Grandfather Recommended
Respected family advocate Elayne Bennett brings hope and encouragement to families and shows the way to save our daughters from the many threats they face.
Many girls today are caught up in a world that devalues them and prioritizes perceived needs and desires, in ways that will break their very hearts. Much of our culture undermines girls and damages their souls.
Elayne Bennett has worked tirelessly in urban, suburban, and rural environments to bring hope and guidance to the lives of girls. In Daughters in Danger she reveals:
• How American families can rescue daughters from the negative and destructive patterns of our culture
• Why progressive feminism is the wrong answer and an inadequate solution
• How mothers and fathers, sisters and brothers, friends, schools, colleges and universities can be involved in saving our daughters
• The success of the Best Friends and Best Men program models
We all—especially families—bear the responsibility for encouraging and supporting, training and directing, loving and cherishing daughters everywhere. This book is an inspiring call to take action for their sakes.
DAUGHTERS IN DANGER by Elayne Bennett
Containing chapters such as ‘Some Common Fears and Questions’, When are They Ready for School’, ‘Comparing Early and Late Starters’, and ‘Comparing Home and School Costs’, this book is important for parents and professionals alike. Its main focus is the health, happiness, and “fundamental education” of our children.
BETTER LATE THAN EARLY by Raymond S. More and Dorothy N. More
Grandfather Recommended
An array of childcare and preschool options blossomed in the 1970s as the feminist movement spurred mothers into careers and community organizations nurtured new programs. Now a small circle of activists aims to bring more order to childhood, seeking to create a more standard, state-run preschool system. For young children already facing the rigors of play dates and harried parents juggling the strains of work and family, government is moving in to standardize childhood.
Sociologist Bruce Fuller traveled the country to understand the ideologies of childhood and the raw political forces at play. He details how progressives earnestly seek to extend the rigors of public schooling down into the lives of very young children. Fuller then illuminates the stiff resistance from those who hold less trust in government solutions.
STANDARIZED CHILDHOOD by Bruce Fuller
Dr. Cook has worked and published extensively in the field of child and family mental health. He is the author of Early Childcare: Infants and Nations at Risk. In Mothering Matters he has created something of great value, summarizing much research, making it accessible to those who wish to know more, as he draws on over half a century of thinking and learning about human infants and their mothers and fathers. “At the beginning of this new millennium, Peter Cook presents much evidence that there is a natural, ‘best fit’ pattern of human mothering. He also asks his readers to consider some ways in which significant departures from this pattern can harm infants, women, and society, and contribute to emotional, behavioral, and health problems. An increase in conduct disorders and aggression in young people, and changes in societal behavior, have been the shared experience of many professionals dealing with such problems. A mother has a relationship with her child which no one else can share. At birth the total growth of the child’s body and brain has been the result of environment supplied by the mother. The rapid growth of the brain and body of the infant, and the acquisition of communication skills, are also largely the result of the intimate interactions of mother and child.
MOTHERING MATTERS by Dr. Peter Cook
Grandfather Recommended
Might you and your baby both sleep better if you shared a bed? How old is too old for breastfeeding? What is a father’s role in nurturing a newborn? How does early attachment foster a child’s eventual independence? Dr. Bill and Martha Sears — the doctor-and-nurse, husband-and-wife team who coined the term “attachment parenting” — answer these and many more questions in this practical, inspiring guide. Attachment parenting is a style of parenting that encourages a strong early attachment, and advocates parental responsiveness to babies’ dependency needs. “The Attachment Parenting Book” clearly explains the six “Baby B’s” that form the basis of this increasingly popular parenting style: Bonding, Breastfeeding, Babywearing, Bedding close to baby, Belief in the language value of baby’s cry, Beware of baby trainers. Here’s all the information you need to achieve your most important goals as a new parent: to know your child, to help your child feel right, and to enjoy parenting.
THE ATTACHMENT PARENTING BOOK by William Sears, M.D., Martha Sears, R.N.
Grandfather Recommended
Young women are at risk today. In Girls on the Edge, Dr. Leonard Sax shares stories of girls who look confident and strong on the outside but are fragile within. He shows why a growing proportion of teen and tween girls are confused about their sexual identity and obsessed with grades or Facebook. Sax provides parents with tools to help girls become confident women, along with practical tips on helping your daughter choose a sport, nurturing her spirit through female-centered activities, and more.
GIRLS ON THE EDGE by Leonard Sax, M.D., Ph.D.
Grandfather Recommended
In The Collapse of Parenting, physician, psychologist, and internationally acclaimed author Leonard Sax presents data documenting a dramatic decline in the achievement and psychological health of American children. Sax argues that rising levels of obesity, depression, and anxiety among young people—as well as the explosion in prescribing psychiatric medications to kids—can all be traced to parents letting their kids call the shots.
THE COLLAPSE OF PARENTING by Leonard Sax, M.D., Ph. D.
Grandfather Recommended
In Parenting from the Inside Out, child psychiatrist Daniel J. Siegel, M.D., and early childhood expert Mary Hartzell, M.Ed., explore the extent to which our childhood experiences shape the way we parent. Drawing on stunning new findings in neurobiology and attachment research, they explain how interpersonal relationships directly impact the development of the brain, and offer parents a step-by-step approach to forming a deeper understanding of their own life stories, which will help them raise compassionate and resilient children.
Born out of a series of parents’ workshops that combined Siegel’s cutting-edge research on how communication impacts brain development with Hartzell’s decades of experience as a child-development specialist and parent educator, this book guides parents through creating the necessary foundations for loving and secure relationships with their children.
PARENTING FROM THE INSIDE OUT by Daniel J. Siegel, M.D. and Mary Hartzell, M. Ed.
Grandfather Recommended
2015 INDIEFAB Award Finalist for Education—Early childhood educators need to be cognizant of the disconnect between public policy and classroom practice—the success of children they teach depends on it. This book analyzes how ineffective practices are driven by unexamined public policies and why educators need to challenge their thinking in order to make a difference in children’s lives. A very complex story about public policy and the importance of teaching is told while entertaining and engaging the reader throughout.
THE GREAT DISCONNECT IN EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION by Michael Gramling
Grandfather Recommended
Resources for Mothers
A child’s toddler years are a time of great emotional, cognitive and social development. Your participation in this critical point of your child’s life is of utmost importance. Their dependence on parents for love and support indicates that you mean the world to them. Due to developmental milestones between 1 – 3 years of age, parenting toddlers can be very hard at times. But there are ways to parent effectively.
This quick and concise toddler book will guide and walk you through as you adapt to the changes and gain a better understanding of the changes that happen during the toddler period.
HOW TO PARENT WISELY…AGES 1 TO 3 YEARS By Elizabeth Roxas
A few decades ago, most families were intact. Most children came home to a mother who monitored their diets, watched over their social lives and provided the basics in emotional nurturing. But today, most mothers work outside the home and many fathers are unmarried or divorced, often living far away. As a result, too many kids now feel like just another chore to be outsourced – dropped off at daycare, handed over to a nanny, plopped in front of a TV or the Internet.
In Home-Alone America, scholar Mary Eberstadt offers hard data proving that absent parents are the common denominator in many recent epidemics, including obesity, STDs, Attention Deficit Disorder, and the use of psychiatric medications on even very young children.
Eberstadt transcends the rhetoric of the ‘mommy wars’ by asking a tougher question than that of individual fulfillment: What is the cumulative effect of the modern adult exodus from the home? Have we already reached a tipping point in this society of unattended children and teenagers? And if so, what does that mean for our future?
HOME ALONE AMERICA By Mary Eberstadt
With stories by famous moms, including Jane Green, Melora Hardin, Liz Lange, Jodi Picoult, and Jill Kargman, and stories on other moms who elected to stay at home or work from home, every stay-at-home and work-from-home mom will view this book as having been written just for her!
A reissue of Chicken Soup for the Soul: Power Moms, this book contains 101 great stories from mothers who have made the choice to stay home, or work from home, while raising their families. These multi-tasking, high-performing women have become today’s power mom. Every stay-at-home and work-from-home mom will view this book as having been written just for her.
CHICKEN SOUP FOR THE SOUL: STAY AT HOME MOMS By Jack Confield, Mark Hansen, and Wendy Walker
Learn the journey and joys of being a stay at home Mom. You can hear the stories of others, but until you’ve lived the experience, you cannot truly appreciate the intricate nuances of the day to day episodes and emotions that are lived with and worked through in the home. There are many things that are said and done, yet what we find at the end of every day is that God has once again been faithful to comfort, to provide, to heal and to forgive. It is important to convey that the choice to stay at home is not only a valued one, but an honorable one. This is God’s chosen place for you at this time, so embrace it and be encouraged in it. It should also be stated that any mother, whether she leaves the house in the morning or not, understands that WE ARE ALL WORKING and we are not in competition with each other; in fact, we never were. So whether you are a mom who works at home or outside the home, may you find strength, courage and the freedom to love and raise the lives that God has given you charge over.
STAY AT HOME MOMS…GOD’S SECRET WEAPON By Robin King
Grandfather Recommended
In this eye-opening book, family researcher Glenn T. Stanton offers a clear vision for why gender matters in how we raise our children. His thought-provoking insights expose the problems with stifling stereotypes and damaging cultural assumptions, then highlight a practical pathway for guiding children into healthy manhood and womanhood.
You’ll discover:
· what gender-appropriate behavior looks like at various ages—and why you shouldn’t panic if your toddler boy plays with his sister’s dolls.
· how to help your daughter become secure in her sense of significance—whether she prefers chasing butterflies or shooting hoops.
· how to inspire your son to compete and take healthy risks—in ways that fit his unique personality.
· how moms and dads complement one another as they discipline differently, comfort differently, and influence differently.
· what you can do on a daily basis to nurture your children’s God-given design and help them resist the pressure to conform to arbitrary cultural rules.
With practical tools, well-researched insights, and real-life scenarios, this book equips parents to launch daughters who are secure in the power of their femininity and sons who are confident in their strength to make a difference in the world.
SECURE DAUGHTERS CONFIDENT SONS By Glen n T. Stanton
Dispelling our most cherished myths about working mothers, Suzanne Venker argues that woman can’t be successful in the workplace and at home simultaneously. They can achieve the balance they so desperately seek only by planning their careers around motherhood, rather than planning motherhood around their careers.
Ms. Venker fearlessly tackles the most contentious issues of working motherhood: women’s equality, family economics, the notion of “quality time,” women’s guilt and stress, and daycare. In each chapter, she exposes a different myth about working mothers, drawing on extensive research and her own experience as a mother and a teacher. The result is a powerful case for the link between the problems of today’s children and the absence of mothers from the home. “If motherhood were viewed as the full-time job it is,” Ms. Venker contends, “it would not be considered something we could do on the side, and women would be less inclined to try to balance career and motherhood, only to discover, many stress-filled years later, that it cannot be done.” 7 Myths of Working Mothers is a bold call to shift our priorities from the feverish pursuit of professional success to the more satisfying nurturing of our children.
7MYTHS OF WORKING MOTHERS By Susanne Venker
Grandfather Recommended
They number in the millions and they are incredibly important to families and to our society, yet they are underappreciated, little respected, and even controversial. Who are they?
They are the stay-at-home moms.
These are women who know in their hearts that staying home to raise their children is the right choice for the whole family. Some do it from the outset of their marriages, while others make the difficult transition from career-driven women to homemakers. Either way, it is a choice that is incredibly rich and rewarding, not to mention challenging.
Now Dr. Laura, building on principles developed during her long career as a licensed marriage and family therapist, provides a wealth of advice and support, as well as compassion and inspiration, to women as they navigate the wonders and struggles of being stay-at-home moms.
In Praise of Stay-at-Home Moms is a special book, a profound and unique understanding of how important it is for mothers to raise their own children.
IN PRAISE OF STAY AT HOME MOMS By Dr. Laura Schlessinger
The classic guide of the post-Dr. Spock generation has been revised to include the latest information on virtually every aspect of infant and baby care. THE BABY BOOK is unrivaled in its scope and authority, and presents a practical, contemporary approach to parenting that reflects the way we live today. Focusing on the essential needs of babies–eating, sleeping, development, health, and comfort–it addresses the questions of greatest concern to parents. Attachment Parenting, its importance and effects on the child are explained in detail. THE BABY BOOK is a rich and invaluable resource that will help you get the most out of parenting–for your child, for yourself, and for your entire family.
THE BABY BOOK by William Sears, MD, Martha Sears, RN, Robert Sears, MD and James Sears, MD
Mothers are expected to do it all: raise superstar kids, look great, make good salaries, keep an immaculate house, be the perfect wife. In this rallying cry for change, Meg Meeker, M.D., uses her twenty-five years’ experience as a practicing pediatrician and counselor to show why mothers suffer from the rising pressure to excel and the toll it takes on their emotional, physical, mental, and spiritual health. Complete with an all-new tool kit of wellness tips and exercises, Dr. Meeker’s book reveals the 10 most positive and impactful habits of healthy, happy mothers, including
• making friends with those who know the meaning of friendship
• finding out what money can buy (and what it cannot)
• lightening the overload—and doing less more often
• discovering faith and learning how to trust it
• taking some alone time and reviving yourself
By implementing Dr. Meeker’s key strategies, you can be happy, hopeful, and can teach your children to be the best they can be—and isn’t that the most precious reward of motherhood?
Janet Lansbury’s advice on respectful parenting is quoted and shared by millions of readers worldwide. Inspired by the pioneering parenting philosophy of her friend and mentor, Magda Gerber, Janet’s influential voice encourages parents and child care professionals to perceive babies as unique, capable human beings with natural abilities to learn without being taught; to develop motor and cognitive skills; communicate; face age appropriate struggles; initiate and direct independent play for extended periods; and much more. Once we are able to view our children in this light, even the most common daily parenting experiences become stimulating opportunities to learn, discover, and to connect with our child. “Elevating Child Care” is a collection of 30 popular and widely read articles from Janet’s website that focus on some of the most common infant/toddler issues: eating, sleeping, diaper changes, communication, separation, focus and attention span, creativity, boundaries, and more. Eschewing the quick-fix ‘tips and tricks’ of popular parenting culture, Janet’s insightful philosophy lays the foundation for a closer, more fulfilling parent/child relationship, and children who grow up to be authentic, confident, successful adults.
ELEVATING CHILD CARE by Janet Lansbury
This major new addition to the Sears Parenting Library is a comprehensive, authoritative, and reassuring guide for parents of premature babies. 20 line drawings & photos.
THE PREMATURE BABY BOOK by William Sears, M.D., Robert Sears, M.D., James Sears, M.D., and Martha Sears, R.N.
Grandfather Recommended
Resources for Children
A baby bird goes in search of his mother in this hilarious Beginner Book edited by Dr. Seuss. When a mother bird’s egg starts to jump, she hurries off to make sure she has something for her little one to eat. But as soon as she’s gone, out pops the baby bird. He immediately sets off to find his mother, but not knowing what she looks like makes it a challenge. The little hatchling is determined to find his mother, even after meeting a kitten, a hen, a dog, and a Snort. The timeless message of the bond between mother and child make P. D. Eastman’s Are You My Mother? A must for baby showers, beginning readers, and Mother’s Day.
Originally created by Dr. Seuss, Beginner Books encourage children to read all by themselves, with simple words and illustrations that give clues to their meaning.
ARE YOU MY MOTHER? By P.H. Eastman
All books are available at your local quality bookstore or at www.amazon.com
