This is must-reading for everyone who cares about America’s fate in the 21st century.” — Judy Woodruff, Senior Correspondent for The PBS NewsHour Families and Work Institute President Ellen Galinsky (Ask the Children, The Six Stages of Parenthood) presents a book of groundbreaking advice based on the latest research on child development.There are hundreds of books that give parents advice on everything from weaning to toilet training, from discipline to nutrition. But in spite of this overwhelming amount of information, there is very little research-based advice for parents on how to raise their children to be well rounded and achieve their full potential, helping them learn to take on life's challenges, communicate well with others, and remain committed to learning. These are the "essential life skills" that Ellen Galinsky has spent her career pursuing, through her own studies and through decades of talking with more than a hundred of the most outstanding researchers in child development and neuroscience. The good news is that there are simple everyday things that all parents can do to build these skills in their children for today and for the future. They don't cost money, and it's never too late to begin.In Mind in the Making, Ellen Galinsky has grouped this research into seven critical areas that children need most: (1) focus and self control; (2) perspective taking; (3) communicating; (4) making connections; (5) critical thinking; (6) taking on challenges; and (7) self-directed, engaged learning. For each of these skills, Galinsky shows parents what the studies have proven, and she provides numerous concrete things that parents can do—starting today—to strengthen these skills in their children. These aren't the kinds of skills that children just pick up; these skills have to be fostered. They are the skills that give children the ability to focus on their goals so that they can learn more easily and communicate what they've learned. These are the skills that prepare children for the pressures of modern life, skills that they will draw on now and for years to come.

    Jean Twenge covers everything you'll be wondering about and advises what you can do at home, before getting a doctor involved.Twenge explains how to prepare mentally and physically when thinking about having a child, how to talk about it with family, friends, and your partner, how to know when you’re ovulating, and when best to have sex, how to tilt the odds toward having a boy or a girl, how to handle the great sadness of a miscarriage, and what to do when you do get pregnant.Trying to conceive often involves an enormous amount of emotion, from anxiety and utter disappointment to hope and joy. With comfort, humor, and straightforward advice, The Impatient Woman’s Guide to Getting Pregnant is the bedside companion to help you through it.

    Author A. Christine Harris brings a revised and thoroughly updated edition to todays parents-to-be. Still featuring daily entries, a personalized timeline, and pregnancy glossary, the revised edition provides a clearer picture of the baby's in-utero development and the latest advice about giving a growing baby every advantage prior to birth.

    You deserve a calm, straightforward, no-nonsense pregnancy. It’s time to dial down the stress and dial up the common sense. Common Sense Pregnancy is a breath of fresh air: accessible, authoritative, funny, reassuring, and personable, while still chock-full of comprehensive, medically-sound advice. Women's health expert, labor nurse, mother of four, and Fit Pregnancy.com columnist Jeanne Faulkner has been at the bedside for thousands of deliveries and provides the honest insider advice you need during pregnancy, labor, birth, and beyond, including straight talk on:   ·      Which prenatal tests you actually need, and which you don’t. ·      Who’s on your labor team—and how to keep your labor room drama free. ·      What about sex? ·      How to deal with feeling lousy. ·      What works and what doesn’t for starting labor naturally. ·      How to avoid unneces­sary and risky medical interventions.   Whether you want your pregnancy and birth to be all natural, all medical, or something in between, Common Sense Pregnancy eliminates the fear and puts you in charge of your body and prenatal experience, and helps you make the right choices for you and your baby.

    It's a message that stressed-out parents are craving to hear: Letting tots learn through play is not only okay-it's better than drilling academics!Drawing on overwhelming scientific evidence from their own studies and the collective research results of child development experts, and addressing the key areas of development-math, reading, verbal communication, science, self-awareness, and social skills-the authors explain the process of learning from a child's point of view. They then offer parents 40 age-appropriate games for creative play. These simple, fun--yet powerful exercises work as well or better than expensive high-tech gadgets to teach a child what his ever-active, playful mind is craving to learn.

    A friendly, readable book that provides an intelligent and insightful blend of research-based advice and practical, real-world ideas."  --Adam Beck, blogger of Bilingual MonkeysChildren may be like sponges when it comes to language learning, but the key to having them develop into active bilinguals in all their languages is to make it fun and useful in the daily life. Be Bilingual is full of practical, creative, and fun ideas backed up by the latest research. It shows families how to make multilingualism work in their busy lives. Multilingual families from all around the world have contributed by sharing their best resources and tips on how to make growing up with two or more languages an enjoyable experience. Parent friendly and informative, the book has ideas for families across a wide range of different multilingual situations: mixed-language marriages, expats, international adoption, single parent- and trilingual families, and parents who speak a non-native language to their children.

    But kids don't need to be trained to sleep—they're built to sleep. Sleep issues arise when parents (with the best of intentions) overhelp or "helicopter parent" at night—overshadowing their baby's innate biological ability to sleep well. In The Happy Sleeper, child sleep experts Heather Turgeon and Julie Wright show parents how to be sensitive and nurturing, but also clear and structured so that babies and young children develop the self-soothing skills they need in order to:- Fall asleep independently- Sleep through the night- Take healthy naps- Grow into natural, optimal sleep patterns for day and nightThe Happy Sleeper is a research-based guide to helping children do what comes naturally—sleep through the night.

    She has been teaching women about "active birth" ever since. In this updated and Americanized guide, Balaskas explains how to prepare for and experience a truly natural birth. She leads the pregnant woman through yoga-based stretching exercises and massage practice, and describes the stages of labor and comfortable positions for each, at home or in a hospital. Balaskas has also included a chapter on water birth as well as postpartum exercises.

    Baby-specific signing techniques, songs, and games are also included to make learning fun and open up two-way communication quickly.This book is a must-read for all parents, grandparents, and anyone else who spends time with preverbal children. After all, what parent or caregiver doesn’t want to know what their baby is trying to tell them?

    But more and more parents and parents-to-be prefer to make up their own minds, based on the latest findings as well as their own preferences. Science writers and parents themselves, Tara Haelle and Emily Willingham have sifted through research studies on dozens of essential topics, and distill them in this essential and engaging book. In the era of questionable Internet "facts" and parental oversharing on social media sites, it's more important than ever to find credible sources of information in order to make the most informed decisions. This book fills that gap.

    Based on the female-centered Midwifery Model of Care, Ina May’s Guide to Natural Childbirth gives expectant mothers comprehensive information on everything from the all-important mind-body connection to how to give birth without technological intervention. Filled with inspiring birth stories and practical advice, this invaluable resource includes:• Reducing the pain of labor without drugs--and the miraculous roles touch and massage play• What really happens during labor• Orgasmic birth--making birth pleasurable • Episiotomy--is it really necessary? • Common methods of inducing labor--and which to avoid at all costs• Tips for maximizing your chances of an unmedicated labor and birth• How to avoid postpartum bleeding--and depression • The risks of anesthesia and cesareans--what your doctor doesn’t necessarily tell you• The best ways to work with doctors and/or birth care providers• How to create a safe, comfortable environment for birth in any setting, including a hospital• And much moreIna May’s Guide to Natural Childbirth takes the fear out of childbirth by restoring women’s faith in their own natural power to give birth with more ease, less pain, and less medical intervention.

    Untangled explains what’s going on, prepares parents for what’s to come, and lets them know when it’s time to worry. In this sane, highly engaging, and informed guide for parents of daughters, Dr. Damour draws on decades of experience and the latest research to reveal the seven distinct—and absolutely normal—developmental transitions that turn girls into grown-ups, including Parting with Childhood, Contending with Adult Authority, Entering the Romantic World, and Caring for Herself. Providing realistic scenarios and welcome advice on how to engage daughters in smart, constructive ways, Untangled gives parents a broad framework for understanding their daughters while addressing their most common questions, including • My thirteen-year-old rolls her eyes when I try to talk to her, and only does it more when I get angry with her about it. How should I respond? • Do I tell my teen daughter that I’m checking her phone? • My daughter suffers from test anxiety. What can I do to help her? • Where’s the line between healthy eating and having an eating disorder? • My teenage daughter wants to know why I’m against pot when it’s legal in some states. What should I say? • My daughter’s friend is cutting herself. Do I call the girl’s mother to let her know? Perhaps most important, Untangled helps mothers and fathers understand, connect, and grow with their daughters. When parents know what makes their daughter tick, they can embrace and enjoy the challenge of raising a healthy, happy young woman.Praise for Untangled“Finally, there’s some good news for puzzled parents of adolescent girls, and psychologist Lisa Damour is the bearer of that happy news. [Untangled] is the most down-to-earth, readable parenting book I’ve come across in a long time.”—The Washington Post “Anna Freud wrote in 1958, ‘There are few situations in life which are more difficult to cope with than an adolescent son or daughter during the attempt to liberate themselves.’ In the intervening decades, the transition doesn’t appear to have gotten any easier which makes Untangled such a welcome new resource.”—The Boston Globe “Damour offers a hopeful, helpful new way for parents to talk about—and with—teenage girls. . . . Parents will want this book on their shelves, next to established classics of the genre.”—Publishers Weekly“For years people have been asking me for the ‘girl equivalent of Raising Cain,’ and I haven't known exactly what to recommend. Now I do.”—Michael Thompson, Ph.D., co-author of Raising Cain “An essential guide to understanding and supporting girls throughout their development. It’s obvious that Dr. Damour ‘gets’ girls and understands the best way for any adult to help them navigate the common yet difficult challenges so many girls face.”—Rosalind Wiseman, author of Queen Bees & Wannabes “A gem. From the moment I read the last page I’ve been recommending it to my clients (including those with sons!) and colleagues, and using it as a refreshing guide in my own work with teenagers and their parents.”—Wendy Mogel, Ph.D., author of The Blessing of a Skinned Knee

    Combining expert advice from midwives, psychologists and obstetricians with first-hand accounts, it explains what's happening with her, what's going on with your baby, and what the hell you should be doing every step of the way.With tips from those who know, what-to-do explanations and fascinating facts, this survival guide will ensure you're armed and ready for your role as a new father - from discovery to delivery and beyond. A must-read for all fathers-to-be.

    Practical commonsense answers and real life examples, logical and realistic strategies, and innovative behaviour modification tools that work in the real world - all from a parent and family therapist who's seen almost everything there is to see and offers some hard-won battlefield wisdom. Written in down-to-earth language, this book needs to be handed out at birth, an essential guide for the struggling parent who knows family life can and should be better. Clinical psychologist, bestselling author, and father of two, Nigel Latta specializes in working with children with behavioural problems, from simple to severe. A regular media commentator and presenter, he has had three television series adapted from his books - BEYOND tHE DARKLANDS, tHE POLItICALLY INCORRECt PARENtING SHOW and tHE POLItICALLY INCORRECt GUIDE tO tEENAGERS (all of which screen in New Zealand and Australia) - and has had a regular parenting segment on National Radio.

    In this warm and reassuring book, scores of real-life second-time parents offer first-timers their stories and lessons learned. One hundred accessible entries guide new parents through pregnancy and the first year of life, covering everything from birth plans and breast-feeding to finding a parental comfort zone. With a dose of patience and a sprinkling of humor, How to Have Your Second Child First helps first-timers navigate parenthood with the savvy and calm of moms and dads who have been there beforetwice.