You will find: • An easy-to-understand analysis of the differences between domestic and international adoption• Advice on choosing a country, including 25 important factors to consider, such as the waiting times involved and the estimated costs for each of the top placing countries, with charts for easy comparison• A detailed discussion of the potential health issues based on the latest research and interviews with doctors who specialize in international adoption • Worksheets and a suggested system for preparing and organizing the extensive paperwork involved• Parenting tips to enhance attachment and suggestions for addressing the issues that come up in raising an internationally adopted child• Real parents’ stories and advice at every stage of the process• Plus all of the information you need to select your agency, plan financially, prepare for the home study, travel sensibly, evaluate your child’s health and integrate your new familyMore than just provide the facts, The Complete Book of International Adoption also helps parents manage the emotional rollercoaster that comes with the territory. Sensitive, wise, and often witty, this book is a must-have for any parent considering building their family through adoption.

    Distilled from Dr. Mom’s Guide to Breastfeeding, this is the most up-to-date, comprehensive, and effective book on the subject. Neifert has spent the last 25 years addressing the situations that nursing mothers routinely encounter; her sound, reassuring, and practical advice makes this a must-have for all new moms and mothers-to-be.

    Now, it's time to get into the game and help your family through your baby's first year.From 4 A.M. feedings and visiting the pediatrician to getting back to work and hopping into bed with Mom, Dude, You're a Dad leads you through all the trials and tribulations you'll face as a new dad. Author John Pfeiffer has braved the journey not just once but three times, and will tell you exactly what changes to expect as well as what you can be doing for your baby--and your baby mama--during this time. Complete with foolproof parenting strategies for handling tricky situations, this book also braces you for the years to come, which will be full of head banging, temper tantrums, and restless days.The first twelve months are make-or-break when it comes to parenting and Dude, You're a Dad is your guide to making sure that nothing gets broken.

     Written in the Searses' trademark reassuring tone that makes their books long-term bestsellers, The Healthy Pregnancy Book is the must-have resource to fit the greater demands of today's savvy parents.

    As joy and anticipation dissolve into confusion and grief, painful questions refuse to go away: Why me? Did I do something wrong? How will this affect my ability to have a family? What do I say to my children without scaring them? With the warmth and compassion of a Licensed Professional Counselor and writing as a mother who has suffered the loss of a baby and a sixteen-year-old son, Pam Vredevelt offers sound answers and advice. As an expert in love and loss, Pam gives reassuring comfort to any woman fighting to maintain stability and faith in the midst of devastating heartbreak. Empty Arms: Hope and Support for Those Who Have Suffered a Miscarriage, Stillbirth, or Tubal Pregnancy is the essential guidebook for anyone suffering the agony of losing a baby.

    Between standardized testing, the Common Core Curriculum, copious homework assignments, and seemingly endless amounts of “screen time,” it’s hard for kids – and parents – to know what’s most essential. How can parents help their kids succeed – not just do well “on the test” -- but develop the learning habits they’ll need to thrive throughout their lives?This important and parent-friendly book presents new solutions based on the largest study of family routines ever conducted. The Learning Habit offers a blueprint for navigating the maze of homework, media use, and the everyday stress that families with school-age children face; turning those “stress times” into opportunities to develop the eight critical skills kids will need to succeed in college and in the highly competitive job market of tomorrow – skills including concentration and focus, time management, decision-making, goal-setting, and self-reliance. Along with hands-on advice and compelling real-life case studies, the book includes 21 fun family challenges for parents and kids, bringing together the latest research with simple everyday solutions to help kids thrive, academically and beyond.

    Starting at the very beginning with basic, but crucial, details, such as what type of spoon to use and the time of day to first offer solids, and covering other common concerns like when to begin weaning, fussy eaters and the latest allergy advice.50 delicious, nutritious puree recipes and 3 menu planners will show you exactly what to feed your baby, and when. And input from the 'Weaning Club', parents of six babies who are expertly guided by Annabel through the weaning process, troubleshooting any problems they, and you may encounter along the way, will steer you and your baby along the right path to solid food.

    Considered the gold standard among cookbook awards and widely lauded as the most selective in the industry, the IACP has been presenting its cookbook awards for more than 25 years to promote quality and creativity in culinary writing and publishing. Past nominees include Julia Child, Mark Bittman, and Thomas Keller, among others.Food Made with Love Is Food You Can Trust!Preparing simple, homemade food in the comfort of your own kitchen is one of the greatest gifts you can give your little one. Not only does it allow you to nourish your child with the most pure and wholesome ingredients, but it also gives you the peace of mind of knowing what has gone into every bite your baby takes.Full of recipes to suit every age and stage—from six months all the way to twenty-three months—The Best Homemade Baby Food on the Planet shows you how simple and easy it is to prepare food your baby will go absolutely ga-ga for. From quick purées like Mighty Tasty Blueberry and Pear Mash and No-Cook Prune Purée, to new and nourishing meals like Sweet Omelet Surprise and Finger-Lickin’ Good Lentils and Potato with Cheese, you’ll find it a breeze to prepare any and all of the recipes you and your little one fancy.And to make things even more easy-peasy, you’ll find each recipe also contains:—Two methods for preparation-stovetop or microwave-wherever applicable, so you can whip up recipes in whatever time you have. Many microwave options make it possible for meals to be made in less than 10 minutes.—An easy-to-spot snowflake icon on all recipes suitable for freezing, so you can make baby’s meals at your convenience, or in batches, to save time and money.—A complete nutritional analysis, so you can be sure you’re giving your child the best possible start.Make your own super-delicious, super-nutritious homemade baby food today—it’s guaranteed to be the best thing that’s ever crossed the high chair!

    Offering us the tools to become wiser, more relaxed parents – and the inspiration to speak out, act according to our values, show humility, and set the kind of example that will make a real difference in our children's lives.What happens to Queen Bees and Wannabes when they grow up?Even the most well-adjusted moms and dads can experience peer pressure and conflicts with other adults that make them act like they're back in seventh grade. In Queen Bee Moms & Kingpin Dads, Rosalind Wiseman gives us the tools to handle difficult situations involving teachers and other parents with grace. Reassuring, funny, and unfailingly honest, Wiseman reveals:Why PTA meetings and Back-to-School nights tap into parents' deepest insecurities.How to recognize the archetypal moms and dads—from Caveman Dad to Hovercraft Mom.How and when to step in and step out of your child's conflicts with other children, parents, teachers, or coaches.How to interpret the code phrases other parents use to avoid (or provoke) confrontation.Why too many well-meaning dads sit on the sidelines, and how vital it is that they step up to the plate.What to do and say when the playing field becomes an arena for people to bully and dominate other kids and adults.How to have respectful yet honest conversations with other parents about sex and drugs when your values are in conflict.How the way you handle parties, risky behavior, and academic performance affects your child.How unspoken assumptions about race, religion, and other hot-button subjects sabotage parents' ability to work together.Queen Bee Moms & Kingpin Dads is filled with the kind of true stories that made Wiseman's New York Times bestselling book Queen Bees & Wannabes impossible to put down. There are tales of hardworking parents with whom any of us can identify, along with tales of outrageously bad parents—the kind we all have to reckon with. For instance, what do you do when parents donate a large sum of money to a school and their child is promptly transferred into the honors program–while your son with better grades doesn't make the cut? What about the mother who helps her daughter compose poison-pen e-mails to yours? And what do you say to the parent-coach who screams at your child when the team is losing? Wiseman offers practical advice on avoiding the most common parenting "land mines" and useful scripts to help you navigate difficult but necessary conversations.Queen Bee Moms & Kingpin Dads is essential reading for parents today. It offers us the tools to become wiser, more relaxed parents – and the inspiration to speak out, act according to our values, show humility, and set the kind of example that will make a real difference in our children's lives.

    Yet cutting-edge studies drawing unexpected links between fathers and children are forcing us to reconsider our assumptions and ask new questions: What changes occur in men when they are "expecting"? Do fathers affect their children's language development? What are the risks and rewards of being an older-than-average father at the time the child is born? What happens to a father's hormone levels at every stage of his child's development, and can a child influence the father's health? Just how much do fathers matter? In Do Fathers Matter? the award-winning journalist and father of five Paul Raeburn overturns the many myths and stereotypes of fatherhood as he examines the latest scientific findings on the parent we've often overlooked. Drawing on research from neuroscientists, animal behaviorists, geneticists, and developmental psychologists, among others, Raeburn takes us through the various stages of fatherhood, revealing the profound physiological connections between children and fathers, from conception through adolescence and into adulthood—and the importance of the relationship between mothers and fathers. In the process, he challenges the legacy of Freud and mainstream views of parental attachment, and also explains how we can become better parents ourselves. Ultimately, Raeburn shows how the role of the father is distinctly different from that of the mother, and that embracing fathers' significance in the lives of young people is something we can all benefit from. An engrossing, eye-opening, and deeply personal book that makes a case for a new perspective on the importance of fathers in our lives no matter what our family structure, Do Fathers Matter? will change the way we view fatherhood today.

    What we do with it is quite another.” ― Angela Duckworth, Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance While much has been written on how to develop these attributes for adults, there hasn’t been much practical advice on how to develop grit in children. Your kids are the most important people in your lives. In this increasingly competitive and confusing world they need you to help them be their best. They need you to guide them in developing traits for success and happiness. Grit for Kids will teach you how to do this in 16 easy to follow chapters. Each chapter contains real stories of kids facing common situations, proven steps to take in these situations, and the outcomes after the steps were taken. Your son or daughter will confidently be able to: Develop Discover what they’re really interested in pursuing; belief in their skills; ability to overcome negativity; desire to learn more about everything; ability to bounce back after a setback; capability to defend their beliefs and opinions. Manage Ability to recognize and control emotional outbursts; recognize small vs. big problems and keep them in perspective; recognize their unique strengths and weaknesses; be appreciative of differences in people; learn to right the wrongs they may have caused to others. Plan Define goals related to their passion; break the goals into small achievable tasks; follow the process of completing tasks; set milestones for achieving a goal; celebrate when a milestone is reached; apply lessons learned from a setback; persevere in achieving goals. Grow Achieve conviction in their beliefs; learn to apply ethical and moral behavior; cultivate a desire for a deeper understanding of issues; acquire healthy habits for their body and mind. What you will be able to do: Inspire your kids to discover what they’re passionate about Teach methods to manage their emotions Show how to downplay negativity and increase optimism Explain steps to teach respect for themselves and others Impart ways to help them develop goals consistent with their passions Demonstrate methods for planning to achieve their goals Explain how to teach them to stay the course Prepare them for setbacks or negative outcomes Teach how to learn from their mistakes and apply these lessons Reveal techniques to improve their decision making Apply methods to keep them at optimal health Model yourself as an example in perseverance and resilience

    But he uses means. He uses God-centered traditions and Bible-saturated family patterns and grace-laden heirlooms. Only God can give our children a taste for the sweetness of God. Only God can awaken them to his worth. But year in and year out there are traditions that show children that God is our Treasure. Noël Piper opens her home to you—more than thirty years of marriage and mothering. She invites you into the happy, imperfect Piper pattern of life (including a few family-occasion poems written by her husband, John). But, even better, she roots things in the Bible. God-treasuring traditions can be ordinary, everyday habits such as telling stories, attending church, and using affectionate nicknames. They may be rare “especially” occasions such as funerals and weddings. And they are the creative ways we reflect Christ in our holidays. Noël Piper believes that by our traditions we can help the next generation treasure God, and at the same time deepen our own love for him. Like a scribe trained for the kingdom of heaven, she brings out of her treasure what is new and what is old—making the old new and rooting the new in the old. In this way, the next generation absorbs the truth that the treasure we have in God is ancient in wisdom and strength, and fresh as the morning dew. Noël loves making children (and adults) bow their heads with reverence and clap their hands with joy.

    We have to get it right in all areas of life--work, home, family, and faith--because our children's futures hinge on our ability to perfectly orchestrate the present.But those impossible standards leave us oscillating between worry, fear, anger, and shame. They threaten to steal all the wonder from parenting, life, and our personal relationship with God.In this 7-session study, discover how the gospel message can empower you to parent in the freedom of God's sovereignty. So that you can breathe deeper, walk lighter, and enjoy your children--and the parenting journey--more than ever before.Benefits: Thrive in what God has asked you to carry by abandoning all He hasn't asked of you.Embrace your significance in your children's lives in light of God's sovereignty.Trust God with the children He has entrusted to you.Receive the Lord's grace, so you can reflect that grace to your children.Learn to stop trying so hard, and allow yourself to simply enjoy your kids.Features: Leader tips to guide questions and discussions within small groupsPersonal study segments with homework to complete between 7 weeks of group sessionsOptional teaching videos, approximately 5-8 minutes in length per session, in digital download format to help start group sessions

    Digital natives are those born after the advent of the internet. They are comfortable with swift technological change and take the presence of technology in their lives almost completely for granted. They have "digital DNA" flowing through their bodies. On the other hand, digital immigrants are those born before the advent of the internet. Their comfort level with our technology-soaked world is more variable. But they are affected by the digital invasion just as much as their native children.With the latest research supporting them, Dr. Archibald Hart and Dr. Sylvia Hart Frejd uncover both the subtle and the dramatic ways digital technology is changing us from within, focusing their exposE on the impact on the spiritual life of individuals. Through insights from neuroscience and psychology, they offer readers therapeutic and biblical strategies for handling the digital invasion in order to become good stewards of their digital lives. Parents, educators, students, counselors, and pastors will especially appreciate this cultural wake-up call.

    In Sweden children play outside all year round, regardless of the weather, and letting young babies nap outside in freezing temperatures is not only common—it is a practice recommended by physicians. In the US, on the other hand, she found that the playgrounds, which she had expected to find teeming with children, were mostly deserted. In preschool, children were getting drilled to learn academic skills, while their Scandinavian counterparts were climbing trees, catching frogs, and learning how to compost. Worse, she realized that giving her daughters the same freedom to play outside that she had enjoyed as a child in Sweden could quickly lead to a visit by Child Protective Services. The brewing culture clash finally came to a head when McGurk was fined for letting her children play in a local creek, setting off an online firestorm when she expressed her anger and confusion on her blog. The rules and parenting philosophies of her native country and her adopted homeland were worlds apart. Struggling to fit in and to decide what was best for her children, McGurk turned to her own childhood for answers. Could the Scandinavian philosophy of “there is no such thing as bad weather, only bad clothes” be the key to better lives for her American children? And how would her children’s relationships with nature change by introducing them to Scandinavian concepts like friluftsliv (“open-air living”) and hygge (the coziness and the simple pleasures of home)? McGurk embarked on a six-month-long journey to Sweden to find out. There’s No Such Thing as Bad Weather is a fascinating personal narrative that highlights the importance of spending time outdoors, and illustrates how the Scandinavian culture could hold the key to raising healthier, resilient, and confident children in America.