Happier at Home: Kiss More, Jump More, Abandon a Project, Read Samuel Johnson, and My Other Experiments in the Practice of Everyday Life


Gretchen Rubin - 2012
    Homesick—why? She was standing right in her own kitchen. She felt homesick, she realized, with love for home itself. “Of all the elements of a happy life,” she thought, “my home is the most important.” In a flash, she decided to undertake a new happiness project, and this time, to focus on home.And what did she want from her home? A place that calmed her, and energized her. A place that, by making her feel safe, would free her to take risks. Also, while Rubin wanted to be happier at home, she wanted to appreciate how much happiness was there already. So, starting in September (the new January), Rubin dedicated a school year—September through May—to making her home a place of greater simplicity, comfort, and love.  In The Happiness Project, she worked out general theories of happiness. Here she goes deeper on factors that matter for home, such as possessions, marriage, time, and parenthood. How can she control the cubicle in her pocket? How might she spotlight her family’s treasured possessions? And it really was time to replace that dud toaster. Each month, Rubin tackles a different theme as she experiments with concrete, manageable resolutions—and this time, she coaxes her family to try some resolutions, as well.  With her signature blend of memoir, science, philosophy, and experimentation, Rubin’s passion for her subject jumps off the page, and reading just a few chapters of this book will inspire readers to find more happiness in their own lives.

50 Things to Do Before You Deliver: The First Time Moms Pregnancy Guide


Jill Krause - 2018
    Centered on what’s most important to expecting moms, 50 Things to Do Before You Deliver narrows the vast field of pregnancy advice to 50 specific, proactive steps for confidence and peace of mind before baby arrives. Unlike other pregnancy books for first time moms, this book includes only what is necessary and helpful, and leaves out the rest. Written by Jill Krause—creator of the award-winning pregnancy blog, Baby Rabies, and mom of four—50 Things to Do Before You Deliver arms moms-to-be with actionable advice and tools that are actually useful.Voiced with honesty, humor, and encouragement from a mom who’s been there, 50 Things to Do Before You Deliver offers: 50 trimester-by-trimester tasks covering only the most important things expectant moms need to focus on Relevant, creative tips for using tech to track, document, and learn about pregnancy Judgment-free advice from other moms, OB-GYNs, and midwives—including guest contributions from Amy Morrison of the blog Pregnant Chicken, and Bryn Huntpalmer of The Birth Hour podcast There are countless pregnancy books for first time moms out there—but 50 Things to Do Before You Deliver is a practical guide that will empower and prepare you during pregnancy and beyond.

The Art of Roughhousing: Good Old-Fashioned Horseplay and Why Every Kid Needs It


Anthony T. DeBenedet - 2011
    Gym classes are getting shorter. Recess periods are being eliminated. Some new schools don't even have playgrounds. Is it any wonder children retreat to "virtual horseplay" via video games?But Drs. Anthony T. DeBenedet and Lawrence J. Cohen are here to shake things up--literally! With The Art of Roughhousing, they show how rough-and-tumble play can nurture close connections, solve behavior problems, boost confidence, and more. Drawing inspiration from gymnastics, martial arts, ballet, traditional sports, and even animal behavior, the authors present dozens of illustrated activities for children and parents to enjoy together--everything from the "Sumo Dead Lift" to the "Rogue Dumbo." These delightful games are fun, free, and contain many surprising health benefits for parents. So put down those electronic games and get ready to rumble!

It's Not About the Broccoli: Three Habits to Teach Your Kids for a Lifetime of Healthy Eating


Dina Rose - 2014
    After years of research and working with parents, Dina Rose discovered a powerful truth: when parents focus solely on nutrition, their kids - surprisingly - eat poorly. But when families shift their emphasis to behaviors - the skills and habits kids are taught - they learn to eat right.Every child can learn to eat well, but only if you show them how to do it. Dr. Rose describes the three habits - proportion, variety, and moderation - all kids need to learn, and gives you clever, practical ways to teach these food skills.With It's Not About The Broccoli you can teach your children how to eat and give them the skills they need for a lifetime of health and vitality.

Your One-Year-Old: The Fun-Loving, Fussy 12-To 24-Month-Old


Louise Bates Ames - 1983
    This child is growing at an incredible rate, learning to walk, learning to touch, learning to love, and learning to say “No!” for the first time. All of this can be quite a handful for the new parent.   In this first book in the series from the renowned Gesell Institute, which includes Your One-Year-Old through Your Ten- to Fourteen-Year-Old, the authors discuss all important questions that concern the twelve- to twenty-four-month-old child. They examine the various stages of development between infancy and toddlerhood: what new things the child can do; how the child acts with parents and other people; what the child thinks and feels.  Included in this book: • Sleeping and feeding routines • A one-year-old’s view of the world—and herself • Accomplishments and abilities • The basics of toilet training • Stories from real life • A list of age-appropriate toys and books • A bibliography for parents  “Louise Bates Ames and her colleagues synthesize a lifetime of observation of children, consultation, and discussion with parents. These books will help parents to better understand their children and will guide them through the fascinating and sometimes trying experiences of modern parenthood.”—Donald J. Cohen, M.D., Director, Yale Child Study Center, Irving B. Harris Professor of Child Psychiatry, Pediatrics, and Psychology, Yale School of Medicine

Baby Meets World: Suck, Smile, Touch, Toddle: A Journey Through Infancy


Nicholas Day - 2013
    They were not what he expected.Drawing on a wealth of perspectives—scientific, historical, cross-cultural, personal—Baby Meets World is organized around the mundane activities that dominate the life of an infant: sucking, smiling, touching, toddling. From these everyday activities, Day weaves together an account that is anything but ordinary: a fresh, surprising story, both weird and wondrous, about our first experience of the world.Part hidden history of parenthood, part secret lives of babies, Baby Meets World steps back from the moment-to-moment chaos of babydom. It allows readers to see infancy anew in all its strangeness and splendor.

Bumpin': The Modern Guide to Pregnancy: Navigating the Wild, Weird, and Wonderful Journey From Conception Through Birth and Beyond


Leslie Schrock - 2019
    With over a decade of experience advising women’s healthcare and technology companies, Leslie Schrock distills cutting-edge research into your most comprehensive pregnancy guide—from conception through the newborn months. Based on the latest clinical evidence and practical advice from top experts, Bumpin’ enables you to make the best decisions for your unique family. With a look at the science, it tackles every pregnancy FAQ and topics like the truth about cleaning up your cosmetics, nutrition, epidurals, and activity; and the practical, like putting together a baby budget and navigating work. Bumpin’ also takes you all the way through the postpartum period because taking your baby home and recovering brings unexpected physical, mental, and life changes that are too often overlooked for you and your partner. Inside Bumpin’ you’ll find: -A trimester-by-trimester overview from trimester zero (conception) through the postpartum period and return to work -The truth about age and fertility and how to manage any issues that arise -Research on topics like vaccinations, breastfeeding, and exercise -The science behind your physical changes, leaks, sweats, and every other unexpected pregnancy symptom – and how to manage them to enhance your long term health -Birth preferences and preparing for unpredictable changes -The challenges of navigating parental leave and returning to work -Unique advice for partners -Budgeting, finance tips, baby registry, and hospital checklists Every pregnancy is unique and often unpredictable. For Leslie, this meant handling curveballs like miscarriage and later a birth that didn’t go according to plan. She turned her personal journey into this book, written while she was pregnant, with the help of a wide network of experts she consulted along the way, including doulas, ob-gyns, midwives, therapists, prenatal trainers, and nutritionists. Warm, funny, and non-judgemental, Bumpin’ will leave you feeling prepared and ready to tackle anything that comes your way. A portion of proceeds will be donated to Every Mother Counts and National Birth Equity Collaborative to support maternal and child health.

The Natural Baby Sleep Solution: Use Your Child's Internal Sleep Rhythms for Better Nights and Naps


Polly Moore - 2016
    The method is simple, foolproof, and yields long-lasting results: truly restful daytime naps (which also gives an infant a head start on cognitive development and emotional intelligence) and consistent nighttime sleep—as beneficial for parents as it is for the baby.For babies aged two weeks to one yearLessons in sleep independence and solutions to common problems, such as your baby waking up too early, getting a second wind before bedtime, confusing day and night, and moreIncludes a guided journal for recording your baby’s sleep signals and keeping track of naps and bedtimesA simple program for sleep that delivers foolproof results.

Protecting the Gift: Keeping Children and Teenagers Safe (and Parents Sane)


Gavin de Becker - 1999
    In this empowering book, Gavin de Becker, the nation's leading expert on predicting violent behavior and author of the monumental bestseller The Gift of Fear, offers practical new steps to enhance children's safety at every age level, giving you the tools you need to allow your kids freedom without losing sleep yourself. With daring and compassion, he shatters the widely held myths about danger and safety and helps parents find some certainty about life's highest-stakes questions: How can I know a baby-sitter won't turn out to be someone who harms my child? (see page 103) What should I ask child-care professionals when I interview them? (see page 137) What's the best way to prepare my child for walking to school alone? (see page 91) How can my child be safer at school? (see page 175) How can I spot sexual predators? (see page 148) What should I do if my child is lost in public? (see page 86) How can I teach my child about risk without causing too much fear? (see page 98) What must my teenage daughter know in order to be safe? (see page 191) What must my teenage son know in order to be safe? (see page 218) And finally, in the face of all these questions, how can I reduce the worrying? (see page 56)

The Out-of-Sync Child: Recognizing and Coping with Sensory Processing Disorder


Carol Stock Kranowitz - 1998
    This newly revised edition features additional information from recent research on vision and hearing deficits, motor skill problems, nutrition and picky eaters, ADHA, autism, and other related disorders.

Raising Happiness: 10 Simple Steps for More Joyful Kids and Happier Parents


Christine Carter - 2010
    Drawing on what psychology, sociology, and neuroscience have proven about confidence, gratefulness, and optimism, and using her own chaotic and often hilarious real-world adventures as a mom to demonstrate do’s and don’ts in action, Christine Carter, Ph.D, executive director of UC Berkeley’s Greater Good Science Center, boils the process down to 10 simple happiness-inducing steps.With great wit, wisdom, and compassion, Carter covers the day-to-day pressure points of parenting—how best to discipline, get kids to school and activities on time, and get dinner on the table—as well as the more elusive issues of helping children build healthy friendships and develop emotional intelligence. In these 10 key steps, she helps you interact confidently and consistently with your kids to foster the skills, habits, and mindsets that will set the stage for positive emotions now and into their adolescence and beyond. Inside you will discover • the best way avoid raising a brat—changing bad habits into good ones• tips on how to change your kids’ attitude into gratitude• the trap of trying to be perfect—and how to stay clear of its pitfalls • the right way to praise kids—and why too much of the wrong kind can be just as bad as not enough• the spirit of kindness—how to raise kind, compassionate, and loving children• strategies for inspiring kids to do boring (but necessary) tasks—and become more self-motivated in the process Complete with a series of “try this” tips, secrets, and strategies, Raising Happiness is a one-of-a-kind resource that will help you instill joy in your kids—and, in the process, become more joyful yourself.

7 Secrets of the Newborn: Secrets and (Happy) Surprises of the First Year


Robert C. Hamilton - 2018
    Hamilton, M.D., has spent more than three decades caring for newborns. In his practice, Dr. Bob has seen it all--what works, what doesn't. How can you get your baby to nurse, sleep, and maybe even cease crying? What strategies can help you connect and communicate with your infant? What important decisions will you make during the first year for your child, yourself, and your partner? Here, Dr. Bob shares his clear, sensible, warm advice--as well as all the latest scientific data and research--on how to:- Offer comfort to a crying newborn using the "Hold"- Gently teach your baby how to sleep (and get some sleep yourself)- Establish healthy patterns- Breastfeed, formula-feed, or bottle-feed using either- Play!- Manage screen time in your home- And more to help you navigate the unforgettable first year of your child's life.

Mindful Motherhood: Practical Tools for Staying Sane During Pregnancy and Your Child's First Year


Cassandra Vieten - 2009
    The rapid changes in your body, your lifestyle, and your very identity call for a certain mental agility. Mindfulness can help you meet the challenge and approach every experience with your new baby with open eyes and an open heart.Easy ten-minute meditation exercises and yoga poses throughout this book will help you cultivate greater flexibility and mindful awareness during pregnancy, childbirth, and your baby's first year. Whenever you have a moment to spare, open Mindful Motherhood and discover a skill that will help you find balance and fulfillment during those times when you feel most overwhelmed.Co-published with the Institute of Noetic Sciences (IONS).Mindful Motherhood contains what so many other parenting books omit:: the consoling information that each mother has the ability to know, deep within, how to care for her child. Mindful Motherhood is a gem.-Christiane Northrup, MD, author of Women's Bodies, Women's WisdomWise, soothing, and helpful-this is really good stuff for new mothers.-Jack Kornfield, author of The Wise Heart

Desperate: Hope for the Mom Who Needs to Breathe


Sarah Mae - 2013
    It's for those who have ever wondered what happened to all their ideals for what having children would be like. For those who have ever felt like all the "experts" have "clearly" never had a child like theirs. For those who have prayed for a mentor. For those who ever felt lost and alone in motherhood.In" Desperate" you will find the story of one young mother's honest account of the desperate feelings experienced in motherhood and one experienced mentor's realistic and gentle exhortations that were forged in the trenches of raising her own four children.Also in Desperate:* QR codes and links at the end of each chapter that lead to videos with Sarah Mae and Sally talking about the chapter* Practical steps to take during the desperate times* Bible study and journal exercises in each chapter that will lead you to identify ways in which you can grow as a mom* Mentoring advice for real-life situations* Q & A section with Sally where she answers readers questions

The Milk Memos: How Real Moms Learned to Mix Business with Babies-and How You Can, Too


Cate Colburn-Smith - 2007
     It all began when IBM manager Cate Colburn-Smith sat down in the company's employee lactation room, shed a few silent tears, and wrote the following on a paper towel: I'm a new mom and today is my first day back at work. Is anyone else using this room? Right away women responded, and the paper towel was eventually replaced by a series of notebooks, in which women offered one another advice and support on juggling work and a newborn. Based on the original notebooks, The Milk Memos is a heartwarming, encouraging (and often hilarious!) guide to working motherhood. It's one of the most existential moments any woman will face: sitting in a small room tucked away in the bowels of your company, pumping breast milk for a child so close to your heart-yet, at that moment, so far away. The Milk Memos records the voices of mothers who, while struggling with the difficulties of blending their two lives, prove that women don't have to choose between work and family. Their thoughts on how it can be done will inspire women everywhere. This invaluable book weaves the actual Milk Memos journal entries with information-packed sections on such topics of great concern to working moms as: - finding a private place to pump breast milk at work and establishing a routine that you can maintain despite your busy workday; - establishing the right daycare solution; - getting a decent night's sleep with a new baby so that you can shine (or at least glimmer!) during business hours; and - negotiating flextime, part-time, or a job share with an employer. The ultimate gift for any new mom who will soon return to work, The Milk Memos is destined to become a classic on the parenting shelf.