The Homeschooling Handbook: How to Make Homeschooling Simple, Affordable, Fun, and Effective


Lorilee Lippincott - 2014
    What curriculum do I choose? What if we can’t afford all the books? How do I schedule our time? Will my children become socially awkward recluses? What if I screw up my kids’ education?! Lorilee Lippincott, a seasoned homeschooling mom, shows just how simple homeschooling can be. She and her husband taught their two kids in a one-bedroom apartment before picking up and moving the whole family to China. They’ve discovered that they don’t need rooms full of books, educational toys, and other teaching tools, nor do they need schedules packed full of extracurricular activities, field trips, and social events. Perhaps even more importantly, they don’t need to panic about making sure their kids turn out okay. It’s actually all pretty simple, she tells readers.But homeschooling well does require some planning and dedication, and a book like The Homeschooling Handbook to be your guide. Here you’ll find all your questions answered in Lippincott’s straightforward, warm, and witty style. Topics covered include:How to instill curiosity and a love of learningTypes of homeschoolingYour socialization fears assuagedHow to create simple schedules and stick to themTips for keeping costs downTeaching kids with disabilitiesThe benefits of play timeLegal requirementsHow to avoid burnoutAnd much more!Full of anecdotes, interviews with other homeschooling families, and wisdom, this is a must-have for any family considering the homeschooling life.

Simplicity Parenting: Using the Extraordinary Power of Less to Raise Calmer, Happier, and More Secure Kids


Kim John Payne - 2009
    . . on childhood. As the pace of life accelerates to hyperspeed–with too much stuff, too many choices, and too little time–children feel the pressure. They can become anxious, have trouble with friends and school, or even be diagnosed with behavioral problems. Now, in defense of the extraordinary power of less, internationally renowned family consultant Kim John Payne helps parents reclaim for their children the space and freedom that all kids need, allowing their children’s attention to focus and their individuality to flourish.Based on Payne’s twenty year’s experience successfully counseling busy families, Simplicity Parenting teaches parents how to worry and hover less–and how to enjoy more. For those who want to slow their children’s lives down but don’t know where to start, Payne offers both inspiration and a blueprint for change.• Streamline your home environment. The average child has more than 150 toys. Here are tips for reducing the amount of toys, books, and clutter–as well as the lights, sounds, and general sensory overload that crowd the space young imaginations need in order to grow.• Establish rhythms and rituals. Predictability (routines) and transparency (knowing the day’s plan) are soothing pressure valves for children. Here are ways to ease daily tensions, create battle-free mealtimes and bedtimes, and tell if your child is overwhelmed.• Schedule a break in the schedule. Too many activities may limit children’s ability to motivate and direct themselves. Learn how to establish intervals of calm in your child’s daily torrent of constant doing–and familiarize yourself with the pros and cons of organized sports and other “enrichment” activities.• Scale back on media and parental involvement. Back out of hyperparenting by managing your children’s “screen time” to limit the endless and sometimes scary deluge of information and stimulation. Parental hovering is really about anxiety; by doing less and trusting more, parents can create a sanctuary that nurtures children’s identity, well-being, and resiliency as they grow–slowly–into themselves. A manifesto for protecting the grace of childhood, Simplicity Parenting is an eloquent guide to bringing new rhythms to bear on the lifelong art of parenting.

For the Children's Sake


Susan Schaeffer Macaulay - 1984
    Everyone would like education to be a joyous adventure and celebration of life, as well as a solid preparation for living. Sadly, most education today falls far short of this goal.But as Susan Schaeffer Macaulay shows it doesn't have to be this way. Education can be a wonderful, life-enriching, joyous experience.For the Children's Sake is a book about what education can be--for your child, in your home, and in your school. It is based first on a Christian understanding of what it means to be human--to be a child, a parent, a teacher--and on the Christian meaning of life. At the same time it is deeply practical. Many of the central ideas have been tried and proven true over a century in almost every kind of educational situation. The ideas are in fact so true that they can be applied equally at home, in different schools, in Africa, in the inner city, and in your own community. But they are also ideas which Susan and her husband Ranald Macaulay have tried and proven in their own family and school experience.For the Children's Sake is a book which can help every parent and teacher awaken the young minds of their children and give them a new richness, stability, and joy for living.

How to Behave So Your Preschooler Will, Too!


Sal Severe - 2002
    Sal Severe, the parenting guru and bestselling author of "How to Behave So Your Children Will, Too!" Based on Dr. Severe's philosophy that a child's behavior is often a reflection of parents' behavior, "How to Behave So Your Preschooler Will, Too!" will teach parents with children between the ages of three and six to adjust their behavior to better handle: * Fussing at bedtime * How to set limits * Tantrums * Crying scenes when leaving a play date * Sibling rivalry * Preparing to start school * Toilet training * And more With practical and easy-to-implement suggestions, this book shows parents how to manage anger, prevent arguments, and promote their child's physical, emotional, and language development. It is certain to become a bible for stressed-out, exhausted parents everywhere.

Easy to Love, Difficult to Discipline: The 7 Basic Skills for Turning Conflict into Cooperation


Becky A. Bailey - 2000
    But how can you guide them without resorting to less-than-optimal behavior yourself? Dr. Becky Bailey's unusual and powerful approach to parenting has made thousands of families happier and healthier.Focusing on self-control and confidence-building for both parent and child, Dr. Bailey teaches a series of linked skills to help families move from turmoil to tranquility:7 Powers for Self-Control to help parents model the behavior they want their kids to follow. These lead to:7 Basic Discipline Skills to help children manage sticky situations at home and a t school, which will help your children develop:7 Values for Living, such as integrity, respect, compassion, responsibility, and more.Dr. Bailey integrates these principles in a seven-week program that gets families off to a good start, offering plenty of real-life anecdotes that illustrate her methods at work. With this inspiring and practical book in hand, you'll find new ways of understanding and improving children's behavior, as well as your own.

River Cottage Baby and Toddler Cookbook


Nikki Duffy - 2011
    I don't think there should be any sharp distinctionsbetween 'baby food', 'children's food' and 'grown-up food'. It's a spectrum thewhole family can be on, the food each person eats becoming a little moresophisticated and seasoned as they mature.'Nikki Duffy brings the River Cottage ethos to feedingchildren, and shows that it's never too early to involve the youngest familymembers in mealtimes. Her delicious seasonal purées and simple, wholesomerecipes put the needs and wants of babies and toddlers first, whilst offeringup dishes that will delight adults too. With clear advice on nutrition andweaning, The River Cottage Baby & Toddler Cookbook is the perfect starting point for your child's greatfood adventure.Start the day with breakfasts like blueberry pancakes, apple muesli oreggy bread, followed by simple and delicious meals like fishcakes,meatballs, shepherd's pie, home-made pizza, falafel, mackerel pâté, pearisotto or roasted fish with tomato sauce. Nice little puddings includebaby baked apples with chocolate, rhubarb crumble and a classic ricepudding. With an introduction by Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall, this book will put real food on the table for the whole family to share.

Feeding Baby Green: The Earth Friendly Program for Healthy, Safe Nutrition During Pregnancy, Childhood, and Beyond


Alan Greene - 2009
    Alan Greene has written the follow up to his best-selling book and offers parents a definitive guide for making nutritionally-sound decisions for their children. Offers parents green choices for feeding children from when they are in the womb through toddler years.This unique guide includes advice on how to transform a baby's eating habits that will positively impact their health and development for the rest of their lives. Dr. Greene has included everything a parent needs to know about creating healthy, nutritious meals that help avoid childhood obesity, and prevent childhood disease. This must-have resourceShows how what a mother eats during pregnancy effects her baby's health and eating habits for years after birth Provides the definitive guide to "green" feeding for babies from pregnancy to toddlers Filled with practical tips and advice for selecting and preparing earth friendly meals for babies Shows the health benefits for babies who eat "green" with innate nutritional intelligence The crucial follow-up to the best-selling book Raising Baby GreenIn addition to working in his medical practice, Dr. Alan Greene makes regular appearances on the Today show and writes articles for the New York Times.

The Forest Feast for Kids: Colorful Vegetarian Recipes That Are Simple to Make


Erin Gleeson - 2016
    The first children’s cookbook from New York Times bestselling author and popular food blogger Erin Gleeson, The Forest Feast for Kids, serves up kid-friendly vegetarian recipes that are quick, easy, and fun to make. This cookbook showcases the rustic simplicity of the fare through vibrant colorful photography of Gleeson’s beautiful home in the woods and of children cooking the dishes themselves.   Each meal is simple and full of fresh and lively flavors that will appeal to kids. The natural beauty of Gleeson’s surroundings and the abundance of local produce serve as the inspiration for recipes such as:  Pesto Pepper PizzaRainbow Chard QuicheKale TacosWatermelon Smoothies  In addition to its recipes—which span meals, party food, snacks, and beverages—this nonfiction book includes ideas for crafty table decoration, party ideas, an illustrated guide on kitchen safety, and a glossary of culinary terms. The recipes are complemented by a mix of stunning photographs and art, including Gleeson’s own fanciful watercolor illustrations and hand lettering.   This beautifully designed kid-friendly cookbook is perfect for foodies and parents looking for healthy recipes for children. It will also appeal to fans of Erin Gleeson’s blog and The Forest Feast. Parents.com says "Have you ever wanted to crawl into a cookbook and live in its world? That’s how I feel when I page through Erin Gleeson’s gorgeous The Forest Feast for Kids." Also available from Erin Gleeson: The Forest Feast: Simple Vegetarian Recipes from My Cabin in the Woods andThe Forest Feast Gatherings.

Everyday Easy


Lorraine Pascale - 2014
    Enjoy quick but satisfying weeknight dinners such as Creamy Pancetta Pasta with Mushrooms and Parmesan or Chestnut and Pea Risotto with Truffle Oil. Thinking of entertaining? You’ll find dinner-party delights such as Rioja-Braised Lamb Shanks with Chorizo or Twice-Cooked Chicken Kievs.Everyday Easy offers something for every chef and every occasion, whether you’re looking for a tasty meal for two or planning a crowd-pleasing menu for a fun and relaxed evening with friends. Nearly every recipe is accompanied by a gorgeous color photo along with a cornucopia of kitchen tips and tricks to help you whip up great food without the fuss.

Keys to Good Cooking: A Guide to Making the Best of Foods and Recipes


Harold McGee - 2009
     From our foremost expert on the science of cooking, Harold McGee, Keys to Good Cooking is a concise and authoritative guide designed to help home cooks navigate the ever-expanding universe of ingredients, recipes, food safety, and appliances, and arrive at the promised land of a satisfying dish.A work of astounding scholarship and originality, Keys to Good Cooking directly addresses the cook at work in the kitchen and in need of quick and reliable guidance. Cookbooks past and present frequently contradict one another about the best ways to prepare foods, and many contain erroneous information and advice.Keys to Good Cooking distills the modern scientific understanding of cooking and translates it into immediately useful information. Looking at ingredients from the mundane to the exotic, McGee takes you from market to table, teaching, for example, how to spot the most delectable asparagus (choose thick spears); how to best prepare the vegetable (peel, don't snap, the fibrous ends; broiling is one effective cooking method for asparagus and other flat-lying vegetables); and how to present it (coat with butter or oil after cooking to avoid a wrinkled surface). This book will be a requisite countertop resource for all home chefs, as McGee's insights on kitchen safety in particular-reboil refrigerated meat or fish stocks every few days. (They're so perishable that they can spoil even in the refrigerator.); Don't put ice cubes or frozen gel packs on a burn. (Extreme cold can cause additional skin damage)-will save even the most knowledgeable home chefs from culinary disaster.A companion volume to recipe books, a touchstone that helps cooks spot flawed recipes and make the best of them, Keys to Good Cooking will be of use to cooks of all kinds: to beginners who want to learn the basics, to weekend cooks who want a quick refresher in the basics, and to accomplished cooks who want to rethink a dish from the bottom up. With Keys to Good Cooking McGee has created an essential guide for food lovers everywhere.

100 Best Books for Children


Anita Silvey - 2004
    The books we hear or read when we are children stay with us all our lives. If we miss them when we are young, we’ll miss them forever: no Hungry Caterpillar, no Winn-Dixie, no Roll of Thunder. As adults we remember a few familiar favorites, but no one but an expert like Anita Silvey, with her thirty-five years at the heart of children’s book publishing, could put together an authoritative list like this one. Parents, grandparents, teachers, librarians, and bookstore clerks will feel completely comfortable recommending these books for any child, from infancy to almost-teens. Silvey includes, in addition to the 100 best, extensive lists of books to meet special needs and interests as well as classics, selected by age, to round out this extraordinarily useful work. In addition to giving an age range and the plot of each book, Silvey relates the fascinating, often hilarious story behind the story, something only an insider in the field of children’s publishing could tell. 100 Best Books for Children is as much fun to read as it is helpful.

The Five Love Languages of Children


Gary Chapman - 1995
    Sometimes they are filled with gratitude and affection, and other times they seem totally indifferent. Attitude. Behavior. Development. Everything depends on the love relationship between you and your child. When children feel loved, they do their best. But how can you make sure your child feels loved? Since 1992, Dr. Gary Chapman's best-selling book "The 5Love Languages" has helpedmillions of couples develop stronger, more fulfilling relationships by teaching them to speak each others' love language. Each child, too, expresses and receives love through one of five different communication styles. And your love language may be totally different from that of your child. While you are doing all you can to show your child love, he may be hearing it as something completely opposite. Discover your child's primary language and learn what you can do to effectively convey unconditional feelings of respect, affection, and commitment that will resonate in your child's emotions and behavior."

Montessori Play And Learn: A Parent's Guide to Purposeful Play from Two to Six


Lesley Britton - 1992
    If you would like to facilitate the development of your child's unique personality, make it possible for him to develop to his full intellectual capacity, and help him become socially and emotionally well adjusted, then this is the book for you.Montessori Play and Learn is packed with ideas, activities, and games that can fit into your normal routine and help supplement preschool learning for your child. For planning your home, introducing your child to the supermarket or the neighborhood, and helping him discover other people and cultures, this book provides valuable tips and insights that help parents and children grow and learn together.-- Create hundreds of learning opportunities from everyday life-- Learn dozens of games and activities to help prepare children for mathematics, reading, science, and writing-- Make your home environment as stimulating for your child as the best Montessori preschool.

The Absorbent Mind


Maria Montessori - 1949
    Written by the women whose name is synonymous worldwide with child development theory, The Absorbent Mind takes its title from the phrase that the inspired Italian doctor coined to characterize the child's most crucial developmental stage: the first six years.A new foreword by John Chattin-McNichols, Ph.D., President of the American Montessori Society, places this classic book in a contemporary context, offering an intelligent discussion of current thinking in child education.

New Junior Cookbook (Better Homes & Gardens Test Kitchen)


Flora Szatkowski - 1955
    More than 65 all-new recipes are age-appropriate, kid-tested and kid-tasted.Every recipe has a full-color fun illustration and recipe photo.Recipes use short ingredient lists and easy step-by-step instructions.Written and designed to appeal to 8- to 12-year-old children who are just beginning to cook on their own, as well as those who have some cooking experience.Cooking Basics chapter covers all the things kids need to know, such as kitchen safety, menu-planning, basic nutrition information, and how to read food labels.New illustrations and new features make this a must-have reference cookbook for kids and their parents to use together.Simply delicious recipes that kids will have fun preparing and the whole family will enjoy eating.Yummy recipes include: Farmhouse Breakfast Pizza, Sun-Up Sandwiches, Fast Fixin' Fajitas, Mighty Melts, Ooey Gooey Fudge Sauce, Raining Berries Turnovers.Includes recipes for special celebrations and diabetic exchanges.