The Whole-Brain Child: 12 Revolutionary Strategies to Nurture Your Child’s Developing Mind

by Daniel J. Siegel

In this pioneering, practical book, Daniel J. Siegel, neuropsychiatrist and author of the bestselling Mindsight, and parenting expert Tina Payne Bryson offer a revolutionary approach to child rearing with twelve key strategies that foster healthy brain development, leading to calmer, happier children. The authors explain—and make accessible—the new science of how a child’s brain is wired and how it matures. The “upstairs brain,” which makes decisions and balances emotions, is under construction until the mid-twenties. And especially in young children, the right brain and its emotions tend to rule over the logic of the left brain. No wonder kids throw tantrums, fight, or sulk in silence. By applying these discoveries to everyday parenting, you can turn any outburst, argument, or fear into a chance to integrate your child’s brain and foster vital growth.

The Conscious Parent: Transforming Ourselves, Empowering Our Children

by Dr. Shefali Tsabary

Instead of being merely the receiver of the parents’ psychological and spiritual legacy, children function as ushers of the parents’ development. Parents unwittingly pass on an inheritance of psychological pain and emotional shallowness. To handle the behavior that results, traditional books on parenting abound with clever techniques for control and quick fixes for dysfunction. In Dr. Shefali Tsabary’s conscious approach to parenting, however, children serve as mirrors of their parents’ forgotten self. Those willing to look in the mirror have an opportunity to establish a relationship with their own inner state of wholeness. Once they find their way back to their essence, parents enter into communion with their children, shifting away from the traditional parent-to-child “know it all” approach and more towards a mutual parent-with-child relationship. The pillars of the parental ego crumble as the parents awaken to the ability of their children to transport them into a state of presence.

The Optimistic Child: A Proven Program to Safeguard Children Against Depression and Build Lifelong Resilience

by Martin Seligman

In The Optimistic Child, Dr. Martin E. P. Seligman offers parents, teachers, and coaches a well-validated program to prevent depression in children. In a thirty-year study, Seligman and his colleagues discovered the link between pessimism — dwelling on the most catastrophic cause of any setback — and depression. Seligman shows adults how to teach children the skills of optimism that can help them combat depression, achieve more on the playing field and at school, and improve their physical health.

The Blessing Of A Skinned Knee: Using Jewish Teachings to Raise Self-Reliant Children

by Wendy Mogel

Frustrated with a therapeutic practice that “shifted too frequently to be an anchor” for parents struggling with issues like overindulgence and overscheduling, clinical psychologist Mogel turned to her religious heritage for ways to help her clients and her own family “find grace and security” in an increasingly complex world. “In the time-tested lessons of Judaism, I discovered insights and practical tools that spoke directly to these issues,” writes Mogel, who left her psychology practice in order “to help parents look at their children’s anxieties and desires using a different lens.” Digging into the rich traditions of the Torah, the Talmud and other Jewish teachings, Mogel builds a parenting blueprint that draws on core spiritual values relevant to families of all faiths. With warmth and humor, she offers strategies for encouraging respect and gratitude in children, and cautions against overprotection (“we treat our children’s lives like we’re cruise ship directors who must get them to their destinationDadulthoodDsmoothly, without their feeling even the slightest bump or wave”) and the pressure of “Lake Wobegon parenting” (a reference to Garrison Keillor’s fictional town where “all the children are above average”). Her thoughtful observations consistently illuminate and reassure. Impassioned, lyrical and eminently practical, this inspiring volume is a real treasure.

Why Good Kids Act Cruel: The Hidden Truth about the Pre-Teen Year

by Carl Pickhardt Ph.D.

Why do so many preteens treat each other so badly? Why is intentional meanness so prevalent in the middle school years? Early adolescence, a time of major physical and psychological change, is also when preteens suffer harassment, stalking, intimidation, humiliation, and fear—and haven’t a clue how to handle or stop this deliberate treatment. Psychologist Pickhardt identifies and examines the causes and behaviors that make up what he calls social cruelty among kids, clearly explaining that it appears in ages nine to 13 because that is when kids feel vulnerable about separating from childhood and desire more social independence.

10 Best Gifts for Your Teen: Raising Teens With Love and Understanding

by Patt and Steve Saso

Patt and Steve Saso navigated all the parenting perils from infancy to preteen insecurity, but nothing could prepare them for the unpredictability of adolescence. One day their teenager might say, “I love you,” after the morning ride to school, and the next he might sit in the back seat, sulking in silence. In their new book, 10 Best Gifts For Your Teen, the Sasos offer valuable advice to help families maintain strong relationships through the often turbulent teenage years.

The Heart of Parenting: Raising an Emotionally Intelligent Child

by John Gottman

Gottman, a University of Washington psychology professor and author of Why Marriages Succeed or Fail, has studied family dynamics for more than 20 years. His observations lead him to divide parents into two categories: those who do and those who don’t use the technique he calls “emotion coaching.” With writer DeClaire, he begins by noting the obvious: good parenting involves emotion as well as intellect; parenting style has lifelong consequences.

For Parents and Teenagers: Dissolving the Barrier Between You and Your Teen

by William Glasser

Dr. William Glasser — a world-renowned psychiatrist who has healed shattered families and changed lives with his advice — urges parents and teachers to reject the “common sense” that tells them to “lay down the law” by grounding teens, or to try to coerce teens into changing their behavior. These strategies have never worked, asserts Dr. Glasser, and never will.

The Book of Nuturing

by Richard and Linda Eyre

Linda and Richard Eyre have enjoyed enormous success with their book Teaching Your Children Values, the first parenting book since Dr. Spock’s Baby and Child Care to top the New York Times Bestseller list. While the Eyres’ book generated an overwhelmingly positive response from families, the authors received letters from parents asking for help in putting the book’s principles into practice.

Back to the Family: Proven Advise on Building Stronger, Healthier, Happier Family

by Dr. Ray Guarendi