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| Book Reviews - Parenting |
Current book reviews for this category are shown below.
You may add your own review if you wish. |
| The Sixty Minute Family |
Rob Parsons
£7.99, Lion Hudson Plc
‘Whatever size and shape your family is… this short book contains things that have the potential to make your family stronger and even save it from breakup. I have known families whose relationships were changed – saved even – by putting into practice just one of the lessons in this book.' Rob Parsons
Praised by the Daily Mail as ‘the man who reinvented fatherhood’, Rob Parsons’ previous books on fatherhood, motherhood and marriage in the popular Sixty Minute series have sold over 400,000 copies. Now the best-selling author and internationally-renowned speaker on family issues turns his attention to the family as a whole in The Sixty Minute Family.
As a highly acclaimed speaker on family and business issues, Rob has travelled all around the world over the last 20 years. In that time, he has listened to people from many different countries and traditions as they have shared with him what has made their families strong and, sometimes, what has destroyed them – and he has heard them say on a number of occasions, ‘I wish I’d known that earlier in my family life’.
In this new book, Rob draws on countless real life scenarios – from his own experiences of family life and those of others – to offer ten ‘life lessons’ to make your family life happier and to make your family stronger as a unit. Key areas discussed include: making time for your family in our busy 21st century life; discovering the power of encouragement; learning to listen; the magic of traditions; saving your marriage from a ‘creeping separateness’; and handling conflict effectively.
‘Families that don’t have time for each other don’t intend to live that way,’ writes Rob Parsons. ‘It’s just that life goes by a day at a time, and because there’s always tomorrow, the problem never seems critical… We have to live in the real world. There will be some nights when we are absolutely shattered, and it’s fine to skip pages when we’re reading stories to [our children]. But at the same time, it’s as well to remember how fast those doors of childhood close.’
Written in a highly accessible and engaging style, with simple action points at the end of each section, The Sixty Minute Family does not make any promises to turn your family into a perfect family overnight. What it does offer is 10 tried and tested ways to give your family the best chance possible of surviving and thriving in the context of our busy 21st century lifestyle.
Rob Parsons is a bestselling author and international speaker on family issues. Over half a million people have attended his live seminars. He is also the Executive Chairman of Care for the Family, a national charity with the aim of strengthening family life and helping those who are hurting due to family breakdown. |
| Beautiful Babies, Fabulous Families, Wonderful World |
Nim barnes
£12.99, Foresight
“I can‘t bear things going wrong with babies….” This comment goes a long way to explaining why Foresight founder, Nim Barnes has decided to pass on her love, familiarity and expert knowledge on all aspects of pregnancy in the form of her book, Beautiful Babies, Fabulous Families, Wonderful World (published by Foresight, publisher’s price £12.95)
Nim, a sprightly 78, founded Foresight, a leading charity dealing with pre-conceptual care and infertility. Foresight’s approach is soundly based on nutrition, whilst encompassing other areas such as hidden infection and electromagnetic pollution.
Nim’s energy and enthusiasm is legendary and is truly a testament to a healthy nutrition and lifestyle! The new title captures the Foresight philosophy and approach whilst being written in a warm, friendly, and accessible format. It charts some of the key issues related to pregnancy encountered by couples over the years and outlines how these have been overcome. With heartwarming examples of happy couples who have been helped by the Foresight approach, it provides practical advice to today’s parents wanting to embark upon this approach to help their future offspring off to the best start in life.
“ This is why I founded Foresight in the first place”. Nim explains that the charity Foresight which she founded over 30 years ago, was not originally to help with infertility, it was to try and ensure that all babies were born healthy and normal, able to realise their full potential, physically and mentally, and therefore able to have a wonderful, happy and productive life. It was along the way that they found that the Foresight Programme was also a major factor in solving infertility in about 78% of cases they encountered.
Nim’s early days were spent as a nurse in a Day Nursery in the 1940s, where the world of babies became a major part of her life. When she came to have her own children she realized her sons had lots of allergies – coeliac condition, hyperactivity, dyslexia in one; and a tendency to asthma and eczema, if given the wrong foods, in the other. Her baby daughter had tumours on the spinal cord. This started Nim’s quest to read everything that she could lay her hands on to better help herself and other parents to prevent problems from afflicting their beloved babies. |
| When Your Child is Sick - What you can do to help |
Professor Alf Nicholson and Gráinne O’Malley
€14.99, Gill & Macmillan
Professor Alf Nicholson, a consultant paediatrician in Temple Street Children’s University Hospital, believes we are over-treating our sick children. There is a rise in the use of antibiotics, unnecessary trips to A&E, and scans that serve to reassure over anxious parents, but are a drain on the already over-burdened health system and actually quite a traumatic experience for children.
We need to go back to commonsense medicine, where knowledge of how to deal with everday illnesses was passed from one generation to the next. Due to changes in the way we live our lives, parents don’t always have an older neighbour or family member on hand when a child gets sick and can panic unnecessarily. Distressed parents often turn to the internet where the sheer amount of information can lead to further panic and confusion. The authors of this book are experienced parents who sympathise with the concerns of parents.
Alf Nicholson and Gráinne O’Malley want to empower parents to help their sick children. Parents can do more to help if they have reliable information at hand. Alf Nicholson knows, from over twenty years experience of working with children, that most ailments are minor and can often be treated at home. When Your Child is Sick catalogues the top twenty ailments your child will face as he/she grows. This handy reference book will help to identify what’s wrong, how to treat the illness at home and how to know when you need to call the doctor.
One of the most common questions Alf is asked by parents is, ‘is this normal?’ To answer those questions there is a chapter on the normal stages of development. There are also sections focusing on the ‘new illnesses’ of childhood that are often controversial: obesity, asthma, allergies, and ADHD. There is also a guide to what every home medicine chest should contain (besides a copy of this book!)
‘We have one of the healthiest generations ever. So why are doctors so busy? There is more medical expertise available to any parent today, freed up especially by the internet. Despite this (or because of it?) there is far greater anxiety. I believe that we have lost sight of what is normal when a child is sick.’ Professor Alf Nicholson. |
| The Bad Dad's Survival Guide |
Adam Brophy
€12.99, Gill & Macmillan
In his exciting first book the writer of the Irish Times column, 'A Dad’s Life', Adam Brophy takes a fresh new look into new family life.
She says she’s pregnant. Somehow you resist the urge to flee screaming from the building. You sit and nod as she speaks for another thirty minutes. You hear only two words: ‘I’m pregnant.’
You go to a bookshop to find something, anything, that will help you understand the mixture of emotions currently bubbling like acid in your brain. But every book for prospective fathers presumes one thing, one single falsehood – that because you had the ability to physically procreate you must be a mature, upstanding citizen.
Wrong. You’re a mess, how can you raise a child? You have one primary project in life, Project You, and that’s not going well. You didn’t budget for additional events that would develop into Project You And Significant Others Who Will Depend On You Forever.
This book is written for you, he who sees his life being stripped away. The Bad Dad. Read it and you might survive.
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| 100% Me - The How, Why and When of Growing Up |
DK Publishing
£7.99, Dorling Kindersley
This is a funky and fun boy's and girl's guide to puberty and growing up. As kids grow up and reach puberty, their bodies start to change and develop. They're bound to have all kinds of questions - but what exactly is happening? From growth spurts to sex education, this straight-talking but fun guide to how girls and boys grow up will tell your child everything they need to know about growing up. Arranged into separate boy and girl sections, they will learn about each other as well as themselves. Packed with cool graphics, quizzes and answers to common questions, kids can find out what to expect as their mind and body changes. |
| He'll Be OK - Helping Adolescent Boys Become Good Men |
Celia Lashlie
£9.99, Harper Collins
Adolescent boys can be difficult to understand – barely communicating, isolating themselves, suggestable to drink and drugs. It’s no surprise that parents worry about their sons growing up and how they’ll turn out – and look for help to understand what their boys are going through. Celia Lashlie has the answers. After years of working in the prison service she knows what can happen when boys make the wrong choices. She also knows what it’s like to be a parent. Throughout her years working as a researcher and social commentator, Celia has talked to hundreds of boys – what she found was surprising, amusing, and in some cases, frightening. In this funny, honest, no-nonsense book, Celia Lashlie reveals what goes on in the world of boys, and with clarity and insight, she offers parents - especially mothers - practical and reassuring advice on raising their boys to become good, loving, articulate men.
Straight-up, hard-hitting advice on parenting teenage boys. |
| 101 Ways to get your Child to Read |
Patience Thomson
£1.99, Quick Reads
How can you get your child reading if they can't, or won't read? Some children need a lot of help if they’re ever going to learn to read. But what’s the best way to help them? How can you get your child to read if he just doesn’t like books? And what if you don’t read much yourself? This book has the answers.
This is an accessible, friendly and valuable book for all parents by an author with thirty years of experience teaching reading and publishing books for reluctant readers. Introduced by Michael Morpurgo and with celebrity tips and hints.
Quick Reads are bite-sized books by bestselling writers and well-known personalities for people who have lost the reading habit or who simply want a short, fast-paced read!
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| Rainy Day Guide to Ireland |
Orla Kearney
€9.99, Gill & Macmillan
Most guidebooks to Ireland are aimed at adults. But many of those adults also bring their children on holiday with them. Here’s the first guidebook written for children. It contains details of the country, its history, culture, legends and places to visit. And as its title implies it also gives lots of ideas for the inevitable rainy day. Activity pages appear throughout the book. Finally there’s a special pocket built into the back cover in which the child can keep tickets, leaflets and other memorabilia of the holiday.
All in all, this is a book for children that adults won't want to be without!
Orla Kearney writes, edits and publishes Primary Times, a 'What's On and Where to Go' guide for parents and children in Kildare, Meath and Wicklow. |
| Divorce and Separation |
The Essential Guide
£8.99, Need 2 Know Books
Faced with the reality that you are going to split with your partner, the last thing you need is the added worry of what to say to your children, or how to answer their questions.
This book is here to help. Its easy-to-read style covers the practical, emotional and physical impact of a separation, from breaking the news and organising living arrangements to dating and stepfamilies. It pulls together a wealth of experiences and anecdotes from adults and children, as well as experts, counsellors and lawyers who can offer crucial advice.
Whether you are a parent, grandparent, carer or teacher, this book will help you reduce and manage the pain and stress for children when a relationship ends.
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| How to Plan the Perfect Party for Your Child |
Beverly Davies
£7.99, White Ladder Press
Children’s parties can be unforgettable occasions. Those special moments full of laughing faces, pretty dresses, favourite foods and happy friends.
Or should that be spilt drinks, broken toys, exhausted parents and tears before bedtime?
Well, it can be either of course. Which is why Beverly Davies has assembled in one volume everything you need to know to make sure that your children have parties that everyone enjoys – them, you, and the guests. Whether your child is too young to walk, or nearly ready to leave home, this book is packed with ideas, advice, tips and suggestions from parents, experts and children.
You’ll find loads of specific ideas for each individual age group, right up to teenage parties and beyond, along with practical guidance on:
• Planning the party
• Games and entertainers
• Catering and cakes
• Party bags
• Serving alcohol at teenage parties
• Organising a big 18th or 21st bash
So next time your children remind you they have a birthday coming up you won’t need to feel stressed or apprehensive, you’ll be able to celebrate!
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| What to Do When Your Child Hates School |
Antonia Chitty
£9.99, White Ladder Press
It can be utterly agonising to send your child to school when you know they hate it. Many parents are in tears day after day as a result. And watching all those other parents dropping off happy smiling children makes it feel all the more lonely.
Thousands of parents go through the same thing every day. Maybe your child is being bullied, or maybe they’re struggling to keep up. Perhaps they’re bored, or maybe they have social or learning difficulties. Whatever the reason, it makes everyone’s life hell.
That’s why Antonia Chitty has put together this guide to coping. You’ll have tried what you can already, but here are lots more ideas too, whatever kind of solution you want:
· How to talk to the school to get the problems resolved
· How to change schools within the state system
· Alternative schools, from Montessori and Steiner to boarding school
· Home education
· Flexischooling and home tutoring
There is an answer, and this book will help you find it. It may take a little while, but it’s only a matter of time before your child will be happyto get up in the mornings, and may even head off to school with a smile.
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| Tidy Your Room |
Jane Bidder
£7.99, White Ladder Press
Are you sick of yelling at the kids to hang up their clothes? Tired of telling them to do their homework? Fed up nagging them to put their plate in the dishwasher? You’re not the only one. Here, at last, is a practical guide to help you motivate them and get them on your side.
Parenting journalist Jane Bidder draws on the advice of many other parents as well as her own experience as a mother of three, to bring you this invaluable guide to getting your kids to do the things they hate. The book includes:
what chores are suitable at what age, and how to get them to co-operate
getting homework done without stress
where pocket money fits into the equation
Tidy Your Room is the book for any parent with a child from toddlerhood through to leaving home, and anyone who has ever had trouble getting their kids to do chores or homework. That’s just about all of us, then.
Jane Bidder is a professional author and journalist who writes extensively for parents. She also writes fiction as Sophie King. She has three children, the eldest two of whom are now at university, so she has extensive personal as well as professional experience of getting kids to do the things they hate. She is the author of What Every Parent Should Know Before Their Child Goes to University.
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| What to Buy for Your Baby |
Liat Hughes Joshi and Caroline Cosgrove
£9.99, White Ladder Press
Publication date 8th Sept 2008: You’ve done it! You’re having a baby and you’ve told everyone the joyful news.
Suddenly there’s a bewildering amount of advice from friends, family and complete strangers on what you absolutely have to get for the new arrival. Of the enormous and ever-growing range of products available, it’s hard to know which are essential and which will simply gather dust. Even basic items like dummies can perplex – will it be orthodontic or cherry teat, latex or silicone? Do you want that expensive nappy disposal unit or should you just settle for a plain old bin?
This chatty and informative guide by Liat Hughes Joshi and Caroline Cosgrove explains what parents need for a new baby and how to avoid spending a fortune on necessary equipment. The unique combination of a parenting writer and the founder of acclaimed baby shopping service ‘Baby Concierge’ adds up to unrivalled advice for mothers-to-be and their families, by demystifying the process and offering tips on what is, and isn’t, worth buying.
The book is packed with practical information, tips and guidance on best buys, taking into account different lifestyles, budgets and preferences. It’s up to date with all the latest ‘must haves’ of the baby world, and a read through its pages will save the reader time and money by advising on how to make informed decisions while avoiding being overwhelmed by the amount of choices now available when it comes to baby gear.
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| Adventure Walks for Families |
Becky Jones and Clare Lewis
£8.99, Frances Lincoln
Advetnure Walks for Families is a collection of twenty-five specially created walks for families who want their children to enjoy the great outdoors. Each adventure is inspired by a theme such as a castle, a beach, bird-watching or a favourite children's book. Walk with Winnie-the-Pooh in the Ashdown Forest, discover the hideaways of the Swallows and Amazons in Suffolk, see the place where Constable painted The Haywain, find Roald Dahl's Fantastic Mr Fox in the Chilterns, and the whereabouts of the real Watership Down. Packed with ideas of things to do on the way, where to eat, what to take and what to do when you get there, such as shelter building, foraging for food, crabbing, tracking and trailfinding. This book provides a clear, step by step guide for a fantastic free day out in the country. |
| Your Left-handed Child |
Lauren Milsom
£9.99, Hamlyn
More than one in 10 children are left-handed, but the fabric of life is still geared up exclusively for right handers. This practical guide is perfect for parents of children who are left handed, with neat subject sections, lots of photographs and ideas. Above all, it champions the obvious: left-handed children are normal and society needs to change and harness their talents. |
| Keeping Your Child Safe - A Manual for Parents |
Paul Gilligan
€12.99, Gilld & Macmillan
Keeping Your Child Safe is a book about child protection written by one of the acknowledged experts in this field. Aimed at parents, the book provides a non-threatening resource, pointing out the potential risks existing for children, but also the practical ways parents can protect their children against abuse and trauma.
The book covers the entire range of possibilities from child abuse to safety in crèches, nurseries and schools, to baby-sitters, holidays and sport. Former Chief Executive of the ISPCC, Paul Gilligan also discusses the safe use of technology, such as mobile phones and the internet, as well as drug and alcohol abuse, premature sexualisation and depression.
In the Ireland of the new millennium, the exact nature of what it means to be a parent is becoming more difficult to define. This invaluable guide for families will hellp them make better choices and feel more confident about heir children's safety. |
| Dyslexia And Other Learning Difficulties - A Parent's Guide |
Maria Chivers
£8.99, Need2know
Maria Chivers, founder of the Swindon Dyslexia Centre, knows the heartache and frustration experienced by parents of children with learning difficulties.
Things don't have to be that way, is her message. Learning difficulties are slowly being specified and recognised, and medical and educational help developed.
To get this help for your child you need to know how to make the system work for you. Maria Chivers draws on expert knowledge to show how you can make this happen.
Many learning difficulties, once identified, can be overcome. If your child has, or you suspect they might have, learning difficulties, this essential guide gives you the facts you need to take action.
Key Points
This guide takes you step by step through diagnosis, treatment, education, and beyond into career options.
Up-to-the-minute facts and practical advice enable you to:
• Pinpoint exactly what is wrong with your child
• Communicate with teachers and others in authority
• Assess your child's rights
• Choose the right education from the options available
Also available directly from Need2Know, by calling +44 1733 898103, emailing sales@n2kbooks.com or through the website www.n2kbooks.com. |
| Bullying - A Parent's Guide |
Jennifer Thomson
£8.99, Need2know
Jennifer Thomson’s informative guide will give a whole new perspective on this age-old problem that blights children’s lives. She will offer some answers as to why children are bullied and how parents can stop it from happening as well as providing some proven methods on how to help the bullied child boost their plummeting self-esteem.
When your child is being bullied you feel helpless and lost.
• Why is this happening to them?
• How can you help them?
• What is the school’s role in stopping the bullying?
• How can you build that child back up after
• their confidence has taken such a knock?
Whether you think that your child is being bullied or are a victim of bullying yourself, and want to know what you can do, this practical guide will provide you with the facts and resources you need.
Also available directly from Need2Know, by calling +44 1733 898103, emailing sales@n2kbooks.com or through the website www.n2kbooks.com. |
| Cool, Calm Parent |
Hollie Smith
£7.99, White Ladder Press
Release Date 16th June
I'll never forget a conversation I once had with my friend Julie, one of those enviable women who exudes an air of calm control in every aspect of her life. I tentatively raised the subject of my dreadful temper and asked if she ever lost control with her little boy. “God, yes,” she said. “Only this morning I got so stressed out I told him to f***ing well put his clothes on, or else.”
There’s no shortage of advice out there on how to deal with your children’s tantrums, but what about your own? Most parents are reluctant to admit it, but an awful lot of us have trouble controlling our own temper when the kids are unruly. No one likes yelling at the kids, it’s just that we can’t help ourselves.
At last Hollie Smith has written a book that fesses up to the problem, and looks at practical techniques to help us keep a lid on the anger and set our kids the example we want to. She takes us through plenty of strategies that help to avoid trouble in the first place. However, recognising that few of us manage to keep our cool all the time, she also helps us find ways to mind our language, resist the urge to get physical, and button up before we say anything we’ll regret in the long term.
How to Be a Cool, Calm Parent …no matter what draws on the advice of parenting experts, anger management consultants and psychologists. It’s also packed with case studies and quotes from real, everyday parents like you and me. The kind who want to be cool and calm with our kids, but don’t quite manage it all the time.
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| Celebrating Families |
Helen Sanderson and Maye Taylor
£14.95, HSA
A beautifully crafted book using the voices of real children and their families to show poistive ways to improve family life. It’s not preachy although it is very thorough and you might need to keep the faith when wading through the pages. A parenting guide that is not full of gimmicks and is compiled by first rate writers. |
| Toddler Book, The |
Rachel Waddilove
£7.99, Lion Hudson
Rachel Waddilove is a highly experienced maternity nurse, nanny, mother and grandmother whose clients have included celebrities, politicians and members of the Royal family. Rachel's first book, 'The Baby Book' was published in 2006 and her second book is just released in March 2008.
In her characteristically warm style - full of practical common sense - Rachel offers advice, encouragement and accessible wisdom for all aspects of life with a toddler (covering one, two and three year olds). Her keynote is a call to 'positive parenting' and consistency.
As well as tackling key areas - behaviour and discipline, sleeping, eating, potty training, development, illnesses and general care - Rachel spends time discussing related topics, such as the crucial importance of play, how to build a strong family life and preparing a toddler for the arrival of a baby brother or sister.
She also looks at recent social changes in parenting and family life, and the impact these have on bringing up children in the 21st century. In a final heartfelt chapter, she offers advice on how to meet your toddler's spiritual and emotional needs as well as their physical needs.
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| Baby Touch & Feel |
Animals - Farm - Trucks
£3.99, Dorling Kindersley
Tactile Touch and Feel books are guaranteed to educate and entertain. Each book contains simple text and bright pictures to engage the young reader and provide talking points for you and your child. Their format encourages young children to make the vital connection between words and pictures and combines the learning of important first concepts with play and pleasure.
Twinkly, bumpy, scaly, silky, sandy, sticky and shiny textures in a chunky package: perfect for encouraging tiny fingers to explore and tiny minds to develop.
ANIMALS
Stroke, tickle and touch the textures together with your baby and help them discover all about animals. Let their little hands roam and feel how soft and cuddly kittens are but how scaly the lizard feels. They’ll learn as you play.
FARM
Stroke, tickle and touch the textures together with your baby and help them discover all about farms. Oink oink! Quack quack! Let their little hands roam and feel how feathery the ducklings are and how soft the piglets feel. They’ll learn as you play.
TRUCKS
Stroke and touch the textures together with your baby and help them discover all about trucks. Broom broom! Let their little hands roam and feel how chunky the truck’s big wheels are. They’ll learn as you play.
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| Green Babycare |
Susannah Marriott
£12.99, Dorling Kindersley: Made With Care
Millions of nappies are thrown away every day and much of baby care is far from environmentally friendly; find out how you can make a difference by choosing greener lifestyle choices for you and your family.
Discover how to feed, clothe, clean, entertain and transport your baby in a greener way. Pick up practical step-by-step advice on using alternatives to chemical products; from how to change a reusable nappy to making a lotion for nappy rash.
"Green action boxes" feature practical solutions to suit your lifestyle: from recycling toys (light green) to using washable nappies (deeper green).
For parents who want to make a difference to the environment and protect their baby’s future planet. Earth-friendly nappies, plastic-free toys, and organic foods – learn to make greener lifestyle choices for you and your baby!
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| Raising Happy Children For Dummies |
Sue Atkin
£15.99, John Wiley & Sons
Make life with your children easier and more rewarding
Covering toddlers to teens, boys and girls, Raising Happy Children For Dummies helps you better understand your kids and be the parent they need. Written by a parenting coach and mum, you’ll discover practical steps to strengthen and improve the relationship woth your child so you can help build their self-esteem, increase their independence, and help them cope with life’s ups and downs.
Raising Happy Children For Dummies is the essential guide to being a more confident parent and is packed full of practical tips to make life with your children from toddler to teen easier and more rewarding.
Sue Atkins is a parent coach, former deputy head teacher, mother of two, and author of Raising Happy Children for Dummies - one of the famous black and yellow Dummies series of books. She has written many books on self esteem, toddlers and teenagers and has a collection of Confident Parent Toolkits available from her website. To find out more about her work and to receive her free monthly newsletter packed full of practical tips and helpful advice for bringing up happy, confident, well-balance children go to => http:/www.positive-parents.com
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| Family Friendly Working – inspiring ideas for making money when you have kids |
Antonia Chitty
£9.99, White Ladder Press Ltd
Every mum makes a tough decision about returning to work after having a baby. Having a second child can make the cost of childcare outweigh what you earn. And it’s hard to combine being there for your schoolchildren with a full time job.
Mother and small business advisor Antonia Chitty has put together a guide for parents which is full of case studies and ideas for finding work that fits comfortably around having kids. She advises not only on starting a business, but also on working for someone else or freelancing, with lots of advice, pros and cons and contributions from other parents who have been there before. If you have had enough of trying to do too much in too little time, and feel torn between work and spending time with your children, this book will guide you through the options. Do you make something that might be saleable? Have you got a skill you could use to earn in the evenings or while the children are asleep? What courses might help you retrain AND still be there when the kids get home from school?
Whether you need to earn something just to boost the family budget or have ideas for a business that could support your family if only you knew how to get started, this is the book for you.
This book contains some great ideas for working around your children and clearly explains the different options available - Primary Times would recommend any parent thining of returning to work now the children are at school to read it.
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| Child of Our Time : Early Learning |
Dr Tessa Livingstone
£14.99, Transworld Publishers
Help your child achieve their full learning potential at home and at school with this guide from Dr Tessa Livingstone, creator of the BBC’s Child Of Our Time series. When they are very young, babies have the potential and enthusiasm to learn anything that they are taught or subconsciously absorb from their surrounding environment. When they reach the age of 5 this all embracing excitement for learning begins to disappear. What can be done to encourage learning at this stage and how can the child’s motivation, intelligence and concentration improve? Child Of Our Time: Early Learning is the essential guide for parents and caretakers that will help to achieve the best for the child. The book will help to discover:
How to motivate your child from babyhood onwards
How your learning style can influence that of your child’s
How to improve memory and concentration
How to help your child prepare for school
And many other “how tos” |
| How To Pass Exams - A Parent's Guide |
David Lambourne
£8.99, Forward Press Ltd
David Lambourne has had a wide experience in preparing students for public examinations. He had a long and successful career in teaching in secondary education, was head of the Humanities faculty of a large south coast comprehensive school and represented the teachers of East Sussex on the history panel of the South East Regional Examinations Board (C.S.E.).
Exams are a feature of everyone’s lives and can often seem daunting. David Lambourne’s informative book guides both parents and students through the minefield of exams. Coursework, essay writing, revision plans, the final weeks before the exam and even the exam day itself are all discussed.
Readers will learn what the qualities of an effective student are, how to study successfully, the key attributes of note-taking and how essays and coursework should be structured. This is accompanied by illustrations and templates for building study plans and revision programmes.
Also available directly from Need2Know, by calling +44 1733 898103, emailing sales@n2kbooks.com or through the website www.n2kbooks.com. |
| Surviving the Terrible Teens |
Dr Sandi Mann, Dr Paul Seager and Jonny Wineberg
£7.99, White Ladder Press Ltd
Publication date 28 January 2008
It’s tough bringing up a teenager, from the start of their teens right through to the end. Of course, it’s not easy for them going through it either. That’s why you need help, so you can help them. Professional help.
Surviving the Terrible Teens is written by two psychologists, specialising in teens, and a youth officer. Between them, and the 170 parents they surveyed for the book, they have learned the answers to most of the trickiest teenage troubles. Their research revealed:
•74% of teens tell their parents little or nothing about their boyfriends/girlfriends
•30% of parents say the biggest source of conflict is untidiness/messy bedrooms
•The most popular means of discipline is grounding (40.5%)
•Parents’ top fear is their teenager being attacked (29%)
So what’s causing your teenager’s angst? School problems, bullying, sex, mood swings, learning to be independent, general anxiety, eating problems? Mann, Seager and Wineberg have plenty of advice to pass on from other parents, as well as case studies, quizzes, checklists and tips. All the classic teenage issues are dealt with sensibly, reassuringly and with humour, to fill you in on what motivates your teenager, what worries them and how best to handle it. Yes, even if you can’t get better than a grunt out of them.
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| Sneaky Parenting |
Jo Wiltshire
£7.99, White Ladder Press Ltd
Publication date 31 March 2008
Plenty of parents wish they could cook like Annabel Karmel, timetable like Gina Ford and listen like Penelope Leach. But most of us, more often than not, can only manage baked beans, botched bedtimes and bribery.
Today’s real parents need instant inspiration. In fact, they need to be a bit more sneaky and use a few smart shortcuts that might not meet with the approval of the experts but are plenty good enough. You haven’t cooked a batch of freshly-pureed root vegetables? Then which of your freezer foods is the best nutritional option for your hungry child? You’ve not hand-sewn a costume for the toddler group fancy dress party? What can be grabbed in 20 minutes to earn that first prize?
Every aspect of parenting can be done smarter if you just know how. Sneaky Parenting is chock full of real life tricks and clever tips for everything from mealtimes to potty training, sibling squabbles to holidays, taking in getting dressed, coping with minor illnesses, travel, socialising, cleanliness, manners, messiness, grandparents, baby equipment and finding time for yourself.
This is the book to tell you how to deal with the real stuff - quickly, with humour and in time for a cup of tea with EastEnders.
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| The Outdoor Pocket Bible |
Paul Jenner and Christine Smith
£7.99, White Ladder Press Ltd
Publication date 19 November 2007
This is a fabulous book for adults and children alike, and is great to take on trip outdoors. It gives you great hints on edible foods found outside, what you should do, how you should behave. I think every home should have one to help them get the most of the trip to the local field, forest or similar - Nick McLean
Most of us love to get out and enjoy the great outdoors when we get the chance, but we’re not all experts in what goes on out there. It can be so frustrating when you can’t identify the fossil you’ve just found, or can’t work out how best to put up a tent when everything seems to be on a slope.
That’s just where The Oudoor Pocket Bible comes in handy. It’s packed with all you need to know when you’re out walking, camping, or on the beach with the kids. From what weather is coming to how to light a fire in the rain, which animal’s tracks you’re looking at to estimating how long it will take you to climb the hill ahead of you, this book will live in the pocket of your walking jacket permanently, and will be referred to endlessly.
•Everything you could need to look up while you’re out and about walking, camping or enjoying the counryside
•Covers: Wild Food And Drink, Fires And Cooking, Camping Out, Children, Route Finding, Dangers And First Aid, Tracks And Tracking, Weather, Coastline, Messing About In Boats, Knots, Survival Skills
•Includes quick identification guides for animals, plants, rocks and fossils, man made features, and the night sky
This book follows the same format as the hugely successful The Gardener’s Pocket Bible and The Cook’s Pocket Bible.
READER OFFER: books normally sell for £7.99, but we can do a special price of £6.50, inclusive of p&p, to anyone who rings the White Ladder telephone number of 01803 813343 and says where they saw the offer. There’s no closing date.
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| I Want to See My Kids! |
Tina Rayburn & Timothy Forder
£10.99, Vision
A Guide for Dads Who Want Contact With Their Children After Separation. Barely a week goes by without a news item about a father who wants to see his children. Many of these accounts concern the more militant dads, who express their frustration by performing daring escapades. Who can forget Batman at Buckingham Palace? But behind these stunts lie harsh realities – of fathers fighting to stay in their children’s lives after divorce or separation and finding no support from the family court system.
I Want to See My Kids! is a comprehensive guide for dads who find themselves in this harrowing predicament.
In I Want to See my Kids!, Tina Rayburn and Timothy Forder give real life examples of the way families are ripped apart after divorce. They also provide essential information for fathers to help them through this time. Exploring the scale and variety of problems that can arise, they cover all the issues dads face including choosing legal representation, what role the courts and CAFCASS have, what contact means, what happens when things break down, and the effects on children and the extended family. The most important thing is for dads not to give up the struggle.
This issue potentially affects every parent and child. It impacts on family life, and therefore on the heart of 21st century society. It cannot be ignored.
Controversial, honest and informative, with a helpful resources section to gain further information and support, this book is an indispensable guide to help dads stay part of their children’s lives.
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| What Every Parent Should Know.... |
Jane Bidder
£9.99, White Ladder Press
... Before their child goes to Secondary school.Publication date 27 August 2007
Starting at secondary school is probably the biggest change in most children’s lives, and it’s pretty nerve wracking as a parent, too. You’re not even guaranteed to get them into the school you want. And once they’re there, you’re both constantly learning all sorts of things they don’t teach them in lessons: managing friendships, homework, relationships with teachers, making subject choices, coping with exams, even bullying if you’re unlucky.
After seeing two children right through the system to uni, and with a third just taking GCSEs, Jane Bidder could see the need for a book to help parents through the minefield of getting their child into the secondary school of their choice, and keeping them happy and productive once they’re there.
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| Parenting Is Child's Play |
David Coleman
£14.99, Penguin
In his popular and critically acclaimed RTÉ series, Families in Trouble, David Coleman showed stressed parents how to figure out ways of helping their children and themselves.
Now, in Parenting is Child’s Play, he focuses on the first six years of growing up.
Though babies don’t come with a rule book attached, that doesn’t mean that bringing them up isn’t a game. And while parenting is both a challenge and a huge responsibility, if you know the rules of the game, it’s also a lot of fun!
Parenting is Child’s Play explains the basic gist of the game of raising children. On everything from eating and sleeping, to discipline and being a working parent, Parenting is Child’s Play will help you to develop your own rules for playing the game. Crucially it will also help you to recognize those times - far more frequent than you might realize - when it's OK to sit back, relax and leave your child alone. |
| What Every Parent Needs To Know |
Margot Sutherland
£12.99, Dorling Kindersley
Essential for any parent: a practical parenting book which give you the facts, not the fiction, on the best way to bring up your child
It’s time to re-write the rule book on raising a child. Based on over 700 scientific studies into children’s development, award-winning author and child psychotherapist Dr. Margot Sunderland explains how to develop your child’s potential to the full.
Find out the truth about popular childcare tactics, how touch, laughter and play build emotional wellbeing for life, and the strategies for effectively dealing with temper tantrums and tears.
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| Raising A Happy Child |
Steve & Shaaron Bidulph
£9.99, Dorling Kindersley
Forget advice on nappies, feeding and flu jabs: this funny, inspiring book goes to the heart of being a parent – communication
Find out how to nurture your children during the precious years from birth to six, helping them become happy and confident individuals.
Discover how to get to know your baby’s personality and enjoy each stage of their early years. Pick up tips on teaching good behaviour and learn how to achieve the impossible, making bath-time, shopping and car journeys fun! Includes advice on helping your child learn about feelings.
Share a father’s moving diary and be inspired by dozens of true-life stories and uplifting anecdotes from parents who’ve been through it all and survived.
Plus, there are 30 activity pages with games and play ideas for you to enjoy with your child.
"A mix of Billy Connolly and Dr Spock... Steve Biddulph is a phenomenon." The Times
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| A Slice of Organic Life |
Edited by Sheherazade Goldsmith
£16.99, Dorling Kindersley
Find your own slice of the 'The Good Life'
Bake bread. Start a wormery. Shop locally. Plant a tree. Find out how to get closer to the soil, without going the whole hog.
Discover 80 simple, eco projects you can dip in and out of, from growing salad on your window-sill, to collecting rainwater. Pick up what you need using the directory of useful organic stockists and websites, then choose a project to suit your pocket and lifestyle. You don’t need a garden, special equipment, or even much time.
Includes an introductory comment by Sheherazade Goldsmith, wife of organic spokesman and Ecologist editor, Zac Goldsmith.
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| For Your First Holy Communion |
Olivia Warburton & Jayne White
£8.99, Lion Hudson
A beautiful, classic book to be given as a special gift for a child’s first holy communion. The themed arrangement of Bible passages and classic prayers makes it easy to use and enjoy. The book also includes a keepsake element to fill in as a personalised record of the day.
Appealing colour and black-and-white illustrations complement the text and will appeal to both the giver and receiver of this special gift.
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| Prayers for your Confirmation |
Lois Rock
£4.99, Lion Hudson
This stylish collection of some of the most important prayers and Bible verses from the Christian tradition provides an appropriate and respectful keepsake to mark the occasion of confirmation for a child as young as nine years through to adult. |
| Prayers for Baby's Christening |
Lois Rock
£4.99, Lion Hudson
A book of simple prayers and reflections that a grown up can say with a baby and know they are beginning to enact the promises they made at the infant's christening to help raise them in the Christian faith. The prayers have been chosen and presented to be age-appropriate and appealing to young children and adults alike.
A sweet and affordable gift for a special occasion.
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| The World's Religions |
Edited by Christopher Partridge
£12.99, Lion Hudson
A long established bestselling and highly regarded book, now substantially revised and rewritten with many new articles. New contributors are introduced and greater coverage given to recent developments in world religions, especially in the study of religion, indigenous religions, and esoteric, pagan and New Age religion. A useful reference book for in the home using full colour photographs, maps and diagrams.
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| Insider’s Guide to Being a Brilliant Grandparent, The |
Phill Williams
£7.99, White Ladder Press Ltd
Publication date 11 June 2007
Becoming a grandparent is usually an exciting time, but it also has its share of potential pitfalls. Many expectant and new grandparents are nervous at how they’ll cope with the new role, and want know how other grandparents have managed to make the relationship – with their children as well as their grandchildren – as rewarding as possible.
That’s why grandfather of seven Phill Williams has written The Insider’s Guide to Being a Brilliant Grandparent. He based his book on a survey of around a hundred grandparents, and interviews with grandchildren, and has produced a practical and readable guide to the joys and challenges new grandparents face. |
| How To Support Your Child With Reading |
Antonia Angell
£8.80, Lulu
If your child is struggling with reading, you will be delighted to know it is now even easier to get the best advice. This book is for parents who are puzzled about what to do - to promote phonics or sight recognition; which brands and resources really help and why and what can you do without spending lots of money. Available through Tesco, Waterstones and online at Amazon. Visit the website for resources available to everyone at no cost: key reading lists, real book reviews from children, a section on celebrating some excellent work done by children and primary schools, and free articles and hints about helping your child with handwriting and more. |
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