Giving Our Children & Ourselves the Social & Emotional Skills to Reduce Stress & Anxiety for Healthier, Happy Lives

Order "10 Mindful Minutes by Goldie Hawn, Daniel J. Siegel" Here

Book Description
"Goldie Hawn embodies delight and joy, and 10 Mindful Minutes radiates these. Her book can help any adult-parent, grandparent, teacher-make double use of their moments with the children they love and have a terrific time while helping shape that child's brain for a lifetime of resilience and happiness." -- Daniel Goleman, author of Emotional Intelligence

Across the country, the revolutionary MindUP program, which was developed under the auspices of the Hawn Foundation, established by Goldie Hawn, is teaching children vital social and emotional skills. By understanding how their brains work, children discover where their emotions come from and become more self-aware. They learn to appreciate the sensory aspects of their lives and to value the positive effects of mindfulness, compassion, and kindness. This, in turn, empowers them to manage and reduce their own stress-and helps them be happy.

Those who have seen the remarkable effects of this program have been eager to learn how to implement it in their own homes and use its practices for themselves, too. Now, for the first time, its secrets are being shared with all parents and children in 10 Mindful Minutes.

About the Author
Goldie Hawn is the founder of the Hawn Foundation as well as an international children's advocate and enthusiastic campaigner for the mindful celebration of life. An Academy Award-winning actress, producer, and director, she is also a mother and grandmother. Her bestselling autobiography, A Lotus Grows in the Mud, was published in 2005.

Wendy Holden is a journalist and author of more than twenty-five books, including the novel The Sense of Paper, published in 2006. She was also the cowriter of Goldie Hawn's memoir, A Lotus Grows in the Mud.

The Secrets of Staying Young

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Book Description
Rosemary Conley is one of the UK's most successful and best-loved diet and fitness experts. Rosemary Conley's "Secrets of Staying Young" is the book that she's been planning to write for 20 years. In it she shares some of her own experiences of looking and feeling young as the years pass, as well as giving advice on diet; exercise (Including a special section of exercises for the over-70s, an age group that is often overlooked in beauty and fitness books); dressing for your age and shape, and gives medical advice about HRT, plastic surgery and how to stay fit despite the changes in your body. Rosemary Conley's "Secrets of Staying Young" is not only a practical and useful guide for women, but also a very personal story of how she has maintained her health and stayed looking youthful throughout the years.

About the Author
Rosemary Conley is the founder and president of Rosemary Conley Diet And Fitness Clubs, a franchise–based organization that is one of the biggest weight loss organizations in the UK. She has released several exercise videos and books including Complete Flat Stomach Plan and Gi Hip & Thigh Diet.

The 10 Habits of Happy Mothers

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Book Description
The pressure on women today has pushed many American mothers to the breaking point. It feels as if “doing your best” is never enough to please everyone, and the demands mothers place on themselves are both impossible and unrealistic. Now Meg Meeker, M.D., critically acclaimed author of Strong Fathers, Strong Daughters, puts her twenty-five years’ experience as a practicing pediatrician and counselor into a sound, sane approach to reshaping the frustrating, exhausting lives of so many moms.

Mothers are expected to do it all: raise superstar kids, look great, make good salaries, volunteer for everything, run errands, keep a perfect house, be the perfect wife. Single mothers often have even more demands—and less support. In this rallying cry for change, Dr. Meeker incorporates clinical data and her own experience raising four children to show why mothers suffer from the rising pressure to excel and the toll it takes on their emotional, physical, mental, and spiritual health. Too many mothers are increasingly lonely, anxious, depressed, and unhappy with themselves, refusing to let themselves off the hook. Here, Dr. Meeker has identified the 10 most positive habits of mothers who are healthy, happy, and fulfilled. The key is to embrace a new perspective and create real joy and purpose by utilizing such core habits as

• making friends with those who know the meaning of friendship
• finding out what money can buy (and what it cannot)
• lightening the overload and doing less more often
• discovering faith and learning how to trust it
• taking some alone time and reviving yourself

Mothers, it’s time to view the unconditional trust that you see in your children’s eyes when they take your hand or find your face in a crowd as a mirror of your own wonder and worth. You are the light that shines in their lives, the beacon that guides them. By implementing the key strategies in Dr. Meeker’s book, you can be happy, hopeful, and a wonderful role model. You can teach your children to be the very best they can be and isn’t that still the most precious reward of motherhood?

About the Author
Meg Meeker, M.D., is the author of Strong Fathers, Strong Daughters and Boys Should Be Boys. She has been a physician practicing pediatric and adolescent medicine, working with children and their parents, for twenty-five years. Dr. Meeker is the mother of four children, and lives with her husband in northern Michigan.

Welcome to Your Child's Brain

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Book Description
How children think is one of the most enduring mysteries and difficulties encountered by parents. In an effort to raise our children smarter, happier, stronger, and better, parents will try almost anything, from vitamins to toys to DVDs. But how can we tell marketing from real science? And what really goes through your kid's growing mind-as an infant, in school, and during adolescence?

Neuroscientists Sandra Aamodt and Sam Wang (who is also a parent) explain the facets and functions of the developing brain, discussing salient subjects such as sleep problems, language learning, gender differences, and autism. They dispel common myths about important subjects such as the value of educational videos for babies, the meaning of ADHD in the classroom, and the best predictor of academic success (hint: It's not IQ ). Most of all, this book helps you know when to worry, how to respond, and, most important, when to relax.

Welcome to Your Child's Brain upends myths and misinformation with practical advice, surprising revelations, and real, reliable science. It's essential reading for parents of children of any age, from infancy well into their teens.

About the Author
Sandra Aamodt, Ph.D, is the former editor in chief of Nature Neuroscience, the leading scientific journal in the field of brain research. During her career, she has read over 5000 neuroscience papers, given lectures at many universities, and attended over fort scientific meetings in ten countries. Her science writing has been published in the New York Times, Washington Post, El Mundo and the London Times. She lives in Northern California with her husband, one cat, and three chickens.

Sam Wang, Ph.D, is an associate professor of neuroscience at Princeton University. He has published fifty articles on the brain in leading scientific journals and received numerous awards. His research and analysis has been featured in the Wall Street Journal, the New York Times and on National Public Radio, and he has made numerous television and radio appearances. He lives in Princeton, NJ with his wife and their two-year-old daughter.

What's Wrong with My Kid?

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Book Description
Raising a teenager is tough, but when you suspect that your kid is abusing substances, and is possibly addicted, it can feel unmanageable—and it can be hard to know where to find sound advice. You are not alone.

Author George E. Leary Jr., M.A., was a longtime youth social worker when his eldest son became an addict. Through this heart wrenching experience, he changed his life’s path and committed to working with teens with substance abuse problems. In this straightforward and compassionate guide, he applies his personal experience and expertise to explain

• the warning signs of alcohol or drug addiction;
• how to intervene and find treatment for both the teen and the family;
• the nature and biology of addiction, and its cause and effect on developing brains and bodies;
• the co-occurring mental health issues common to teenagers;
• the role of family in enabling behavior;
• the types of treatment, including the Twelve Step model; and
• the role of drugs and alcohol in increasing teen suicide rates.

What’s Wrong with My Kid? reveals that you aren’t alone and that steps can be taken to put your family back together.

About the Author
George E. Leary Jr., M.A., provides mental health services to addicts and those living with HIV/AIDS. He established and operated two recovery houses in Baltimore, Maryland, and served for nine years on a mobile crisis intervention team.

Seeing Ezra: A Mother's Story of Autism, Unconditional Love, and the Meaning of Normal

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Book Description
Seeing Ezra is the soulful, beautifully written memoir of a mother’s fierce love for her autistic son, and a poignant examination of what it means to be “normal.” When Kerry Cohen’s son Ezra turns one, a babysitter suggests he may be “different,” setting her family on a path in which autism dominates their world. As he becomes a toddler and they navigate the often rigid and prescriptive world of therapy, Cohen is unsettled by the evaluations they undergo: At home, Ezra is playfully expressive, sharing profound, touching moments of connection and intimacy with his mother and other family members, but in therapy he is pathologized, prodded to behave in ways that undermine his unique expression of autism.

It soon becomes clear that more is at stake than just Ezra’s well-being; Cohen and her marriage are suffering as well. Ezra’s differentness, and the strain of pursuing varied therapies, takes a toll on the family—Cohen’s husband grows depressed and she pursues an affair—all as she tries to help others recognize and embrace Ezra’s uniqueness rather than force him to behave outside his comfort level. It isn’t until they abandon the expected, prescriptive notions about love, marriage, and individuality that they are able to come back together as two parents who fiercely love their little boy.

Powerful and eye-opening, Seeing Ezra is an inspirational chronicle of a mother’s struggle to protect her son from a system that seeks to compartmentalize and “fix” him, and of her journey toward accepting and valuing him for who he is—just as he is.

Develop Your Child's Sense of Joy & Wonder

Order "Playful Learning by Mariah Bruehl" Here

Book Description
Children are natural scientists, artists, mathematicians, authors, and scholars. From the time they are born they seek out information about the world around them in an effort to construct meaning and further their development. Children have an inherent drive to make sense of their reality, and when given an enriching environment and supportive guidance they intuitively take advantage of the prospects for learning that are before them. Parents have a unique opportunity to harness their children’s curiosity and channel it into the development of habits of heart and mind that will serve them throughout their lifetime.

Playful Learning is the magic that takes place when we meld a child’s sense of joy and wonder with thoughtfully planned learning experiences. Through easy-to-implement, hands-on projects you can engage your child in fun and creative ways that encourage learning and impart the joy of discovery. In addition, discover ways to create a space conducive to learning and learn how to build a culture within your family that celebrates learning. With a little bit of information and forethought, you can play a pivotal role in the cognitive and creative development of your child.

About the Author
Mariah Bruehl has worked in the field of education for over a decade. She has an MS in Elementary Education from the Bank Street College of Education, was a classroom teacher for four years at the Dalton School, and worked in Early Childhood and Elementary Administration for six years at the Hampton Day School, the Ross School, and the Ross Institute Academy. She has taught in the classroom, trained teachers, implemented programs across many grade levels,and developed and implemented curriculum. Her educational influences include the Reggio Emilia Approach, Maria Montessori, and Howard Gardner. She is currently a stay-at-home mother of two girls and the owner of Playful Learning— a retail space and education center in Sag Harbor.

Siblings: Brothers and Sisters in American History

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Book Description
Brothers and sisters are so much a part of our lives that we can overlook their importance. Even scholars of the family tend to forget siblings, focusing instead on marriage and parent-child relations. Based on a wealth of family papers, period images, and popular literature, this is the first book devoted to the broad history of sibling relations, spanning the long period of transition from early to modern America.

Illuminating the evolution of the modern family system, Siblings shows how brothers and sisters have helped each other in the face of the dramatic political, economic, and cultural changes of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. The book reveals that, in colonial America, sibling relations offered an egalitarian space to soften the challenges of the larger patriarchal family and society, while after the Revolution, in antebellum America, sibling relations provided order and authority in a more democratic nation. Moreover, Hemphill explains that siblings serve as the bridge between generations. Brothers and sisters grow up in a shared family culture influenced by their parents, but they are different from their parents in being part of the next generation. Responding to new economic and political conditions, they form and influence their own families, but their continuing relationships with brothers and sisters serve as a link to the past. Siblings thus experience and promote the new, but share the comforting context of the old. Indeed, in all races, siblings function as humanity's shock-absorbers, as well as valued kin and keepers of memory. This wide-ranging book offers a new understanding of the relationship between families and history in an evolving world. It is also a timely reminder of the role our siblings play in our own lives.

About the Author
C. Dallett Hemphill is a Professor of History at Ursinus College. She is the author of Bowing to Necessities: A History of Manners in America, 1620-1860 (OUP).

Fierce Medicine: Breakthrough Practices to Heal the Body & Ignite the Spirit

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Book Description
As the creator of Forrest Yoga , Ana T. Forrest has been transforming people’s lives throughout the world for more than thirty-five years. Her unique blend of physical practice, Eastern wisdom, and profound Native American ceremony takes her teachings literally off the mat and into daily life—to heal everything from addictive behaviors and eating disorders to chronic pain and injury. In Fierce Medicine, Forrest tells her own story of healing from the scars of abuse and physical handicaps, and reveals the proven practices that enabled her to move beyond her past into a life committed to helping others reconnect with their bodies, cultivate balance, and start living in harmony with their Spirits.

In her unique, powerful, and inviting voice, Ana Forrest reveals how to:

• Learn to stalk fear and break free from it instead of running from it.
• Be attentive to your body, discovering its own inherent healing properties.
• Speak and act from a place of honesty and compassion.
• Cultivate an open heart that is feeling, responsive, and reflexive and able to embrace change.
• Harness your intuition and the courage to live in alignment with your Spirit.

Whether you’ve never done yoga or are a seasoned practitioner, Ana Forrest’s practices, stories, and exercises will help you uncover your own warrior’s heart. With this wise woman as your trusted guide, you, too, can become centered, strong, and more alive than ever before.

Loving the Little Years: Motherhood in the Trenches

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Book Description
I didn't write this book because mothering little ones is easy for me. I wrote it because it isn't. I know that this is a hard job, because I am right here in the middle of it. I know you need encouragement because I do too.

This is not a tender reminiscence from someone who had children so long ago that she only remembers the sweet parts. At the time of writing this, I have three children in diapers, and I can recognize the sound of hundreds of toothpicks being dumped out in the hall.

This is a small collection of thoughts on mothering young children for when you are motivated, for when you are discouraged, for the times when discipline seems fruitless, and for when you are just plain old tired.

The opportunities for growth abound here but you have to be willing. You have to open your heart to the tumble. As you deal with your children, deal with yourself always and first. This is what it looks like, and feels like, to walk as a mother with God.

About the Author
Rachel Jankovic is a wife, homemaker, and mother. She received her bachelor's degree in Liberal Arts & Culture from New Saint Andrews College, but mostly reads cookbooks now to avoid story grip (being highly susceptible). In 2003, she married her husband Luke, and they have five children who know how to party. Their little posse includes Evangeline (5), Daphne (4), Chloe (2), Titus (2), and Blaire (5 months). Rachel loves color, fabric, yarn to knit with, kids to laugh at, and laundry (not so much).

Dr. Riley's Box of Tricks

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Book Description
Every parent sends their child to his or her room as a punishment at one time or another. But, have you ever considered grounding your children from their rooms? Dr. Douglas Riley has. In fact, if your daughter isn't allowed to use her own room after you have declared it "unfit for human habitation" until she straightens it, you'll be amazed how clean she will keep her space next time.

Dr. Riley has prescriptions for every situation, from messy rooms to homework procrastination, from sibling combat to cell-phone abuse. Ideal for any exasperated parent, this must-have guide offers dozens of creative solutions for the most persistent parenting problems. These gentle yet proven techniques turn the tables to put you back in charge--and get your kids to laugh in the process.

About the Author
Douglas Riley, EdD, is a licensed clinical psychologist with more than thirty years of experience working with children, adolescents, and parents. He lives in Virginia.

Pregnancy, Childbirth, and the Newborn

Order "Pregnancy, Childbirth, and the Newborn by Penny Simkin, April Bolding, Ann Keppler, Janelle Durham, Janet Whalley" Here

Book Description
Pregnancy, Childbirth, and the Newborn: The Complete Guide is already one of the bestselling pregnancy books on the market, with more than one million copies in print! Now newly revised and redesigned, this comprehensive, authoritative “bible” provides expectant couples with abundant, valuable information about pregnancy, labor, birth, the postpartum period, and newborn care.

This award-winning book presents the latest research-based information on pregnancy, birth, and early parenthood, including:

• New information on complementary-medicine approaches such as acupuncture
• Updated information on interventions during childbirth
• Revised statistics and discussions on cesarean birth and vaginal birth after cesarean (VBAC)
• New advice on informed decision-making, one of the hottest topics in maternity care today
• Plus much, much more!