Kids Development

There are lots of experts out there who will tell you they have the magic recipe to raising perfect humans. Gwenna Laithland is not one of them. She’s one of us. Frustrated, overwhelmed, and exhausted. Her relatable representation of parenthood validates our experiences. In Momma Cusses, Gwenna uses her signature style of snark and sarcasm to explain her interpretation of responsive parenting vs. reactive parenting and outline the steps she takes to raise her kids. Whether you are a parent or someone who has had a parent, we all need to learn how to handle our emotional spirals responsively.

It’s time to parent smarter, not harder. Filled with scientifically based and eminently actionable advice and strategies, The Parents' Playbook boils down the ten essential things that every child needs to thrive so that parents can stop drowning in information and get to the business of raising healthier, happier humans. Written by three mental health professionals who work with families, organized for easy skimming, and designed to be useful at any stage in a child’s life, the book devotes one short, impactful chapter per principle.

In How to Raise an Adult, Julie Lythcott-Haims draws on research; on conversations with admissions officers, educators, and employers; and on her own insights as a mother and as a student dean to highlight the ways in which overparenting harms children, their stressed-out parents, and society at large.

You're deeply committed to helping your kids succeed. But you're concerned. Why are so many graduates unprepared to enter the workforce and face life on their own? You're doing your best to raise healthy children, but sometimes you wonder, am I really helping them? Tim Elmore shows you how to avoid 12 critical mistakes parents unintentionally make. He outlines practical and effective parenting skills so you won't fall into common traps. Find out why thousands of organizations have sought out Tim Elmore to help them develop young leaders.

Written by Dr. Samantha Rodman, founder of DrPsychMom.com, How to Talk to Your Kids about Your Divorce teaches you how to raise a happy, thriving family in a changing environment. Each chapter offers expert advice for discussing your decision in healthy and effective ways, including breaking the initial news, fostering an open dialogue, and ensuring that your children's emotional needs are met throughout your separation.

Today's youth-sports experience provokes countless questions for well-intentioned parents. How young should kids start playing sports? Should they specialize—and when? What should a parent do when their kid is not getting the playing time they think their child deserves? How do parents encourage children without overwhelming them? Raising Empowered Athletes has answers for every youth-sports situation with an overarching goal of not only helping parents raise strong athletes but also nurture great human beings who are empowered to succeed on and off the playing field.

In The Collapse of Parenting, internationally acclaimed author Leonard Sax argues that rising levels of obesity, depression, and anxiety among young people can be traced to parents abdicating their authority. The result is children who have no standard of right and wrong, who lack discipline, and who look to their peers and the Internet for direction. Sax shows how parents must reassert their authority - by limiting time with screens, by encouraging better habits at the dinner table, and by teaching humility and perspective - to renew their relationships with their children.

Known as Shug to her nearly 1 million TikTok followers, Rachel Coler Mulholland has become a favorite voice for parents trying to navigate tricky conversations with their curious and confused children. As a nationally certified counselor with a master’s degree in clinical mental health counseling, she is the ideal person to write this book, which will empower parents and caregivers by helping facilitate essential but scary conversations with their kids, from toddlers to teens.

Stop Yelling at the Kids! If this title caught your attention then it’s safe to assume you’re a parent that experiences occasional fits of rage. You feel frustrated and often catch yourself questioning how all the other parents cope. You might even be worried that you’re repeating the patterns that you experienced as a child growing up. The fear: You're turning into your parents! If this sounds familiar, this book is for you!

An Atria Book. Atria Books has a great book for every listener.

Do you suspect your child may have anxiety? While it's normal for children of all ages to experience fears and worries, if your child's anxiety interferes with their daily life, it's time to get some help. Parenting Anxious Kids is an accessible, research-based guide for parents that is filled with actionable steps to help your child conquer their anxiety—and a must-have parenting tool in a world where kids' anxieties and fears are increasing.

As parents, we all have, at one time or another, wondered: Where did this child come from? Am I doing something wrong? You are not doing anything wrong, and there is very likely nothing wrong with your child! When you understand your child's unique temperament, you will have the key to unlocking his behavior, moods, and motivational forces. Art and Laraine Bennett provide an accessible synthesis of classical wisdom, modern counseling, science, Catholic spirituality, and wonderful storytelling to the four basic temperaments that serve as the foundation of one's personality and approach to life.

You can't force your kids to be grateful for everything you do, but you can raise successful, responsible kids who grow into adults you can be proud of. With his signature wit and wisdom, international parenting expert Dr. Kevin Leman reveals eight no-nonsense strategies that build on the foundations of character, good behavior, respect, discipline, and a winning attitude. He shows you how to expect the best to get the best, minimize friction and optimize solutions, put your relationship first, and much more.

Parenting advice isn't hard to find. There are thousands of books on the subject, as well as a multitude of websites. Much has also been written on the science of child development. What's been lacking, however, are sources of reliable advice that bring together the scientific research and its real-world applications.

Long before he became manager of the St. Louis Cardinals and Kansas City Royals, Mike Matheny grasped the core values of what really mattered when it came to playing baseball. It wasn't attention from fans or the trophy at the end of a season that guided his morals, but the hard-won discipline, labor, and humility that he incorporated into every game he played. Now, in The Dad Coach, Matheny puts his philosophy into action and provides a step-by-step template for coaches and parents to develop solid fundamentals and a strong sense of character in their players.

No one wants to get rid of obsessive-compulsive disorder more than someone who has it. That's why Talking Back to OCD puts kids and teens in charge. Dr. John March's eight-step program has already helped thousands of young people show the disorder that it doesn't call the shots - they do. This uniquely designed volume is really two books in one. Each chapter begins with a section that helps kids and teens zero in on specific problems and develop skills they can use to tune out obsessions and resist compulsions.

Parents love to imagine their children growing up to be exceptional adults. But for many, raising exceptional adults seems a daunting task. Wherever you are in your parenting journey, there's hope for you. As a mom of four boys, Monica Swanson—also the author of Boy Mom and host of the popular Boy Mom podcast—knows the challenges and struggles of parenting and the kind of help that parents in the trenches are looking for. In Raising Amazing, Monica gives you the tools and techniques you need for a fresh perspective on parenting that may just change the trajectory of your family forever.

Middle school is its own important, distinct territory, and yet it's either written off as an uncomfortable rite of passage or lumped in with other developmental phases. Based on her many years working in schools, professional counselor Phyllis Fagell sees these years instead as a critical stage that parents can't afford to ignore (and though "middle school" includes different grades in various regions, Fagell maintains that the ages make more of a difference than the setting).

School discipline is broken. Too often, the kids who need our help the most are viewed as disrespectful, out of control, and beyond help, and are often the recipients of our most ineffective, most punitive interventions. These students - and their parents, teachers, and administrators - are frustrated and desperate for answers. Dr. Ross W. Greene, author of the acclaimed book The Explosive Child, offers educators and parents a different framework for understanding challenging behavior.

Tantrums. Talking back. Throwing toys or food. Meltdowns. Slamming doors. Kids know just how to push your buttons. You've tried all sorts of methods, but nothing seems to work. That's because you're not addressing the root reasons for why kids misbehave, says international parenting expert Dr. Kevin Leman. In this book, he reveals exactly why kids misbehave and how you can turn that behavior around with practical, no-nonsense strategies that really work...and are a long-term win for both of you