Kids Development

Our preteen years, ages nine to 13, can present some of the most difficult times in our young lives, a period of tremendous physical and emotional change. We're eager to leave the "kid" stage, yet we're uncertain about what adolescence will bring; we start hearing the familiar refrain "wait until you're older" far too often. Chicken Soup for the Preteen Soul is a companion guide for these transitional years.

Well, 1983 certainly wasn't boring for the Welch family. Somehow, between their handsome father's mysterious death, their glamorous soap-opera-star mother's cancer diagnosis, and a phalanx of lawyers intent on bankruptcy proceedings, the four Welch siblings managed to handle each new heartbreaking misfortune in the same way they dealt with the unexpected arrival of the forgotten-about Chilean exchange student—together.

Feelings are not meant to be pushed down or dismissed. Here’s how to make sure your kids know what to do with theirs: If you’re like most parents, one of your primary concerns about your child, aside from their health and safety, is how you can prepare them for adulthood. Qualities associated with emotional intelligence, are a greater predictor of future success than having a high IQ and are very often overlooked. Fortunately, emotional intelligence is something that can be taught and developed, and the ideal time to do it is while your kids are still young.

The secret to raising the happiest kids in the world? Whatever it is, it's somewhere in the Netherlands. Kids in the US face lots of pressure to excel - often at the expense of happiness. But does it have to be this way? Not in the Netherlands! In The Happiest Kids in the World, expats Rina Mae Acosta and Michele Hutchison - both married to Dutchmen and bringing up their kids in the Netherlands - examine the unique environment that enables the Dutch to turn out such well-adjusted, independent children.

The syndicated sex-advice columnist of "Savage Love" tells a no-holds-barred story of an ordinary American couple who want to have a baby, except that in this case, the couple happens to be Savage and his boyfriend.

Adolescents, especially those in their early teens, have daily anxiety-producing issues. Indeed, many youngsters are more prone to anxiety attacks than most adults. With the pressures of academic success, biological changes in the bodies, changes in their social life and the looming arrival of adulthood, adolescents often have a harder time dealing with many of the disturbing things presented to them in today’s world.

After Alice Dreger's live tweeting of her son's abstinence sex ed class went viral, Dreger was asked by many parents how she had managed to raise a 14-year-old so comfortable talking about sex - comfortable enough even to challenge sex ed teachers when they presented misinformation. The Talk is a response to those questions.

Do you find yourself constantly asking your child to "pick up the pace"? Does he or she seem to take longer than others to get stuff done - whether completing homework, responding when spoken to, or getting dressed and ready in the morning? Drs. Ellen Braaten and Brian Willoughby have worked with thousands of kids and teens who struggle with an area of cognitive functioning called "processing speed" and who are often mislabeled as lazy or unmotivated.

How to Be a Family brings listeners along as the Kois girls - witty, solitary, extremely online Lyra and goofy, sensitive, social butterfly Harper - walk through the Kiwi bush, ride bikes to a Dutch school in the pouring rain, battle iguanas in their Costa Rican kitchen, and learn to love a town where everyone knows your name. Meanwhile, Dan interviews neighbors, public officials, and scholars to learn why each of these places work the way they do. Will this trip change the Kois family's lives? Or do families take their problems and conflicts with them wherever we go?

Unlock the secrets to managing toddler meltdowns and behavioral challenges with real advice from a seasoned mom of four children ages 3 and under. Discover guilt-free tips for prioritizing self-care, creating a consistent care routine, and mastering strategies to handle tantrums and unwanted behaviors.

Michele Borba has been a teacher, educational consultant, and parent for 40 years - and she's never been more worried than she is about this current generation of kids. The high-achieving students she talks with every day are more accomplished, better educated, and more privileged than ever before. They're also more stressed, unhappier, and struggling with anxiety, depression, and burnout at younger and younger ages - "we're like pretty packages with nothing inside," said one young teen.

Feeling overwhelmed by parenting conflicts? Discover the revolutionary 'No Yelling Formula' in No-Yelling Parenting Toolbox, a guide designed to bring peace and understanding to your family life. This isn’t just an audiobook—it’s a transformative tool that offers a clear, effective path to stress-free parenting.

In Parental Control: A Guide to Raising Balanced Kids in the Digital Era, Titania Jordan, a renowned internet and social media safety specialist, tackles the urgent dilemmas of modern parenting head-on. As technology increasingly engulfs the lives of our children, this book emerges as a beacon for those looking to guide, protect, and connect with them in meaningful ways.

If it feels as if your child is at a point of no return and there’s nothing you can do to turn the situation around, don’t despair. Your child’s future is golden, and the joy of every parent is to see to it that their little one becomes the best version of themselves. Every tool, strategy, or idea you need to guide your child in the right direction is in this handbook. Continue fighting for the future of your child, and they will thank you when they’re strong and independent adults living their best lives.

Can you teach your child to be kind? This vital question is taking on a new urgency as our culture grows ever more abrasive and divided. A world-renowned developmental psychologist, Dr. Thomas Lickona has lead the character education movement in schools for 40 years and now he shares with parents the vital tools they need to create a culture of kindness at home. Kindness doesn’t stand on its own. It needs a supporting cast of other essential virtues - like self-control, good judgment, courage, and gratitude.

Whenever Amy McCready mentions the "entitlement epidemic" to a group of parents, she is inevitably met with eye rolls, nodding heads, and loaded comments about affected children. It seems everywhere one looks, there are preschoolers who only behave in the grocery store for a treat, narcissistic teenagers posting selfies across all forms of social media, and adult children living off their parents. Parenting expert Amy McCready reveals in this book that the solution is to help kids develop healthy attitudes in life.

You discovered your kid is cutting, leaving you with a sinking feeling in your stomach. Cutting is the behavior that tells you something is definitely wrong and that your kid needs immediate understanding and help. Dr. J.J. Kelly has been working with teens and young adults for the last 15 years, and she is the person whom other professionals send their self-harm patients to.

With humor and down-to-earth practicality, Karis shares stories of trial and triumph straight from the trenches of parenting. From the beginning, Karis gives desperate parents a reliable recipe for peace, boundaries, and effective discipline. Be at your best...even when your kids are at their worst. Grace Based Discipline will show you how!

Parents, teachers, therapists, and anyone who cares about a child or teen on the autism spectrum needs this essential roadmap to prepare our youth for being successful adults in today's world. Best-selling author, autism advocate, and animal science professor Dr. Temple Grandin joins psychologist and autism specialist Dr. Debra Moore in spelling out the steps you can take to restore your child's hope and motivation, and what you must avoid.

Tired of endless battles with your narcissistic ex? Does every conversation turn into manipulation? Worried about how this toxic dynamic is affecting your child? Co-parenting with a narcissist is exhausting. Gaslighting, control tactics, and legal fights make peaceful parenting feel impossible. But you can take back control. This guide provides practical strategies to help you navigate co-parenting or parallel parenting with a high-conflict ex, protect your child, and reclaim your peace.