Denise Schipani shares her secret to being a 'Mean Mom,' and why it's better for your kids–and for you–in the long run." —Jen Singer, author You're a Good Mom (and Your Kids Aren't So Bad Either) "'Mean' moms make kids learn to do things for themselves from making breakfast to finding inner peace. I'm hoping I'm a little meaner myself after reading this book." —Lenore Skenazy, founder of the book and blog Free–Range Kids "I've chosen to be the kind of mother I feel is best, and that kind of mother is mean." MEAN MOMS SAY NO. MEAN MOMS ARE CONSISTENT. MEAN MOMS TRUST THEMSELVES. MEAN MOMS DON'T CARE WHAT EVERYONE ELSE IS DOING. MEAN MOMS TEACH KIDS THE LIFE SKILLS THEY NEED TO KNOW. MEAN MOMS SLOW IT DOWN. MEAN MOMS FAIL THEIR KIDS A LITTLE BIT EVERY DAY. And mean moms prepare their kids for the world, not the world for their kids, raising children into adults who know how to make themselves happy. Mean Moms Rule. And their kids benefit Denise Schipani writes about all things mean and motherly at www.confessionsofameanmommy.com

While it is universally understood that being a mother takes superhuman patience, strength, and fortitude, even these everyday superheroes need a helping hand every once in a while. Mom Rules is a quick go-to guide of essential rules to help mothers know what to expect, what to say, and what to do in those difficult moments when they are at their wits end.

A laugh-out-loud funny Mother s Day gift for the mom in your...

Are you a mom who does it all? This is the book for you. It's impossible to deny—most moms continue to do way more household work and childcare than most dads. Working full time, raising kids, cooking dinner, making sure every appointment and activity is lined up and that everyone gets there on time... no wonder you're tired! But despite all the books and articles lamenting the crushing mental load and emotional labor women bear for their families, no one has come up with a plan to actually make things change. Until now. The Manager Mom Epidemic is the first book that not only acknowledges the fact that moms are burning out, but shows you how to transfer responsibility for daily tasks from yourself to your partner and also (gasp!) your kids. Clinical psychologist and child discipline expert Thomas W. Phelan, PhD explains how we got into this mess in the first place, and how we can get out of it through a calm, systematic approach to teaching our families how to take initiative and contribute in meaningful ways. Dr. Phelan walks you through real-life situations and shows you how to step back from the things that are dragging you down. For example: Your Maternal Identity—the things you tell yourself you have to do in order to be a "good" mom The oppressive trap of chronic supervision Our society's curious underestimation of children's capabilities How to eliminate primary childcare with tweens and teens How to manager resistant or traditionalist dads Realistic and simple enough to implement in your home right away, The Manager Mom Epidemic provides a roadmap for you to take your life back and proves that the happiest families share the work and the fun equally.

I don't know how she does it! is an oft-heard refrain about mothers today. Funnily enough, most moms agree they have no idea how they get it done, or whether they even want the job. Trisha Ashworth and Amy Nobile spoke to mothers of every stripe--working, stay-at-home, part-time--and found a surprisingly similar trend in their interviews. After enthusing about her lucky life for twenty minutes, a mother would then break down and admit that her child's first word was "Shrek." As one mom put it, "Am I happy? The word that describes me best is challenged." Fresh from the front lines of modern motherhood comes a book that uncovers the guilty secrets of moms today . . . in their own words. I Was a Really Good Mom Before I Had Kids diagnoses the craziness and offers real solutions, so that mothers can step out of the madness and learn to love motherhood as much as they love their kids.

What’s the single most important thing you can do during pregnancy? What does watching TV do to a child’s brain? What’s the best way to handle temper tantrums? Scientists know. In his New York Times bestseller Brain Rules, Dr. John Medina showed us how our brains really work—and why we ought to redesign our workplaces and schools. Now, in Brain Rules for Baby, he shares what the latest science says about how to raise smart and happy children from zero to five. This book is destined to revolutionize parenting. Just one of the surprises: The best way to get your children into the college of their choice? Teach them impulse control. Brain Rules for Baby bridges the gap between what scientists know and what parents practice. Through fascinating and funny stories, Medina, a developmental molecular biologist and dad, unravels how a child’s brain develops – and what you can do to optimize it. You will view your children—and how to raise them—in a whole new light. You’ll learn: Where nature ends and nurture begins Why men should do more household chores What you do when emotions run hot affects how your baby turns out, because babies need to feel safe above all TV is harmful for children under 2 Your child’s ability to relate to others predicts her future math performance Smart and happy are inseparable. Pursuing your child’s intellectual success at the expense of his happiness achieves neither Praising effort is better than praising intelligence The best predictor of academic performance is not IQ. It’s self-control What you do right now—before pregnancy, during pregnancy, and through the first five years—will affect your children for the rest of their lives. Brain Rules for Baby is an indispensable guide.

Moms are under so. much. pressure. Pressure that weighs us down and threatens to wipe us out. Are you ready for relief? Mom Set Free will empower you to parent in the confidence of God's grace and to experience the freedom you were created for. We moms are told that we have to get it all right so our kids turn out right. We’re told that their entire futures are riding on our ability to perfectly orchestrate their lives. And we’re told that the strength of their faith hinges on ours. And we begin to believe that if we just try hard enough, we can actually “be enough.” These impossible standards leave us stuck in worry, anger, guilt, comparison, and shame. Jeannie Cunnion gets it. And in Mom Set Free she reveals how the Good News of the Gospel empowers us to live—and parent—in the freedom for which Christ has set us free. Jeannie invites us to journey alongside her as we learn to: -Lay down what God has not asked us to carry so we can thrive in what He has. -Embrace our significance in our children’s lives in light of God’s sovereignty. -Trust God with the children He has entrusted to us. -Receive God’s grace so we can reflect God’s heart to our kids. It’s time to breathe deeper, walk lighter, and reclaim the wonder and adventure of parenting.

Good Mom Rules is a labor of love and advocacy designed to help moms identify and conquer the guilt they carry around with them every day. Many moms hold on to "mistakes" they have made or life circumstances that forced them to parent differently than they once imagined. Conquering guilt allows you to live in the present with your children and enjoy motherhood more. This is possible when you have compassion for the younger version of yourself. Releasing this heavy emotion will help you give your children the happier, freer mom they deserve. www.raisingenlightenedchildren.com.

PARENTING NEVER ENDS. From the founders of the #1 site for parents of teens and young adults comes an essential guide for building strong relationships with your teens and preparing them to successfully launch into adulthood The high school and college years: an extended roller coaster of academics, friends, first loves, first break-ups, driver’s ed, jobs, and everything in between. Kids are constantly changing and how we parent them must change, too. But how do we stay close as a family as our lives move apart? Enter the co-founders of Grown and Flown, Lisa Heffernan and Mary Dell Harrington. In the midst of guiding their own kids through this transition, they launched what has become the largest website and online community for parents of fifteen to twenty-five year olds. Now they’ve compiled new takeaways and fresh insights from all that they’ve learned into this handy, must-have guide. Grown and Flown is a one-stop resource for parenting teenagers, leading up to—and through—high school and those first years of independence. It covers everything from the monumental (how to let your kids go) to the mundane (how to shop for a dorm room). Organized by topic—such as academics, anxiety and mental health, college life—it features a combination of stories, advice from professionals, and practical sidebars. Consider this your parenting lifeline: an easy-to-use manual that offers support and perspective. Grown and Flown is required reading for anyone looking to raise an adult with whom you have an enduring, profound connection.

Having a hard time dealing with kid chaos? Do you feel like your kids are walking all over you? Have they embarrassed you in public places? You are not alone! Almost every parent experiences these things! My name is Angela and I am a single mom of 3 children. As a parent, one thing I should have learned, is that freaking out on kids is not the way. While I began to understand this about parenting, I was just too busy. I had a 40+ hour per week job, and on top of that, I had to do EVERYTHING, and I mean everything: Doctor and dentist appointments, school meetings and functions, emergency room visits and chores such as vacuuming, laundry, cooking, sweeping, mopping, dishes - attempting to get the kids to do their chores was a chore in itself! Then we had things like volleyball, basketball, dance, grocery shopping. Wait, grocery shopping? I forgot to pick up toilet paper from the store today! Crap! Anyway, I had to do all of this while trying to maintain a job and income for our household and trying to fit in some actual quality time in with the kids. Not to mention me time- Wait... Me time? What's that?! I was in this exhausting juggling act of 360 degree parenting. My kids were getting out of control. There was very little structure, and a whole lot of disrespect and backtalk from the kids, not to mention the ever re-occurring sibling fights and arguments. It was tough being the only disciplinarian in the household with no one to call on for backup. I was suffering from extreme anxiety and life stresses- the kids and I were stressing each other out! Throughout all of this, I learned a huge lesson about parenting... Single parent or not, it's on me to GET - IT - TOGETHER It's easy to blame the father for not being there, or blame the media or other kids in our neighborhood or school for my children's behavior. But the truth is, it all comes down to us knowing what to do as parents. Raising kids isn't easy. Like they say, "Kids don't come with a handbook". While kids might not come with a handbook, surprisingly mine helped me write a book and create a system that provides a win-win solution by giving us all what we want! Discipline doesn't have to be a parent vs. kid battle. There is a way out, and the way out is to make your child accountable in a way that doesn't involve a power struggle. As adults, it's hard to remember what it was like to be a kid, or to know how capable kids really are. But the truth is, our kids can do way more than we give them credit for. While we should always parent with love and logic, in that same respect, we should motivate and challenge our kids to aim higher and strive more. Once we get them on that track, things will get a lot easier for everyone. This is why I wrote this book called Mom Dollar Money. While one might think they know what it's about based on the title, it's really not what one would think. No, this book is not about bribing your children. There's actually very little bribery or money involved in this parenting and discipline method. Mom Dollar Money is a special kind of system that breaks down the things we do as an adult, into something that children can understand. With this system, children will feel more in control of getting what they want, while you gain control of getting what you want- especially your sanity! With this kit, children will learn real world life-skills and accountability-without even realizing it! What if you could get something that operates kind of like a nanny, but without the nanny? What if you could have a way to get your children to behave on the spot without freaking out on them? What if you could spend less time freaking out on your kids, and spend more quality time with them? That's exactly what Mom Dollar Money is about!