Full of honesty, humor, and practical insight, this is the essential guide for mothers who want to make parenting more joyful: “Every mom needs this book” (Jenna McCarthy, author of The Parent Trap). From the experts at Parenting magazine and popular mommy blogger Meagan Francis, The Happiest Mom combines the latest happiness research with the insight and experience of a mother of five. Francis demonstrates that motherhood doesn’t have to be an obstacle to joy. Drawing on recent happiness research, conversations with hundreds of other moms, and her own experience as a mother, Francis shares her ten secrets to happy motherhood in this down-to-earth, funny, and accessible book. “I found myself underlining passages and laughing out loud in recognition. This thoughtful, hilarious look at motherhood is a terrific resource for anyone who wants to be the happiest mother she can be.” —Gretchen Rubin, author of The New York Times bestseller The Happiness Project “Reading this book is like chatting with your girlfriend and getting all the support, advice, and laughs you need.” —Brett Paesal, author of Mommies Who Drink

In this “guilt-free ticket to refocusing your priorities” (Parents Magazine), ABC News reporter (and mom to three) Genevieve Shaw Brown reveals the deceptively simple golden rule for maternal happiness and how today’s busy moms can live better, healthier lives. Award-winning reporter Genevieve Shaw Brown was hell-bent on raising her kids to like vegetables and eat more than chicken nuggets for dinner. She woke up at five a.m. every morning to prepare perfectly portioned meals of turkey meatballs along with veggies, couscous, mashed cauliflower, and sliced fruit for her small children. While eating lukewarm mac-n-cheese out of a brown paper box and feeling sluggish and tired most of the time, she realized that she had never considered eating what she made for her kids. After that, Brown put herself on the “Baby Diet”: she ate the healthy food her kids ate, minimized snacking, and created a more regimented meal plan. She felt better, lost those stubborn pounds, and prepared a short segment on her new diet for Good Morning America that went viral. After that, she began thinking further: what happens when you treat yourself the way you instinctively treat your children? From sleep training to exercising to making time for friends, Brown shares her own stories, expert advice, and innovative hacks to address the common issues mothers face while teaching women how to care for themselves with the same love and attention they give their children and families every day. The Happiest Mommy You Know is the life-changing and incredibly positive approach to the challenges of modern parenting—and gives parents permission to finally treat themselves better.

A mother tells her young son about the happiest times of her life.

No one told you motherhood would be like this: Pressure, worry, exhaustion...not exactly what you signed up for. In The Happy Mom Mindset, you'll learn to recognize the "Mom Traps" that keep you from experiencing the joy and fulfillment you'd hoped for. You'll understand why you feel frustrated, rather than fulfilled, so much of the time. This simple and practical approach will help you build your mom confidence, eliminate power struggles, and create more joy in your life so you can (finally) show up as the mom you really want to be. Based on Molly Claire's work with her clients, The Happy Mom Mindset will show you how to: * Eliminate ineffective (and exhausting) patterns of worry and guilt * Create more calm within the chaos of family life * Be your own person and a great mom at the same time It's time for you to think, feel and be happy! "This book contains the answer for women wanting a better experience of motherhood. Molly has taken life-changing tools and concepts and applied them in a personal way specific to moms. The stories she shares of her own clients will make it easy for you to make the same personal shifts on your own. I've seen first-hand the work Molly does with her clients and I'm thrilled to see this work in print." -Brooke Castillo, founder The Life Coach School

A memoir of a wife and mother of four who shares her biggest struggles and breakthroughs in parenting, marital strife and more importantly understanding of her soul purpose. Everything was perfect when she met the love of her life and gave birth to a beautiful baby girl. Until one day, a terminal cancer diagnosis of her daughter left her childless and suicidal. Shortly after losing her daughter, she lost her job, her friends and almost lost her marriage to infidelity. After hitting rock bottom, she was compelled to sets sail on a journey to discovering the meaning of life and blessings of tragedies. Along her journey she discovers the biggest eye opening, paradigm shattering secrets to true happiness and bliss. She was finally able to bask in the light that was once at the end of a very long, very dark tunnel. Giving birth to three more children she shares her biggest secrets to raising happy, respectful and loving children who adore life in the same way she does. This book is a compilation of thousands of hours of research and experiences that will leave the reader with a deeper understanding of the privilege of motherhood, the secrets to a satisfying marriage and the gift of discovering who you really are so that you too can be the happiest mom on the block!

A supportive guide that gives busy moms permission to care for themselves, from a popular parenting blogger with one million Facebook followers "Would you rather have a perfect mom, or a happy one?" This is the question that popular parenting blogger Rebecca Eanes couldn't get out of her head. So she asked her school-age son, who didn't miss a beat in responding: "A happy one." Thus began a journey of reflection and repair work, as Rebecca asked herself an even harder question: How can I rediscover everyday joy amid the chaos of schedules, homework, and housework--not to mention the guilt, comparisons, loneliness, fear, and overwhelm? In other words, how can I become a happy mom again? In this relatable guide, Rebecca walks readers through the process of getting back to happy, for your own sake as well as your family's. Going beyond the usual advice about finding balance, embracing gratitude, and not sweating the small stuff, her hard-won advice is written by a busy mom in the trenches. Topics include: * Letting go of perfection (or anything close to it) * Making peace with the past--including the pain of disappointment, loss, and the roads not taken * Tuning in to your own wants and needs--and tuning out the comparisons, "shoulds," and noise of social media * Finding magic in the mess * Choosing joy over fear and worry * Creating healthy boundaries so that everyone in your life can thrive (including you!) Filled with fresh insights, simple strategies, and aha moments, this is that rare book you'll want to read, share, and return to for a booster shot of confidence, connection, and joy.

Parenting without anxiety, guilt, or feeling overwhelmed Happy Parents Happy Kids is the ultimate no-guilt guide to boosting your enjoyment of parenting while at the same time maximizing the health and happiness of your entire family. You can find ways to take care of yourself while you’re busy raising a family—just as you can choose to use parenting strategies that work for you and your kids. This practical and encouraging book will help you · Discover what less-stressed-out parents know about minimizing the fallout from work-life imbalance (to say nothing of all the other things our generation of parents can’t help but feel anxious about) · Tackle the challenges of distracted parenting(in a way that helps kids to develop healthy relationships with technology) · Balance your hopes and dreams for your children with the demands of the rest of your life · Manage screen time for your whole family with simple and effective strategies · Learn mindfulness strategies that can make parenting easier and can be effortlessly worked into your daily life · Live healthier (including a crash course on the science of habit change) · Become a calmer and more confident parent so that you can stop feeling bad and raise astonishingly great kids The takeaway message is clear, powerful, and potentially life-changing. You can lose the guilt, embrace the joy, and thrive alongside your kids.

“Elizabeth Isadora Gold writes vividly and humorously about the trials and trip-outs of new-motherhood.” —The New Yorker “If you only read one parenting book this year, make it The Mommy Group...This book is incisive, insightful, and downright delightful. I did not mean for that to rhyme” —Adam Mansbach, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Go the F*ck to Sleep In 2010, seven women met in Brooklyn, New York, to form a Mommy Group. Over coffee, croissants, wine, and the occasional baby carrot, they commiserated about typical new-mother issues: difficult births, babies who slept in ten-minute increments, and breast pumps that talked back in the middle of the night. And then things got complicated. Elizabeth and Melissa suffered from postpartum depression and anxiety. Jane’s daughter was diagnosed with developmental delays. Anna’s husband left her when their baby was two weeks old. Through it all, the Mommy Group laughed, supported, and learned lessons from one another that the myriad “experts” hadn’t delivered. The journalist of the bunch—author Elizabeth Isadora Gold—reached out to other Mommy Groups around the country and found that similar bonds were forming far beyond brownstone Brooklyn. In fact, mothers across all class, geographic, and racial boundaries appear to be searching for the same thing: a way to be strong, loving, engaged parents “while retaining—or remaking—our Selves.” A witty, relatable, and honest look at the realities of parenthood today, The Mommy Group is a companion that will help any mom feel understood and empowered, and keep her laughing all the way.

Are you fearful or frustrated as a mom? Have you lost the joy of motherhood? If you're struggling, The Happy Mom contains principles and tips to help you overcome your challenges and enable your children to thrive. If you're an almost-perfect mom, it will empower you to go from strength to strength. Doreen Wong draws on her thirty-seven years of experience as a mom to inspire you to embrace motherhood as a calling. The Happy Mom will guide you, step-by-step, to become the best mom you could ever be. It will also challenge you to see how you'll be able to influence the generations to come. The Happy Mom is for moms who don't just want to be a mediocre or a "good enough" mom. It's for moms who want to be a great mom and who raise their children to lead purposeful and significant lives. No matter how old your children are, Doreen dares you to think, act, and be different from the average mom. In so doing, you'll become a happier--and better--mom.

"As a mom, I have absolutely found a connection between my stress or calm and my daughter's mood and behavior. Calm Mama, Happy Baby gives moms practical tools for choosing calm over stress no matter what is happening. These techniques have been a lifesaver for me." —Tiffani Thiessen, actress "A fascinating look at how we are neurologically ‘programmed' to think, feel, and act like our parents. This book shows moms how to avoid passing along habits of stress and negativity, setting their children up for good health, optimal learning, and better sleep." —Anjalee Warrier Galion, MD, Children's Hospital Orange County With constant feedings, teary outbursts, and trying to help your baby sleep through the night, it's no wonder that parents of babies and young children feel overwhelmed. Yet eye-opening neuroscientific research shows that your stress directly affects your child's mood, behavior, and health. The good news is that calm mamas have calmer, happier babies who usually feed and sleep better, too. Drawing on their experience in nearly two decades of working with parents in Hollywood and around the globe, Derek O'Neill and Jennifer Waldburger give parents practical tools for choosing calm over stress no matter what is happening with their child. For any mom who's ever said, "I wish my baby came with instructions," Calm Mama, Happy Baby offers a step-by-step approach for helping you parent intuitively, with confidence. • Discover the negative habits that cause stress and zap your energy • Learn how to understand your baby's communication on all levels • Defuse any parenting situation, from feeding problems and sleep disruptions to separation anxiety, fussiness, and colic • Explore why becoming a parent brings up unresolved fears and insecurities—and how to put them to rest. When mama is happy, your child is happy, too—and the entire household thrives.