In The Joy of Parenting, two acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) experts provide parents with the tools they need to cope with disruptive and oppositional behavior, acknowledge that they don't have to be perfect, learn to recognize normal childhood transitions, and alleviate their own anxieties to become more responsive, flexible, effective, and compassionate parents.

Thousands of books have examined the effects of parents on their children. In All Joy and No Fun, award-winning journalist Jennifer Senior now asks: what are the effects of children on their parents? In All Joy and No Fun, award-winning journalist Jennifer Senior tries to tackle this question, isolating and analyzing the many ways in which children reshape their parents' lives, whether it's their marriages, their jobs, their habits, their hobbies, their friendships, or their internal senses of self. She argues that changes in the last half century have radically altered the roles of today's mothers and fathers, making their mandates at once more complex and far less clear. Recruiting from a wide variety of sources—in history, sociology, economics, psychology, philosophy, and anthropology—she dissects both the timeless strains of parenting and the ones that are brand new, and then brings her research to life in the homes of ordinary parents around the country. The result is an unforgettable series of family portraits, starting with parents of young children and progressing to parents of teens. Through lively and accessible storytelling, Senior follows these mothers and fathers as they wrestle with some of parenthood's deepest vexations—and luxuriate in some of its finest rewards. Meticulously researched yet imbued with emotional intelligence, All Joy and No Fun makes us reconsider some of our culture's most basic beliefs about parenthood, all while illuminating the profound ways children deepen and add purpose to our lives. By focusing on parenthood, rather than parenting, the book is original and essential reading for mothers and fathers of today—and tomorrow.

Parents are supposed to be at their best when their children are at their worst. The only problem is that parents are people, too, and are susceptible to knee-jerk reactions, anger, and fears that make perfect parenting nearly impossible. But it is possible to keep your long-term parenting goals in mind, give yourself credit for what you're doing right, and most importantly, enjoy the rewards and joy of raising a child. The Joy of Parenting is a compassionate guide for parents who sometimes feel overwhelmed-that is, all parents. The acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) skills in this book will help you develop the flexibility and mindfulness to help your child make critical transitions and gracefully move past the bumps along the way. This guide offers practical skills-based exercises to help you: Handle tantrums and defiance with grace Refocus on big-picture values when you feel overwhelmed Act compassionately toward yourself when you make mistakes Adjust your parenting as your child works through typical developmental transitions

In this upbeat book Robbie Castleman shows parents how to guide their toddlers and teenagers to participate more fully in the worship of the church. This significantly revised and updated edition includes a new preface and new appendices with ideas for children's sermons and intergenerational community.

A much-needed book for parents about themselves. In the tradition of Dr. Benjamin Spock, who in 1946 revolutionized parenting with the famous opening words of his classic child-rearing guide, "You know more than you think you know," child and family therapist David Anderegg reminds contemporary parents that "parenting is not rocket science. It's not even Chem 101." So why do those of us with children worry so much? Whether they're thinking about school violence or getting a child into the right college, American moms and dads are a pretty worried crowd. Even though most American families are safer and healthier today than at any other time in our history, studies show that parental worrying has, in recent years, reached an all-time high. In Worried All the Time, Dr. Anderegg draws on social science research and his more than twenty years' experience as a therapist treating both parents and their children to clarify facts and fantasies about kids' lives today and the key issues that preoccupy parents. In the process, he offers a comforting and useful message: Parents are suffering needlessly -- and there are things they can do to take the edge off and focus on what their children really need. In Worried All the Time, Dr. Anderegg identifies some of the causes of worry in contemporary American families, including fewer children, exaggerated fear of competition, and overblown media reports of children at risk. Anderegg calls this the "tabloidization of children" and critiques the fashion for media portrayals of "children in crisis." One at a time, he takes on the hot-button issues of our times: • the use of day care and nannies • overexposure to media • school violence • overscheduling • experimentation with drugs and looks a little closer to see the facts and the fantasies beneath the hysteria. Calling himself a "crisis agnostic," Anderegg persuasively argues that needless worry has negative consequences for families and for our culture as a whole. The cardinal rules of good parenting -- moderation, empathy, and temperamental accommodation with one's child -- are simple, he says, and are not likely to be improved upon by the latest scientific findings. Anderegg helps parents to understand the difference between wise vigilance and potentially crippling anxiety and to gain the confidence to trust their own common sense.

Say YES with joy! "If you know you are ultimately going to drive your child to the mall, let your daughter have a 3-person sleepover or allow your son an extra cookie after dinner - just go straight to a happy YES! When you offer up an awesome gesture as if you are doing your kids a big favor, it takes the fun out of it. It is so easy to add joy to your delivery with "Sure!" or "I'd be happy to!" or "Let's do that!" Your enthusiasm will make your child feel even better about your YES, but best of all, it will make you feel great."(Parenting Golden Rule #1) In this collection of readily actionable tips, parenting mentor Sue Groner distills the best parenting wisdom into one easy-to-read book, providing simple, fun, and effective guidance. Chapters are divided into easy to explore sections. Parenting Golden Rules Family Time Rules and Respect Perspective and Judgment Gratitude and Attitude Food and Dining Forbidden Phrases Life Skills Family Management One Last Tip With gentle guidance from Susan Groner, the founder of The Parenting Mentor, Parenting with Sanity and Joy will help parents feel more confident as they navigate one of the most important roles they will ever take on. “The most beautiful thing about the advice in this book is that it all comes with a deep wisdom and love based on years of experience, and a positive energy that any kid would want in their parents!” –Katya Libin, co-founder and CEO of HeyMama “To call Sue a miracle worker is an understatement. Sue has coached me through it all...teaching me various tools and prompts to stay firm on the important things and let the little things go. She’s a light in our family’s life." –Hitha Palepu, author and entrepreneur Highly recommend for parents, grandparents, teachers and anyone else who wants to help children." - Talar, Goodreads

Defines biological, adopted, foster, and stepparents; discusses the needs of parents; explains how parents care for their children; and tells how to develop a good relationship with parents.

Winner of the ECPA Book of the Year Award for Christian Living What is your calling as a parent? In the midst of folding laundry, coordinating carpool schedules, and breaking up fights, many parents get lost. Feeling pressure to do everything "right" and raise up "good" children, it's easy to lose sight of our ultimate purpose as parents in the quest for practical tips and guaranteed formulas. In this life-giving book, Paul Tripp offers parents much more than a to-do list. Instead, he presents us with a big-picture view of God's plan for us as parents. Outlining fourteen foundational principles centered on the gospel, he shows that we need more than the latest parenting strategy or list of techniques. Rather, we need the rescuing grace of God—grace that has the power to shape how we view everything we do as parents. Freed from the burden of trying to manufacture life-change in our children's hearts, we can embrace a grand perspective of parenting overflowing with vision, purpose, and joy.

Searching for permission to drop your standards, ditch the guilt and relax? The Secret of Half-arsed Parenting is a practical and entertaining antidote to the extreme stress of modern parenting. It pokes fun at the unrealistic goals and expectations thrust on parents today, and offers a way to raise kids with less pressure, less guilt, less stress and fewer cupcakes baked at midnight. It's not about doing a bad job. It's about recognising that parents don't have to be perfect. What's wrong with toasted sandwiches for dinner? Kids sharing bedrooms and bathrooms? The fact your child's first word was 'Bluey' rather than 'Mama'? Half-arsed parents let their kids succeed - and fail - on their own merits. They will protect them from bullies, head lice and mullet hairstyles, but not from every knock and bump of life that will make them better adults. Drawing on worrying research into anxiety in children and parents in this era of helicopter parenting, journalist and doctor of education Susie O'Brien lays out the case for embracing a bit of half-arsed parenting in your house. By doing half as much, you might just make everyone twice as happy. Here's how.

Emphasizes voluntary simplicity, with advice on how to replace unnecessary objects and activities with more meaningful ones, how to reclaim precious time with the family, and celebrate the simple joys of family life.