Parenting and caring for a child who is struggling to cope can be painful and stressful, and can make it very hard to enjoy life yourself. Feelings of blame, guilt, sorrow, despair, fear and frustration may be swirling around alongside a desperate desire to cure their pain. Although parenting a child who is experiencing difficulties is a common problem, we can feel desperately alone when it is happening to us. When someone we love is struggling - for whatever reason - we may become unhappy too. For countless parents and children there are problems with no easy solutions. However, that's where this book comes in. It aims to help understand for ourselves what we can and cannot do; to help us to accept any distress, worry, anxiety, sadness or loss of control in our situations; to see that we can tolerate these things; and to know that there are ways to move forward. This book is packed with stories from real parents, combined with information from psychological research. It will show you how you can manage to obtain comfort from knowing you are not alone, get help from resources and techniques that really work, and find hope that things can and do change for the better.

Our teenagers are suffering more than ever. College counseling centers are overwhelmed, parents are worried, and mental health issues are increasingly common in young people between the ages of 12 and 20. Parents are particularly concerned about how to help their kids achieve a safe, healthy, and fulfilling college experience in light of soaring rates of depression and anxiety in young people. Mood Prep 101: A Parent's Guide to Preventing Depression and Anxiety in College-Bound Teens answers the question most parents have - "What can we do?" - when it comes to college-bound teens who may be vulnerable to anxiety and depression. Written with humor and compassion by award-winning psychologist and psychotherapist Carol Landau, this timely book empowers parents by providing strategies for helping their children psychologically prepare for college and adulthood, as well as by addressing and alleviating the anxiety parents themselves may feel about kids leaving home for the first time. Young people need a solid foundation of parental support in order to succeed at college; as such, Landau shows parents how they can promote healthy communication and problem-solving skills, and how they can help young people learn to better regulate emotions and tolerate distress. Landau also describes stressors typical amongst college students, and explains how to identify vulnerabilities to anxiety and depression, including perfectionism, social isolation, and the feeling of being "different". Finally, the book sheds light on some of the risky behaviors commonly found on today's college campuses, such as substance use and unsafe sexual relationships, and how they can exacerbate or even trigger anxiety and depression in young people. Landau concludes by calling on parents and educators to back away from the stressful, competitive focus of the college admissions process and turn instead to the values of curiosity, collaboration and empathy.

WINNER Mom's Choice Gold Award for parenting books -- Mom's Choice Awards: The best in family-friendly media

"My kid is smart, but..."
It takes more than school smarts to create a fulfilling life. In fact, many bright children face special challenges: Some are driven by perfectionism;Some are afraid of effort, because they're used to instant success;Some routinely butt heads with authority figures;Some struggle to get along with their peers;Some are outwardly successful but just don't feel good about themselves.

This practical and compassionate book explains the reasons behind these struggles and offers parents do-able strategies to help children cope with feelings, embrace learning, and build satisfying relationships. Drawing from research as well as the authors' clinical experience, it focuses on the essential skills children need to make the most of their abilities and become capable, confident, and caring people.

Praise for the author: 'Dyregrov's writing is clear in its description, and explicit in its advice, and demonstrates that the daunting task of helping a child through grief is both manageable and rewarding' - Bereavement Care 'This insightful text will be of great help to all who care for pre-school children - parents, kindergarten teachers, ministers of religion, police, welfare workers - the list is endless. If they learn the values reflected in this small book, then bereaved children everywhere will grow up with far fewer hang-ups about the only certainty in life.' - from the foreword by Professor William Yule It is a common misconception that pre-school children are not capable of experiencing grief in the same way that older children do. Grief in Young Children challenges this assumption, demonstrating that although young children may not express grief in the same way as older children, they still need to be supported through loss. Illustrated throughout with case examples, the author explores young children's reactions to death and loss, both immediately after the event and over time. For example, young children may engage in `magic thinking', believing that wishing that someone were dead can actually cause death, which leads to feelings of guilt. Full of practical advice on issues such as how to keep children in touch with their memories, answer their questions, allay their fears and explore their feelings through play, this accessible book enables adults to work with children to develop an acceptance of grief and an understanding of death and loss. This book is essential reading for parents, carers, counsellors and teachers, and is complemented by the companion volume Grief in Children: A Handbook for Adults, Second Edition, which caters for school-age children, also written by Atle Dyregrov and published by Jessica Kingsley Publishers.

This volume explores the intersections of welfare, gender and mothering work in the context this political reality. It explores austerity and the policies of neoliberal governments that work to deprive some mothers of their welfare. This volume also explores how motherhood is socially constructed in various social locations and places around the world. Last, it examines different ways of thinking about mothering and what changes to laws and policies are required to assist all who are mothering and provide better support to their families.

Everyone agrees that reading is fundamental to education. Reading is the mechanism by which children gather new information about the world, learn to stretch their imaginations, come to appreciate the power and beauty of language, and learn to think critically. It's no wonder that parents and teachers want children to read and encourage leisure reading as a hobby.Despite the power and beauty of reading, despite the positive messages from adults, most kids lose interest in reading as they grow older. The average first grader enjoys reading, but by puberty this child does not enjoy reading and rarely chooses to read in his free time. Nevertheless, a small subset of kids do continue to read, and they remain dedicated readers into adulthood. Why? Why do Malik's parents find him sneaking books into bed, but Ella won't read books when her parents offer to pay her?"Raising Kids Who Read" helps parents and teachers make it more likely that children will be like Malik, rather than Ella. As in his previous bestseller, Why Don't Students Like School?, Willingham offers a perspective that is rooted in scientific research, but with a practical and engaging, ready-for-application sensibility.The first part of the book reviews the three elements that must be in place for children to become enthusiastic readers: decoding, comprehension, and motivation (especially in an age of video games, texting, and omnipresent television). Part Two considers the practical matter of supporting these three elements at a variety of age ranges (from birth and preschool through adolescence), since children's needs change as they grow. The book also addresses how to help kids with dyslexia and how the digital age has changed the reading landscape. This provocative book debunks myths and helps parents and teachers alike understand how to help kids learn to love reading.

National Indie Excellence Awards, first prize in the Parenting and Family category Arguing that adolescence is an unnecessary period of life that people are better off without, this groundbreaking study shows that teen confusion and hardships are caused by outmoded systems that were designed to destroy the continuum between childhood and adulthood. Documenting how teens are isolated from adults and are forced to look to their media-dominated peers for knowledge, this discussion contends that by infantilizing young people, society does irrevocable harm to their development and well-being. Instead, parents, teachers, employers, and others must rediscover the adults in young people by giving them authority and responsibility as soon as they exhibit readiness. Teens are highly capable--in some ways more than adults--and this landmark discussion offers paths for reaching and enhancing the competence in America's youth.

Written by a pediatrician and based in proven-effective mindfulness techniques, this book will help you and your child with attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) stay calm and in the present moment. If you are a parent of a child with attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), you probably face many unique daily challenges. Kids with ADHD are often inattentive, hyperactive, and impulsive-and as a result, you might become frustrated or stressed out. In this book, a pediatrician presents a proven-effective program for helping both you and your child with ADHD stay cool and collected while living more fully in the present moment. In the book, Mark Bertin, addresses the various symptoms of ADHD using non-technical language and a user-friendly format. In addition, the book will help you learn how to let go of judgments, reasonably assess your child's strengths and weaknesses, lower stress levels for both yourself and your child, communicate effectively, and cultivate balance and harmony at home and at school. If you are a parent, caregiver, or mental health professional, this book provides a valuable guide.

Have you ever looked at the lengthy school holiday dates and silently screamed in desperation? Have you gone part time yet are still doing a full-time workload? Have you ever been too afraid to ask about maternity benefits or flexible working? Do you constantly feel guilty about missing school events and secretly envious of other mums at the school gates who seem to be doing it all better than you? If any (or all) of the above rings true for you, you are NOT alone. While the demands of work are increasing with longer working hours and more pressure to remain 'switched on' to our phones and computers, the needs of our children and the world of school and childcare have stayed the same. Something has got to change before we all reach breaking point. The Mother of All Jobs brings together the wisdom of women who opened up about their experiences into a manifesto to help working parents thrive.

A roadmap for parents who want to feel less pressure and more joy during the intense early years of childrearing. Why is it that research suggests people who don't have kids are happier than people who do? Olivia Scobie provides practical solutions for parents who find themselves pushing beyond their capacity to meet impossible standards, and challenges parents to shift their thinking from child centred to family centred. By naming today's unrealistic parenting expectations as impossible from the get-go, Impossible Parenting creates the space to acknowledge harmful expectations for new parents and begins a conversation that focuses on healing and doing the best one can with the resources available.

Help your child cultivate real, lasting confidence! In Kid Confidence, a licensed clinical psychologist and parenting expert offers practical, evidence-based parenting strategies to help kids foster satisfying relationships, develop competence, and make choices that fit who they are and want to become. As a parent, it's heartbreaking to hear your child say negative things about themselves. But as children grow older and begin thinking about the world in more complex ways, they also become more self-critical. Alarmingly, studies show that self-esteem peaks during the preschool years, only to take a sharp nosedive as children head into their teens. So, how can you turn the tide on this upsetting trend and help your child build genuine self-esteem? With this guide, you'll learn that self-esteem isn't about telling kids they're "special." It's about helping them embrace the freedom that comes with a quiet ego-a way of being in the world that isn't preoccupied with self-judgment, and instead embraces a compassionate view of oneself and others that allows for both present awareness and personal growth. When kids are less focused on evaluating and comparing themselves with others, they are freer to empathize with others, embrace learning, and connect with the values that are bigger than themselves. You'll also discover how your child's fundamental needs for connection, competence, and choice are essential for self-esteem. Connection involves building meaningful and satisfying relationships that create a sense of belonging. Competence means building tangible skills. And choice is about being able to make decisions, figure out what matters, and choose to act in ways that are consistent with personal values. When children are able to fulfill these three basic needs, the question of "Am I good enough?" is less likely to come up. If your child is suffering from low self-esteem, you need a nuanced parenting approach. Let this book guide you as you help your child create unshakeable confidence and lasting well-being.

Language which develops 'against all the odds' is very precious. Words were not enough for Tom; it was signs that made sense of a world silenced by meningitis. Confidence came via joyful and positive steps to communication from babyhood; a brush with epilepsy, a cochlear implant in his teens and life as an independent young adult followed.

This book enables and supports teachers to deliver the content of the new statutory guidance for relationships and sex education (RSE) in secondary schools, operational from 2020. It is case study rich and provides clear and practical advice for teaching the topics of the new framework, including addressing controversial and critical issues such as parental right to withdraw and how to tackle relationships and sex education in faith schools. There is an emphasis throughout on inclusion and pupil well-being and on the importance of partnerships with parents.

For Stuart Shanker, the possibility of a truly just and free society begins with how we see and nurture our children. Shanker is renowned for using cutting-edge neuroscience to help children feel happy and think clearly by better regulating themselves. In his new book, Reframed, Shanker explores self-regulation in wider, social terms. Whereas his two previous books, Calm, Alert, and Learning and Self-Reg, were written for educators and parents, Reframed, the final book in the trilogy, unpacks the unique science and conceptual practices that are the very lifeblood of Self-Reg, making it an accessible read for new Self-Reggers. Reframed is grounded in the three basic principles of Shanker Self-Reg (R): - There is no such thing as a bad, lazy, or stupid kid. - All people can learn to self-regulate in ways that promote rather than constrict growth. - There is no such thing as a "fixed outcome": trajectories can always be changed, at any point in the lifespan, if only we have the right knowledge and tools. Only a society that embraces these principles and strives to practice them, argues Shanker, can become a truly just society. The paradigm revolution presented in Reframed not only helps us understand the harrowing time we are living through, but inspires a profound sense of hope for the future. Shanker shows us how to build a compassionate society, one mind at a time.

'SUCH AN IMPORTANT BOOK... ESSENTIAL READING FOR PARENTS' Gabby Logan 'INCREDIBLY POWERFUL... A MUST-READ' Victoria Derbyshire When Dan died, I realised many things. I realised drugs were closer to our door than I'd thought. I realised drugs have become normalised for young people. I realised drugs are more affordable, accessible and available than ever before. And I realised I didn't know enough, and nor did Dan, to navigate the choices and come back alive. When Daniel Spargo-Mabbs was 16, he went to a party and never came home. The party was an illegal rave and Daniel - bright, popular, big-hearted prom king Dan - died from a fatally strong overdose of MDMA. In the seven years since, the range of substances has become wider, the levels of exposure higher, and the threat to young people's physical and mental health from drugs greater than ever before. Despite this, there is almost no guidance for parents to help their children navigate this perilous landscape and to stay safe. To come home at night. To grow up. This book is everything Fiona Spargo-Mabbs wishes she'd known, everything she wishes she'd done, before she lost her son. Because however you parent, and whatever you do, at some point your child is likely to be in a situation where they have to make a decision about drugs. What if that decision is 'yes'? Do they know what the risks are? Do they have strategies they can bring to bear if things go wrong? I Wish I'd Known interweaves the story of one family's terrible loss with calm, measured and practical advice for parents. It explores the risks posed by illegal drugs, and explains the way the adolescent brain makes decisions. There is practical advice for saying safe, information on reducing harm, and 'talking points' for parents and their children to do, talk about, look at, look up or consider. A life lost to drugs is a loss like no other. Throughout the book, Daniel's story - his life, his death and what happened afterwards - not only provides a compelling reminder of the importance of those conversations, but also serves as an unforgettable eulogy to a son, brother, boyfriend and friend whose legacy continues to touch, and perhaps even save, the lives of other young people.

A Volcano in My Tummy is about helping 6 to 15 year olds handle their anger so that they can live successfully, healthily, happily and nonviolently, with motivation, without fear and with good relationships. An accessible resource book for teachers, parents and all who care for children, it is full of stories, and easy-to-use games and exercises designed to encourage children to see their anger and to deal constructively with it. A Volcano in My Tummy includes sections on key concepts, building a child's self esteem, what adults can do when a child is angry, developing an anger management program, troubleshooting, and a special section for teachers that integrates the resource with other curriculum areas. Exercises are clearly described, indicating appropriate age levels, teaching strategies, materials and procedures to follow, with worksheets for the childrens' use. All are easily adaptable for use by teachers, parents or other caregivers.

'AN INDISPENSABLE USER'S GUIDE TO ADOLESCENTS.. THE MOST REASSURING THING ABOUT THIS BOOK IS THAT IT'S SO GOOD' Daily Mail 'EVERY PARENT SHOULD READ THIS BOOK' Clover Stroud 'A MUST-READ FOR THOSE WITH TEENAGE KIDS' Candice Brathwaite ------------ A field guide for parents about the secret lives of 21st-century teenagers - from relationships to self-harm, from drugs to sexting - and how you can help them and yourself through these turbulent years. "When I turned into a teenager, I watched my parents panic with questions they were unprepared for: is the computer killing his brain? is he watching porn? are those cuts on his arms? what the hell do we do now? The child-rearing tactics they'd read about in parenting manuals or learned from their own parents were useless. Anyway, how do you punish someone who's already so miserable? Every Parent Should Read This Book is a field guide for confused parents who are currently custodians of any teenager who's feeling lost, alone, depressed or horny. I'm not an expert, a psychologist, or even a particularly good person, but I do understand the unique kinds of troubles that come with trying to grow up in the current climate, and I wanted to share what would have helped me, my friends, and everyone else I spoke to while writing this book. It might be hard to read what I write about self-harming, body piercings, gender confusion, drugs and social media angst. It might involve unpleasant surprises and be occasionally disgusting, but it could also help you to understand and support your kids. They won't thank you, but they might hate you less." - Ben Brooks