Parenting

So what, exactly, does it mean to be a mom?

No matter what phase of motherhood a woman finds herself in, she has one thing in common with all other moms: the need to feel appreciated and encouraged. Harry H. Harrison Jr.'s latest dose of trademark wit and wisdom pays tribute to the many aspects required to be a mom. Ranging from new moms, working moms, single moms, moms of adult kids and more, 1001 Things it Means to be a Mom provides a big dose of praise and understanding that will leave moms from all walks of life feeling uplifted and highly valued. With two million books in the market, no one knows how to deliver such simple, powerful insights like Harry.

From the cradle to college, tell your daughters the truth about life before they believe the culture's lies.

For mothers with girls newborn to eighteen, Five Conversations You Must Have with Your Daughter is simply a must-have book. Youth culture commentator Vicki Courtney helps moms pinpoint and prepare the discussions that should be ongoing in their daughters' formative years.

To fully address the dynamic social and spiritual issues and influencers at hand, several chapters are written for each of the conversations, which are:

1. You are more than the sum of your parts

2. Don't be in such a hurry to grow up

3. Sex is great and worth the wait

4. It's OK to dream about marriage and motherhood

5. Girls gone wild are a dime a dozen--dare to be virtuous

The book is linked to online bonus features offering invaluable tips on having these conversations across the various stages of development: five and under, six to eleven, twelve and up.

Congratulations! You have a new baby.
Don't forget you also have a marriage.

Having a baby is a joyous experience, but even the best relationships are strained during the transition from duo to trio. In And Baby Makes Three, Love Lab(TM) experts John Gottman and Julie Schwartz Gottman teach couples the skills needed to maintain healthy marriages, so partners can avoid the pitfalls of parenthood by:

- Focusing on intimacy and romance
- Replacing an atmosphere of criticism and irritability with one of appreciation
- Preventing postpartum depression
- Creating a home environment that nurtures physical, emotional, and mental health, as well as cognitive and behavioral development for your baby

Complete with exercises that separate the "master" from the "disaster" couples, And Baby Makes Three helps new parents positively manage the strain that comes along with their bundle of joy.

With Dear Daughters, Susie Davis creates a bridge between two groups of women-dear daughters and spiritual mamas. Dear daughters are young women in search of spiritual guidance and spiritual mamas are women just a little further down the road with age-old wisdom to share. Each group has valuable insight for the other and the hope is that the reader will invite someone to come alongside them, pore over the included letters together, and pass along wisdom and advice that will make both lives more beautiful, wherever they are in their God story.

This book, ideal for a gift, is a casebound hardcover with ribbon.

Including 100 devotions for families, Faith Forward Family Devotional by parenting authors Patrick and Ruth Schwenk equip you to raise faith-filled kids who know, love, and live for God.

You've passed down to your kids your last name, your love, and maybe your sense of humor or favorite hobbies. But have you passed down the most important thing: your faith?

Somewhere between diapers and sippy cups, piano lessons and soccer practice, dating and college searches, even the most well-intentioned family can lose sight of creating a God-centered home. As parents of four, pastor Patrick Schwenk and his wife, Ruth, of The Better Mom blog, understand the challenges--and importance--of raising faith-filled kids.

In Faith Forward Family Devotional, Patrick and Ruth help you pass on your faith with devotions you can do at your own pace as a family. Each devotion features a Bible passage, a teaching that's applicable for kids of any age, key ideas to learn about God and His character, questions to spark family discussion, and a prayer. Faith Forward Family Devotional is aimed primarily at families of kids ages 8-12 but also includes ideas for activities for younger children and recommendations for further study for older kids, so the whole family can join in the devotional gathering.

Faith Forward Family Devotional helps you grow closer to your kids as they grow closer to God. Whatever season of parenting you are in, sharing this devotional time together will help your children nourish a faith that lasts a lifetime.

To Guide and Inspire.

Share her wonder. Dance with her always. Teach her to be courageous, fearless, confident in any situation. Anchored in values and filled with clear and simple words of wisdom, this small book speaks large truths about raising a daughter. About respect and trust. About unicorns and sports and boys. And about the joys and responsibilities that come with being the first man in her life.

God's Word is the greatest gift any mother could receive. God's Gift for Mothers is filled with God's wisdom, promises, and instructions to guide and encourage mothers in their everyday lives.

The Bible is rich with descriptions and stories of godly mothers, and in God's Gift for Mothers bestselling author Jack Countryman walks you through 89 different ways that God blesses and cares for mothers. Dig deeper into the most influential mothers in the Bible, from Hannah to Ruth to Mary, and pray the same prayers these women whispered in their moments of need. Mediate on the Scripture verses, and inspire your heart as you delve into the promises God has made just for you.

With a beautiful, modern design, timeless content, and the words of the New King James Version, God's Gift for Mothers is a classic in the making. This book will bring joy and peace to your heart and would also make a perfect gift for birthdays, holidays, Mother's Day, and as a "just because!" gift to share with the special mothers in your life.

God delights in mothers. He promises to walk alongside His daughters as they raise future generations to know His name. Lean in closer to hear His promises and the rich blessings that He offers in God's Gift for Mothers.

How do we help our kids connect with God? Most parents want their kids to learn to love God. But most of us struggle to facilitate real spiritual experiences. It's hard enough to have a meaningful conversation with our kids about spiritual things, let alone help them experience true transformation in the presence of God. Jared Patrick Boyd discovered that children's spiritual formation is rooted in the imagination. When we lead our children through guided times of imaginative prayer, they can experience a connection with God that transcends mere Bible knowledge or doctrinal content. This unique resource provides six units of weekly guided imaginative prayer, themed around core topics: God's love, loving others, forgiveness, God as king, the good news of God, and the mission of God. Each unit has six sessions, providing a yearlong experience of spiritual formation for children ages five to thirteen. Through imaginative prayer, you can help your child connect with God. As you do so, you may find yourself connecting more closely with your child, and your own formation as a parent will deepen into greater awareness of God's work in your lives.

At age six, January ("Jani") Schofield was diagnosed with one of the most severe cases of child-onset schizophrenia on record. Hallucinating constantly, she is at the mercy of her imaginary friends--some of whom are friendly, while others tell her to scream at strangers, jump out of buildings, and attack her baby brother. Jani is torn between two places: "Calalini," the illusory home of her imaginary friends, and our world. When potent psychiatric drugs that would level most adults barely faze her, the line dividing delirium from reality grows dangerously blurry.
Amid Jani's struggle are her parents, who face seemingly insurmountable obstacles daily just to keep both of their children alive and safe. Their battle has included a two-year search for answers, countless medications and hospitalizations, allegations of abuse, despair that almost broke the family apart and, finally, victories against the illness and a new faith that they can create a happy life for Jani.
A passionate and inspirational account, January First is a father's soul-bearing memoir of the daily challenges and unwavering commitment to save his daughter from the edge of insanity while doing everything he can to keep his family together.

Now with Extra Libris material, including a reader's guide and bonus content

What a versatile book! Life Lists for Mothers includes 101 practical lists that give at-a-glance information to moms of all ages and stages. It even features interactive sections with prompts so you can create your own lists. And, Scripture is sprinkled throughout. This is not only a perfect gift for yourself and all the moms in your family, but order extras to use as door prizes at spring events, baby showers, and as a Mothers Day gift for the women in your church!

If there was a new wonder drug on the market that got kids to behave better, improve their grades, feel happier, and avoid risky behaviors, many parents around the world would be willing to empty their bank accounts to acquire it. Amazingly, such a product actually does exist. It's not regulated by the FDA, it has no ill side-effects, and it's absolutely free and avail-able to anyone at any time. This miracle cure is gratitude.

Over the past decade, science has shown that gratitude is one of the most valuable and important emotions we possess, and it is a virtue that anyone can cultivate. In fact, researchers have developed many different methods people can use to foster an attitude of gratitude, and the science shows that many of them really work.

In Making Grateful Kids, two of the leading authorities on gratitude among young people, Jeffrey J. Froh and Giacomo Bono, introduce their latest and most compelling research, announce groundbreaking findings, and share real-life stories from adults and youth to show parents, teachers, mentors, and kids themselves how to achieve greater life satisfaction through gratitude. Most importantly perhaps, they expand on this groundbreaking research to offer practical and effec-tive common-sense plans that can be used in day-to-day interactions between kids and adults to enhance success and wellbeing.

Their unique, scientifically-based approach for producing grateful youth works whether these kids are very young ele-mentary school students or troubled teenagers. Not only does the purposeful practice of gratitude increase their happiness, but the research indicates that grateful kids also report more self-discipline, fulfilling relationships, and engagement with their schools and communities when compared to their less grateful counterparts. After reading Making Grateful Kids, parents, teachers, and anyone who works with youth will be able to connect more mean-ingfully with kids so that all parties can focus on the things that matter most and, in turn, create a more cooperative and thriving society.