Child-Development Books

Prepare to laugh, cry and cringe --- but also to learn --- as Abby Ellin leads us through the landscape of obese teen life. First, though, a confession: When I volunteered to read this book, I feared that I was facing a hard, long slog through a dry tome packed with scientific studies on how to help an overweight kid drop a few pounds. Instead, I could barely put down this lively read. Ellin keeps a page-turning pace as she skillfully weaves her own story as a heavy, weight-obsessed teenager through the stories of other such adolescents.

Ellin begins with her own family, who courageously support her by not challenging her right to tell the unvarnished truth about the ways in which her home contributed to her weight problems and food fixations. Interestingly, the family's attitudes toward weight resulted in the author's sister becoming anorexic. Even as Ellin grew larger and larger, her sister began dieting by third grade.

Ellin's grandmother was a major influence on her self-image, withholding affections when Ellin gained weight. On visits to Grandma's house in Florida, Grandma weighed Ellin daily. At home, Ellin's mother obsessed over her own weight, restricted her diet and exercised before stepping on the scales each morning. She taped a photo of an obese woman on the refrigerator door. Both grandmother and mother repeatedly drilled into Ellin and her sister the dangers of gaining weight. As a child, Ellin was devastated when her grandmother told her she couldn't come to Florida for a visit at Christmastime unless she lost 15 pounds. The ploy didn't work. Nothing really did, for many long, sad years.

Ellin spent six years at weight-loss camps. She lost weight but also learned more about dysfunctional eating and how to do it (one counselor sneaked Ellin out to buy a cart full of candy and cookies because "Your body's getting used to the diet. You need sugar to give it a jolt."). In describing her fat camp days, she tells us the story of the owners of weight-loss camps, beginning with her visit as an adult with the man who ran the first weight-loss camp Ellin attended. During her visit, she talks with young campers, giving us the first of many insightful conversations with teens seeking to lose weight. What they say about their parents can make a reader weep.

In TEENAGE WAISTLAND, we learn what has helped teenagers lose weight and, (heartbreakingly) more often, what has either not helped them or made them worse. Experts --- from fat camp leaders to directors of weight loss programs to bariatric surgeons, researchers and fat activists (and more) --- represent a variety of attitudes as each discusses the best way to help heavy adolescents. Ellin compassionately presents suggestions to parents on ways to support an obese child, all based on respect.

Although there is not a single solution to such a complicated problem, reading this book is informative and helpful. It is a horrifying and fascinating study in our culture's warped attitude toward food and weight. Even if you don't have a child with weight issues, TEENAGE WAISTLAND is an engrossing read.

--- Reviewed by Terry Miller Shannon (terryms2001@yahoo.com)

I work in public health and struggle to find resources that are useful. This is a great book for everyone. There is no magic pill and there is no easy fix - but there are LOTS of ways to make things worse. Until we have changed our social norms, our environment, and the availability and ease to make healthy choices, it's going to be a long, tough road. This book is a great read that describes what it's like to struggle with weight - good for those of us who are lucky and think our 5-8 pound struggle is horrible, as well as those who struggle with real weight challenges and are ready to hear the painful truth of a child's experience. Well done, Abby.

An honest look at America's obsession with weight loss and how it affects the younger generation. The author, a former fat kid and fat camp survivor (though not a parent, as she acknowledges) explores various ways to lose weight from fat camps to nagging to behavior modification and surgery, among others. Sadly, there is no quick fix or even well-planned diet and exercise program that works for all, or even some. Due both to lack of willpower or incentive, and physical factors beyond the dieter's control, often the weight is lost then gained then lost again.

"Teenage Waistland" lets the young subjects speak for themselves. It is a fascinating look at a controversial subject.

This book was extremely helpful to me and my family. As the parent of an overweight child, Abby Ellin's insight as a "former fat kid" is a hands-on "what to do/"what not to do" primer for any parents dealing with these sensitive issues. You're never really sure what to do until you're faced with it head on and Ellin's book showed that it's the sensible approach that makes the most sense. Don't panic; don't over react (as is the most instant impulse). Just act sensibly. Well done!

Simply put, Abby Ellin "gets it". She had a childhood relationship with weight, food, and family that stays with her, regardless of what the scale says today. She candidly tells her story, which isn't always a happy one, but it's often hilarious. When it comes to the "fat kid epidemic", the author doesn't claim to have all the answers, but is very willing to explore a variety of solutions. Teenage Waistland is tragic, eye-opening, humorous and true. Once you read the introduction: Fat Kid Blues - you'll be hooked, just like the author is on Hostess cupcakes!

"What Kindergarten Teachers Know" is a thoughtful and practical book full of useful principles and tools that parents can use to empower and prepare young children. Unless you are a teacher of young children, this book will educate even the best of parents on important points they don't yet know. I especially love the sections on organizing your home, and helping young children learn to manage their emotions and solve problems.

This book is full of so many wonderful ideas! It helped me to better understand my child's behavior and to find more creative and positive ways to respond to him. The book was organzied very well, which made it easy to read. The pictures were great! For instance, it was very helpful to not only have a description of how to create the "Schedule Board Game", but also a picture to give you more help with creating it. I am using some of the techniques with great success. Lisa and Joan, thank you for writing this book!

How many times do we expect too much from our children?
Because our granddaughter is very bright (of course!) at age 3, we sometimes expect too much of her. Her parents loved this book -- her mommy has printed out the morning and bedtime routines. Our granddaughter now knows what to expect at those times. I am going to purchase the book for us -- Grammie & Papa.

I am a Christian preschool teacher. I am always looking for new and exciting ways to teach. As soon as I received this book, I started to read it. I have so many sticky notes in it already of great ideas I will try. Change is good! Thanks a lot for giving me the opportunity to purchase this marveous source of information.

This book is a must-read for anyone who uses an "attachment parenting" approach to raising children. Holewa and Rice beautifully outline child-centered methods of creating a loving, nurturing home environment. They focus on understanding rather than controlling behavior. They give significant attention to the idea of defining your parenting style and letting day-to-day specifics flow from that. Once I embraced this idea, the daily conflicts became much easier to handle. This book is a marvelous, readable, engaging tool for any parent!

Concerned this book would be another book that would encourage me to ignore my child's weakness, I went to ParentsDigest and downloaded the summary instead. I'm a realist, and don't buy into the idea of pretending my child is perfect in order to feel better about myself. The reality is, my child isn't perfect! I was pleasantly surprised to find that the advice here is not to ignore your child's weaknesses, but to find more effective ways to help him cope with the things he struggles with. Very effective, and very helpful.

This is an excellent book that highlights the role of identifying early strenghts in children for future academic/professional success.

The author suggests that all parents should be the first to seek those natural abilities in their child and look for ways to enrich their development.

This book also inspired me to start an educational consulting business that specializes in assessing for early strengths/talents in children.

Just do a search for 'brightdvp' to see some of the articles we've published regarding this topic.

I originally borrowed this book from the library. I fell in love with it, so I bought a copy. This is a great book for adults and Children alike who are wondering what their specific strengths are and how to find them.

This is by far the best parenting book I have ever read, and I thank Jennifer Fox over and over for writing it! I am not often moved by an author, and I have never been inspired by a parenting book like I have been with this one. This book speaks directly to my heart and every story brings tears to my eyes and gives me hope for being a better mom. I'm glad I bought the hardcover because I will read this book again and again as my children grow.

This book by Jenifer Fox offers a unique view on the development and education of your children. Rather than depending on a rigid school curriculum and then using test results to pinpoint weaknesses, she advocates finding the child's strengths and interests and building upon these to improve their overall academic performance.

The book provides a guide to finding a child's main strengths - Activity Strengths (tasks that a child is good at, and enjoys doing); Relationship Strengths (things a child does for or with others that strengthens a relationship) and Learning Strengths (the way a child approaches and assimilates information)

The first part of the book provides a background to the strengths-based curriculum developed by the author, with real life examples, suggestions, and advice on how a parent can help a child to identify individual strengths through a series of simple non-invasive questions.

The second part is a comprehensive workbook for educators and parents, with a series of exercises to be completed with children and young adults of ages from four to eighteen. Though time consuming, a little daunting, and requiring a lot of input, there are some exercises that can be easily adopted to fit your personal family schedule. It is recommended that the exercises be done in the order laid out in the book, but you don't have to complete every single one before moving on to the next.

If used properly, this book could be the key to improving your child's all around performance, but be warned that it will take a lot of time and commitment on both sides.





Amanda Richards, August 24, 2008

My daughter recently had twin premature baby boys--sadly one died--fortunately other twin boy very healthy survivor--and in neo natal unit for a month to gain weight and be sure okay--we needed a book on Preemies-I checked new bookstore and nothing good there--checked Amazon.com-and although this book is 9 yrs old--has everything our neo natal hospital was teaching my daughter and son in law --same neo natal basics and in a book they can use for reference during the busy times of having baby in the home finally--great book--I got an older copy too for Grandma-myself- to read at my home-0-so I can back up my daughter and son in law when they are tired--BEST PREEMIE BOOK YET AND EASILY READ.

This was the best book I have seen for premature babies. When our twin boys were born at 29 weeks, the hospital gave us a book that we could refer to. Everytime you would look at the book it scared you to death. I found this book and I kept it with me at all times. When ever anything came up I would refer to it. The book is very realistic but also very positive. I still refer to it even though our boys are 2. The book is very helpful. I would recomend this book to everyone. It really helped us out through this difficult time.

I did not use this book much at all. I thought books by Joseph A. Garcia-Prats and Dana Wechsler Linden were much more helpful.

I purchased this book after the premature birth of our son. He was considered a "micro preemie" being born at 1 lb 14 oz. We were told in the NICU that many preemies have challenges that were unlike "typical" children, and we thought it would be helpful to refer to this book and to educate ourselves so that we could help identify problems that many pediatricians overlook in preemies.

This book is an absolute must-have for any parent of a preemie. I know that weight is always a concern, and the book included boy and girl weight charts and seperated it even further to their birth weight (born less than/greater than 1500 grams.) We still use the weight chart today (our son is 2 1/2 years old)
and it can be used up to age 3.

Nothing can prepare you for the experience of having a premature baby. Often, once home with baby, parents are confronted with a child who is obviously different from the typical infant. Finding information and support is difficult, because of the very isolating nature of the experience- a tiny, often ill baby isn't able to cope with being carried to environments where parents could find support. In addition, outcomes are difficult to predict and preemies' issues can be as diverse as their personalities. Fortunately, Amy Tracy and Dianne Maroney's Your Premature Baby and Child provides insight and information in a practical guide that should reside on every preemie parent's bookshelf. Each chapter offers honest assurances about the emotional aspects of caring for a preemie, as well as accurate and detailed information about everything ranging from the homecoming experience, medical concerns, development and early intervention all the way through to beginning school. The epilogue is especially helpful; it validates the emotional effects of prematurity and offers insights from other parents, whose hope and understanding encourage those new to the roller coaster of prematurity. This book is one of the best resources written yet for parents of children born prematurely.

As a child psychologist, I often see children who have experienced trauma including injury and/or loss. 365 Ways to Keep Kids Safe is filled with information about potential hazards in the home, community and school and uses real case studies to illustrate the life altering consequences of ignorance of those hazards, as well as a description of the legal actions taken and outcomes of those case studies. Related laws, regulations and statistics are provided in an easy to read and easy to understand format. Most important are the actions parents can take to protect their children, including checklists, to help parents be sure they are doing everything they can to minimize risk to their children. I keep this book available in my waiting room and often find parents reading it. I highly recommend this book not only for parents, but also for the waiting rooms of therapists, pediatricians and other medical or health practitioners, schools and day care centers.

June 22, 2006

Barnes & Noble Reviews
Amazon Reviews


To Whom It May Concern:

I am writing you to recommend a book on child safety that I believe should be in the hands of every parent in the North American Continent. In my opinion, the book entitled "365 Ways to Keep Kids Safe" is the most thorough yet easy to read book on child safety.

Prevention is the key to child safety and this book written by Don Keenan, Esq. clearly identifies nearly all hazards that may put your child at harm. Mr. Keenan has been a nationally recognized child advocate and trial attorney for over 30 years. He has represented nearly every form of child injury and believes that all were preventable. He also established a non-profit foundation (Keenan's Kids Foundation) nearly 13 years ago to create safety programs and public awareness. This informative book covers risks associated in the home, neighborhood, recreational activities, schools/daycare, transportation and other arenas. There are many products that are noted and illustrated with photographs. In addition, there are checklists and report cards for each category that are to be used as tools to assure the utmost safety.

Finally, there is information on child safeguards that is easy for the general public to understand and follow. Though we have come a long way, the emphasis in our country needs to continue to strive for even greater prevention rather than treatment.

As a board certified physiatrist (medical doctor that specializes in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation), who has treated pediatric injuries for 17 years, I also believe that nearly all incidents could have been prevented. This book is an excellent tool to bring our society closer to a safer environment for our children and avoid these heartbreaking injuries that effects so many. Once you have had the chance to read this valuable tool, I am certain you will agree that this easy to follow book would be beneficial to any parent in our nation.

Should you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact me directly @ 561-842-5695.

Respectfully,


Craig H. Lichtblau, M.D.

When I first began reading this book, my thought was that with two teenagers, there would not be much in this book that would apply to me. However, before I had even finished it, three of Mr. Keenan's warnings personally touched my life.

I do not usually read the obituaries, but on the eve of the burial of my father, I looked at them in his hometown paper. I was shocked to find that a four year old girl would be buried that day in the same cemetery as my dad, having accidentally strangled herself with the cord of the blinds in her bedroom. It was the very thing Mr. Keenan had warned us about in chapter three. My heart ached for those parents as I thought if only those parents had read Mr. Keenan's book last week.

The very next week, I learned of a 14 year old girl (family friend) who had suffered a catastrophic stroke after breaking her leg in a four wheeler ATV accident. Just an hour earlier I had come to the chapter in the book where Mr. Keenan discusses the dangers and precautions needed with four wheelers (chapter 23). Unfortunately, some of the precautions he outlines had not been followed. The injury to this active and attractive teen has dramatically altered the course of her life, and that of her family, forever. Again, I reflected, if only they had Mr. Keenan's information.

As I approached the end of the book last week, I was awakened in the middle of the night with a knock at our door. "Get out of your house! Hurry, your neighbor's house is on fire." Tragically, we watched our neighbor's home burn to the ground. As the fire was extinguished with the rising sun, all that remained standing was the garage. The contents of the home were but mere ashes. The family had barely made it out. We learned that in their panic, the husband, with his wife and two year old son, had escaped through the garage, while their nanny went out the front door. After getting outside, the husband heard the nanny screaming. He thought she was trapped inside and went back in to rescue her. All the hair on his body was singed. It was determined that the fire started with an appliance in the basement. Again, my mind went back to Mr. Keenan's book. If only they had checked the electrical appliances, if only they had had a better smoke alarm in place, and if only they had had an emergency escape plan with a designated meeting place.

All three of these tragedies could have been prevented by acting on the anecdotal stories of those who had already suffered similar experiences. This book has humbled me. No longer do I believe that it does not apply to me. It can benefit all who read it. But once read, one must act on the knowledge learned, and pass the book on to others to read. Do not make a spot for it on a bookshelf.

This book is excellent. If you have children, you can't live without it.

This book is an excellent resource not only for all parents, but for anyone. I learned so much about things that I take for granted everyday with regard to the safety of children. I highly recommend this book. It is well-organized and educational.

This book has tons of activities for babies broken down by skill enhanced and then developmental stage. I think it would have been better organized and easier to use if it had been broken down in reverse, developmental stage and then skill. A lot of the activities are things that come naturally and you don't need to be told to do them, but there were still a lot of things to help you keep baby busy, and to help you to remember to work on certain skills you might not think of. It also helped you to really think about and understand the different activities and why they help certain skills, which sort of helps you gain perspective on how everything around you can be turned into an activity you can use to your and your baby's advantage. Worth the investment!

As a first time mom,of a child with special needs to boot, I had no idea. This book and the others in the series are great resources for finding things to do with your child other than watching Teletubbies for the thousandth time. If your child needs extra help in a certain area, like fine motor or listening skills, you can easily find a variety of exercises to help here. The later books in the series (Threes, Fours, and Fives) would also be a great resource for a homeschooling parent.

I am on a one year leave from teaching second grade to stay home with my 5 month old. The teacher in me purchased this product because I wanted to make sure my baby was not missing out on any learning. I wish I would have discovered it sooner as the guide is set up for babies not able to sit up, babies able to sit up, and babies able to crawl. It gives activities to do at each of these stages. It is easy to use and activities are divided into categories: listening and talking, physical development, creative and learning from the work around them. We were already doing some of the activities included, but the book offers many ideas I would not have thought of. Overall, I feel it is a great resource to have.

It's almost overwhelming. There is no way you can spend this much time teaching everything, but it's nice to be able to pick and choose fun things to do with your baby. It's easy to use in a well thought out layout from birth on, divided by sensory perception.

Not just for daycare! I am a first-time, stay-at-home mom and needed a way to tell if I was "doing all the right stuff" in regards to play, development, speech, music, etc. This book gives you exercises that are so easy for each stage of the first year of life. There is not a lot to read like a typical baby care book, but each section outlines what the child should be accomplishing and gives you exercises to ensure that your child reaches those development milestones. If you can look past the idea that it is written for daycare providers, you will find this book extremely helpful. I knew I was giving my child all he needed because I had these exercises to use as a handy guide. Good luck to you!

I bought this book for my granddaughter. She had taken it out of the library. I was very disappointed to receive it bent and wrinkled, especially since I had thought it was a hard cover book. I will not be purchasing books for her from the same source.

I just discovered this great book. Alicia is an interesting character who must deal with a bad mood. The art is a bit primitive, but bright and colorful. I love this book and so does my 4 year-old!

Where else will you find the word lugubrious, especially in a book for children? This book is excellent for all the reasons stated by the other reviews, as well as a vocabulary builder!

This book is a delight for readers of all ages. The pictures are vibrant and energetic. The things Alicia does are the same things I do when I have a bad day (except for smooshing ant hills). I want everyone to read this book!!!

I thought this book dealt really well with the issue of kids having bad days. I read this to my first grade class and they had a lot to say about how they deal with their own bad days. It's great to see a book (besides Alexander and the terrible, no good, very bad day) addressing the fact that young people have bad days, too! Alicia gets herself out of her bad day on her own accord. She is a great, spunky character. Her dog is a treat, too. I hope Jahn-Clough will write more about Alicia. She could be an important character and role model.

This book provides basic, practical ideas for every parent. The ideas are not mind blowing or extreme, it just simply provides a different way of thinking about your child's development. My daughter was born 8 weeks premature, and her healthy, "normal" development is always on my mind. I have avoided buying books that state what a child should be doing by a certain age, simply because I know that her development may not follow the "normal" guidelines. Instead, I feel as though this book helps parents to focus on the basic building blocks (note the title) to healthy development, as opposed to stessing out because your child in not meeting certain milestones. The "back to basics" ideas really make sense. The book is extremely easy to follow, and there are real life illustrations of the techniques. I feel as though that being able to physically participate in my child's development truely empowers me as a parent. I've just started the techniques that the book details, and I have already seen results in my little girls development, and our personal bonding. I am very satisified with this purchase. I was looking for a different perspective (but not wacky) and I feel that is exactly what the author provides. Even if you are slightly curious you should make the purchase. There is a lot that can be gained from this book!

I wish I had this book when my child was born. I have put these suggestions into practice in my home now (he is 9 years old) and the difference is amazing! I highly recommend this book for everyone, especially those with learning disabled children.

It's a great book full of simple, yet very useful information and advises. After reading it we actually bought the ply plastic mat she recommends and within a week or so our 4-month old boy started to crawls on the belly around himself! Moreover, he now enjoys being on his tummy and spends quite a lot of time on the floor. We also likes the deep pressure techniques, described there. I think this book is a must for any parent. It's con, however, that it doesn't give any scientific background behind the recommendations. So for me it wasn't a big deal since I'm PT myself and it all sounds very reasonable to me, but to others it might feel unsupported. So don't hesitate, it's a good science-backed approach and your baby would definitely benefit from it, spending more time with you on his tummy than being in all those high-end exersaucers/walkers/stationary entertainers.

I am a pediatric physical therapist who has been blessed to know the author, Roxanne Small, for over 20 years. This book is the result of years of research and hands-on interaction with a multitude of children. It is a wonderful overview of appropriate activities for little ones - without using all of the unnecessary "bells and whistles" items that are being pushed on new parents. Each section of the book is brief but thorough, making it easy to understand and use.

Having put into practice the ideas in this book with all 4 of my own children as well as with my patients, I can attest to the fact that Roxanne's recommendations are useable in the real world and encourage appropriate development and a solid foundation.

Finally, I would like to respond to the reviewer who referred to the ideas in this book as "extreme." I can't even imagine how many hours Roxanne has spent with 4 - 6 month olds, with 3 children of her own and working in pediatrics for over 30 years. She makes it clear in the book that children may (and often do) desire to do things that are not what is best from a developmental perspective. Just because a child has "a fit," it does not mean that what he or she wants is good for them. (Think of playing with matches!)

I recommend this book for all new moms as well as anyone caring for infants. I have been a pediatric therapist for 30 years. Many babies who do not get adequate floor play with tummy time and belly crawling do not develop adequate tummy and back muscle strength. It can affect everything including learning ability, speech, and behavior. The techniques in the book are so logical and easy to follow. The title is perfect.

Bullies and Victims gives an encyclopedia of information, written in a captivating style. You get the inside view of all the types and perspectives of bullying in eye-opening stories of both the bullies and their victims from age three on up. The authors have really done their homework - the research is factual and thorough. They take you inside the minds and souls of the bullies and the victims and show how bullying impacts children in the moment, and also how the effects reverberate through the victims' lives well into adulthood. This book doesn't just lay out the problems, but delineates pathways to solutions and how parents, schools, communities and cultures can help. It's a must-read for parents, educators, counselors and anyone who cares what happens to children on the playground, at achool and in their social groups. Joanne Stern,Ph.D. author of Parenting Is a Contact Sport

This is a pretty good book. I also recommend Helen Smith's "The Scarred Heart: Understanding and Identifying Kids Who Kill," which has a lot to say about the way bullying can lead to serious violence when schools don't take it seriously -- and some examples from schools that have dealt with bullying well, along with some that have dealt with it badly.

This is a must-read for today's parents and educators. Buy one for yourself, and one as a donation to your school's resource library--that's what I did. This book helps us empower our children, awaken ourselves to the ongoing crisis on the playground, and break the cycle of abuse. Many victims become bullies...and many more children are silent witnesses to a secret code of intimidation that can lead to horrific violence over time. This book is an excellent tool to break the cycle. We owe it to our children to give them skills with which to break out of the typical victim/bully/witness trap. They will be better for it, and safer. Buy two now.

Every parent, grandparent or just adults in general should read this wonderful book. After reading what todays children are going though please pass this on to a friend. I have purchased copies of these books and passed them on to our school district. They not only read them, but have had SuEllen Fried come and work with our children, teachers and parents. Please keep up the writing and your love for our children. Connie Cincinnati, Ohio

I am working on a seminary doctoral project on bully prevention. This book was an invaluable resource for the project. Parents need to understand the difficulties and hardships that today's children must endure.

This book, is a awesome book, a guidence to get get calm and compassionate children, I know that's the title, but it offers great ideas, easy to read, you just can't stop reading.

Wow a truly amazing book! I am an avid reader and this is actually my very first review! After reading the book I felt I needed express my gratitude for such a wonderful book that will forever change my life. I checked this book out at the library and am now here to buy it! Tons of amazing information and an easy read for those who are busy! This book deserves 10 stars! :o)

I have never written a review for amazon before, but feel compelled to do so now because this book is so wonderful. It is the best of its genre that I have read (and I read a LOT of parenting books). There are many wonderful suggestions on how to make your children's lives more calm and peaceful. It is perfect for all ages and all religions. The author is also fantastic- I emailed her for an outline for a study group based on the book, and she responded immediately! I always get my books from the library, but I refer to this so frequently (and can see myself doing so for years to come) that I am buying it!

I picked up the book yesterday and couldn't put it down. As publisher of a magazine to inspire conscious parenting and empowered kids, this book reminded me of the importance of helping kids settle down, breath, and connect to the world (and people) around them. It's full practical steps to apply in everyday life but what keeps the pages turning are the personal stories she relates. Some ideas we've heard over and over, such as using breath, movement or touch to soothe, but they serve as great reminders to put them back into our lives. Others are innovative, fun, and simple, such as giving your toddler two nickels to hold on to (one for each hand) to distract them while making a quick stop. Without giving too much away, the book offered a reminder that the way things are isn't necesarily the way they have to be. It IS possible for four 10-year-old boys to be kind, compassionate and gentle with a 4-year-old boy who interrupts their game. Empathy is essential for two humans to connect and understand one another. Empathy is what is lacking within families and in world politics. We started our magazine because we know that it is children who determine the future of the world. With conscious parenting and the ideas presented in this book, our kids have a hope for a more peaceful personal life and world situation.

With practical activities for children, this is more than just a book to be read. The stories and anecdotes are based are true experiences, and give insight to the author's own experiences with the many children she has helped to develop. Bringing kindness and calmness back into or children's life's is truly needed in today's highly stressed world.