Day-Care Books

I love this book. It's very detailed and doesn't let you forget a thing about the business of childcare. Keep every dime you earn!! I don't think you will regret the investment.
Try it!

As a professional in the childcare industry, it was quite refreshing for me to see such a valuable resource being made available to childcare providers. I have researched all of the various recordkeeping products that are available on the market , and I found that the The Home Daycare Complete Recordkeeping System is hands down the best resource currently available! The author of this book has obviously taken alot of time to explain practices and procedures in a manor that is professional as well as educational.

In my professional opinion, The Home Daycare Complete Recordkeeping System is a must have reference book for all childcare providers!

When you're in business, you don't have time to think about high level concepts -- you just want to know how to get things done. Thompson does an excellent job of giving you the information you need in a format that's easy to follow. I'd recommend this book to anyone who owns a daycare business -- Thompson is thorough in her examples and showed me several areas where I was missing potential deductions. This is a great book for daycare business owners!

This is a must have for anyone in the Home Daycare business. It is easy to follow and has saved me thousands of dollars over the past three tax years.

The Home Daycare Complete Recordkeeping System is chocked full of detailed information (w/examples!) and is a reference tool I continue to use. Every business needs a recordkeeping system and if you are in the DAYCARE business-this book is a must-have for your reference library.

Dr. Bernstein obviously gets it. He clearly understands these distractible kids and why they do what they do. He also understands their parents and the challenges that they face. More importantly, he understands what they can do about it! This book is packed with practical tips and strategies that parents can use to help their distractible kids do better in school and at home. Although obviously this applies mostly to ADHD kids, there are other reasons why a child could have trouble with inattention, and Dr. Bernstein's suggestions are applicable to them as well. He really tries to help parents understand why their kids do what they do, and also normalizes their own sometimes unproductive reactions. There are other books out there on this topic, but few of them are as thorough or helpful.

I bought 10 days to a Less Distracted Child at the same time as 10 days to a Less Defiant Child. I decided to read less distracted first, because frankly, I was angry with my 6-year old son. He is in kindergarten, reading at a high second-grade level, can add and subtract, and was getting daily reports saying he was NOT completing his work at school. My very bright son was getting labeled a trouble-maker and a "slow" child. I took his actions as defiance, but after reading Dr. Bernstein's book, I realize he is just EXTREMELY distractable. And, I really recognized myself in his descriptions too. On both sides - the exhausted, over-reacting parent and the distracted little kid.

As a parent with ADHD, it is highly likely my son has it as well. This book helped me to slow down and recognize that my son is trying his best, but completely lacks the skills to know how to keep himself on track. And that is my job as his parent to teach him.

This book is very easy to read, the steps are easy to follow, (even for a very distractable mom like me), and they make an IMMEDIATE difference. My son started bringing home silver stars (the highest they give for behavior) the day after I started using the steps in the book. I highly recommend this book to any parent who is struggling with a child who is under-performing . Also, if you have a defiant child, maybe you should read this book first and see if they are really just distracted.

This book has helped me so much. It feels like the book it is actually talking to me. I really recommed it even if you don't have anyone with adhd or add. Really good. If you are a parent that snap quickly you need to read this book.

This book is great for that parent who is at their wits end with their kids behavior issues... if you are tired of yelling, threatening, spanking etc.. and having it go NO WHERE!! Then read this book. Nothing works all of the time but this book gave me "his" view. How he is thinking/reasoning and suggestions on how to deal with it. I don't have to yell(unless it's to get everyone's attention) I make suggestions and try and get him to tell me what the problem is or how to fix it. It doesn't work all the time but it does help considerably!!!

I've read many, many books on ADHD and distractibility (Hallowell/Ratey, Murphy, etc.). While those books supplied much-needed background info -- and I urge you to read them as well -- this book gives you ACTUAL STEPS TO TAKE when -- or before -- you're at wit's end.

My creative, intelligent, distractible son has had a lot of the issues described in this book: social interaction, homework trouble, depression and confidence. Although this is a "10-day" program, I urge you to read the entire book first, just to get an overview. It's full of great insight and will help you understand why/how your child learns differently.

I"m a "Type A" mom -- a list-maker, neat freak, get-it-done-now person -- and it's literally taken years to understand my son. This book gave me concrete ways to help my child navigate a world that's not set up for his way of approaching things.

NOTE: Check out "Right Brained Children in a Left Brained World" as well, if your child is particularly creative and "visual" as well as being distractible.

Learn how to feed your horse properly and avoid health problems because of mindless feeding practices.

This is an excellent book on horse nutrition. It makes nutrition easy to understand and information is presented in an easy to read format. Nutrition concepts (such as protein, fat, carbohydrates, ATP, enzmymes, minerals, vitamins, etc.) and how they are metabolized by the horse are explained. Also included is a chapter dedicated to MSM, DMG, Chondroitin Sulfates, Glucosamine, and Bromelain. The book details how much protein, fat, vitamins, minerals, etc. your type of horse needs (broken down into maintenance horse, pregnancy, lactating, growing, performance, or stallion) and how your horse's health, care and general condition contribute to his ability to absorb these nutrients. Each chapter includes charts highlighting the information presented. Additionally, at the end of the book are charts and formulas to help you determine exactly how much your horse needs of each nutrient and how much he is currently receiving in his diet. They were very easy to use, and this will allow you to see where his diet is deficient. This is a great book for the horse owner who is interested in horse nutrition, wants to optimize what he is feeding his horse, and is curious as to the benefits (or not) of all those supplements on the market.

While you can purchase either the paperback or hardcover here on amazon, if you go to the publisher (www.pixyjackpress.com), the author will sign the book for you. It's a nice touch.

I've been involved with horses since 1970. A lot of books have come and gone that claim to teach you everything you need to know about feeding your horse correctly, but getting through them is a challenge. This book is clear, easy reading. It covers feeds normally fed to horses in the US, and it gives good practical advice. Hay Days will not collect dust on your bookshelf - you'll be referring to it often.

This book offers a very simple, concise look at feeding horses, with an emphasis on SIMPLE. Forage is kept as the cornerstone of the equine diet, and a simple look at protein and mineral requirements is given. Written with U.S. horseowners in mind, this book differs from many books based in the UK, where grain types are much different.

Rex Ewing captures the reader's interest easily with his relaxed writing style. He makes horse nutrition sound simple and there isn't a lot of confusing technical terms. A straight-to-the-point book.

My husband and I have been married for five years. He has 3 children from his first marriage and his ex-wife is the classic "emotionally needy parent" plus she is having problems with alcohol abuse. When we had visitations with the kids we would have an adjustment period of 2 or 3 days. After that their behavior would usually mellow out and the rest of the stay was okay. Recently DCFS stepped in and ruled that the children were no longer safe in her care and turned them over to my husband and I. The children are 14, 12, and 9, plus they have a 3 year old half sister that was given into our custody. Our house has been a combination zoo and war zone since they arrived. My husband and I were at the end of our ropes when I found this book. She has been the answer to my prayers.

As the mother to four strong-willed kids ages 19 down to 5, and I have read many discipline books and tried various methods over the years. This one is the best, hands down. I have been using behavior charts based on Ruth Peters' book for a few years (of course, I don't use the charts with my 19yo, but I do with my others - ages 11, 8, and 5 right now). My children get compliments from even from complete strangers on how well-behaved and polite they are, and how nicely they get along with each other. Dr. Peters has another very good book written for parents of preschoolers called Never Too Early to Discipline. Also highly recommended. My house is calm and peaceful, my kids are happy. The wonderful thing is, this can be accomplished without yelling, nagging, threatening, or spanking! Read the book!

This book is absolutely readable! You learn real-life approaches to dealing with your kids! This is not a book of psycho-babble.

Got this for my 9 yr. old granddaughter. We were spending 4 hrs a nite on homework, her room was a disaster area and she was on a continuous restriction for her mouthing back and attitude. Knew something had to change. Wrote up the behavior plan based on this book; She actually liked the plan. Daily rewards and punishments, no more restrictions lasting days or a week, and privelege and money chips for good behavior, homework done in 1 1/2hrs and room straightened,dog fed,table set,coat hung up, etc every day. Amazingly within a few days, everything done as above! Her room is straightened with bed made and everything off floor in about 4 minutes(allowed 10 min). Homework always done without any hassle as soon as she comes in! Guess what she bought with her first savings? An ORGANIZER! Cannot praise this book enough! If you follow her steps and stick to the program yourself, you too can have amazing changes in your child. Her parents and I were so pleased and amazed with the change. I just wish I had had this book when my daughter was little. Would have made life so much easier! Every month or so, we reevaluate her program and make small changes on problem areas and that's about all the extra time needed. On the weekends, instead of homework, she straightens her closet or drawers or bookshelves. I showed her teacher the behavior plan and this book and she made copies of it for herself and other mothers when they are having problems. It will save your sanity and family and give house control back to you!

I am the mother of a nine year old boy and a six year old girl that were beginning to take control of the house. I tried everything, but nothing stuck. Don't Be Afraid to Discipline really works! It is easy to implement and can be tailored to any family's special needs. Friends and teachers have been so impressed by the change in my children that they have all requested the title of the book. All that have begun the program are ecstatic! Privilege chips seem to be the key with my kids. They are even doing extra chores in order to earn extra chips. My son recently turned in 20 chips for a new computer game. He was proud of his accomplishment. So was I. Life in my household is calm now. The house is neater, the kids are happier, the parents are happier. We have more time to enjoy each other because the daily expectations/chores are taken care of without a fuss. My kids are self-sufficient in many respects. God bless Dr. Peters. Her program has been the answer to my prayers.

This book was everything you want in a good read, funny, exciting, sad, inspiring. I also found a new book to read from one of the last diary entries in the book!!!! i have 3 kids and life is insane most of the time so to sit down and laugh that other people are certainly going through the same things i do on a daily basis makes me feel better.

Mommyhood Diaries: Living the Chaos One Day at a Time by Julie Watson Smith is a wonderful and insightful book. Fanatic and honest stories, connecting each one with the bond of motherhood. I loved it!

Julie Watson Smith has captured something very real in this book: the need for mothers - from all walks of life - to find something that unites us all. We're not alone on this journey, and we ought to delight in the chaos. Even on our worst days, (this book addresses those bad days, too) motherhood is a gift, and this is celebrated on every page. A wonderful book, like a warm cup of tea for the mommies collective soul.

What a wonderful collection of diaries/stories in this Mommyhood Diaries anthology! It is filled with thoughts and stories that will make you laugh and cry and I am honored to be a part of this inspiring and captivating book!

Paula Schmitt
Award-winning author of Living in a Locker Room: A Mom's Tale of Survival in a Houseful of Boys (Wyatt-MacKenzie Publishing, Inc 2005) www.paulaschmitt.com

This is a great collection of stories from around the world! There are some that will make you think, cry, laugh and above all open your mind to Knowing that no Mother is alone in this world.

If you are a Mom, know a Mom or even want to impress a Mom, try reading or giving this book as a gift. I am also very proud to have been a part of this and think that there is something in this collection for everyone.

As a childbirth educator, I highly recommend NINE MONTHS and a DAY to women at any stage of their pregnancy. Great graphics, up-to-date information and tightly organized chapters add to the ease and enjoyment of reading this book. I wish it had been available for my 4 pregnancies and I will be encouraging my clients to add this one to their "must read" lists.

Nine Months and a Day was my go-to pregnancy book these past nine months and a day! My prenatal visits started off poorly due to a lack of information, but once I had Nine Months and a Day to help guide me with questions to ask my midwife, I began to feel confident and prepared. I referred to Nine Months and a Day every month and found the exercises to relieve back pain and prepare for childbirth extremely helpful. The book is really well-organized and easy to read without being simplistic. My husband and I also took Nine Months and a Day to the store when we registered for baby paraphernalia; it was extremely informative. Lastly, I took this book to the hospital and read the "And a Day" part which gave me confidence about bringing our baby home. Thumbs up for Nine Months and a Day. If I ever have another baby, I'll read it all over again!

My wife and I are expecting our first child in February. Like all expectant parents, we are both very excited and very nervous. This book was a great find. My wife and I read it together last weekend and we were both delighted by the helpful advice that it contains. The format is clean and clear and there is a wealth of important information.

I would highly recommend this book to any expectant parent.

This is really a wonderful book! It is filled with information expectant mothers need--laid out clearly and comprehensively. I especially enjoyed the many lists of questions (questions to ask about prenatal tests, childbirth classes, baby doctors, etc.), which take a lot of the guesswork out of getting the information you need. I highly recommend this book.

I started my pregnancy with information overload, and received 9 Months & a Day as a gift. I was relieved to read a book that was clear & concise that answered my questions (which were many) AND helped me plan (the lists are great), but didn't overwhelm me with too-technical jargon or too many "what if's". I have kept this book next to my bed for the past 7 months (only 3 weeks to go!) and have read and re-read as we prepare for labor & delivery. I highly recommend this book for first-time moms, for those of us who think we want to "know it all" (and then burst into tears because it's just too, too much, on top of all the hormones!) and for parents who value direct, to-the-point writing. It's been one of our pregnancy's greatest resources.

This book was such an inspiration to me and such a blessing! Dorcas writes from the standpoint of a wife and mother and it was an incredibly refreshing read!

I was given this book from my sister-in-law and she did not have any idea of the impact it would have on me. I was in the family at one time and had met Dorcus before briefly. I am from Oregon and it was a blessing to be able to go with her to every spot in Oregon that she went and where she lives. She mentions family that I am related to by marriage so could relate to the characters. I expecially enjoyed relating to her telling about the lessons she learned through her family and the feelings that she shared about the frustrations of raising them, both the children and in her marriage. I find her very real, gentle and loving and giving to her family. It is not action packed but tells of our own ordinary days and how important they are. Thank you Dorcus!

Loved it! A peek into a 'normal' family life in America, full of love, laughter and trouble. Smucker portrays her family in a real way, not too perfect, just right. A must read for the winter days when it's too cold to go outside and the couch is calling.

I love reading about the Amish and Mennonite people and this book is a wonderful read. Dorcus Smucker takes each chapter of her book and writes about family, friends, home, etc. Reading this book makes me wish I could live in the country.

Many things we may or may not take for granted--wall-papering with a spouse, a family cross-country trip, teaching a teen-aged son to drive--Dorcas Smucker highlights in her tender, yet straightforward prose.

Though Ordinary Days isn't chronologically organized, I found I liked the categories Smucker uses to group her short tales: Family; Seasons; Relatives; Places; Lessons. The last grouping held my favorites, with the final chapter providing drama and a great resolution.

Never preachy, endearingly humble, Smucker lets her faith shine behind her writing, a skill that's served her well through years of writing a column for my local newspaper. We need more honest, humorous people of faith like Dorcas contributing to media everywhere.

Great book. A must read for all parents. One of the best parenting books out there. It is a short, quick read. Definitely worth the time and cost.

Every parent needs to read this. When you apply the principles in this book you can almost immediately see the difference in your home. One thing I like about this book is it's short. He doesn't fill the pages with needless stuff that prove how smart he is, and he doesn't talk in that way either. It's very easy to read and very easy to understand and apply the principles. Wonderful book!

I am a mom of 8 children under the age of 12. This book is the best parenting book I have ever read. I love reading about this topic, but have felt frustrated in the past as I still make mistakes even after reading a good parenting book. While I am still not perfect, of course, it has made a drastic change in the atmosphere of our home. It is so clear & concise, and it really does help you "make a difference in a day". I will recommend this to all my friends and family.

This is such a great book. If everyone would parent the way that was taught in this book the world would be such a great place. The things that Dr. Latham teaches are amazing and they work like magic with my five children!!! I would highly recomment this book

Having studied with Glenn Latham in person, and read other of his books, this book was mostly a summary of his other lengthier books. Its value lies precisely in its conciseness. For me it acts as a quick reference into positive reinforcement.

Raising children is a challenging task, probably the most challenging I've ever encountered. It is daunting to think of the consequences of how you raise your children. It is also extremely rewarding and fulfilling.

This book will help in raising children with love, giving you extra knowledge to understand why they react the way they do, how you may be contributing to bad behavior by reinforcing it (perhaps unknowingly), and why and how to reinforce good behavior instead.

If you're new to positive reinforcement, I would start with one of the other Latham books, such as The Power of Positive Parenting. Highly recommended.

If you are one of those parents (like me) who is tired of buying expensive plastic toys that require batteries and teach a single "skill", this book is for you. The author has a lot of excellent ideas of how to promote creativity and learning in your toddler with activities that employ simple, household items (like paper towel rolls) and inexpensive, basic toys (like balls and sand pails). Studies have shown that children learn better from these types of activities (where they are active) than the flashing, beeping toys (where they mostly watch and press buttons) and I love the idea of using simple items that are not bad for the environment as toys. We have had a lot of fun trying these out with our toddler, although, of course, not all of the activities are appropriate for all ages. On that note-- my only warning is that some of the activities use small pieces or items dangerous to a very young toddler, so parents will have to use common sense.

I wish I could give this book six stars instead of five! I have a 22-month-old daughter and wanted to find new, creative ways to interact with her while also teaching her important skills. I discovered this book while browsing on Amazon one day and was thrilled at the various, numerous ideas it offers! Best of all, you don't have to buy special materials to do most of these activities; they require simple objects you probably already have in your home. For instance, Miller provides recipes for homemade fingerpaint, shares instructions on how to make shape-matching games, and tells how to create a picture file to expand a child's understanding of categories. This book is a must-read for parents who want to stimulate their toddler's mind!

Really great ideas in this book for fun creative play. Some of the supplies mentioned are a little dated, but just reading it helps spark new ideas for things to do! I like that it helps me find ways to recycle things around the house--constant supply of new and interesting free toys!

We purchased this book to get ideas for fun and educational things to do with our 2 year old twins. In addition to finding a number of activities to engage our children, we were pleasantly surprised to find that the first few chapters of the book covered developmental and behavioral issues. The book is well organized into categories of play that reflect the natural interests of a toddler. The author is educated in child development and seems to have deep experience with the ins and outs of toddler play. Great book.

I found this gem at the library, now I'm going to buy a copy for myself! There are so many great ideas in here! I've read other books on the subject but haven't been very impressed. These ideas are practical, inexpensive, and clever. It includes recipes for things like playdough, and instructions for making your own affordable alternatives. Karen Miller had spent over twenty years in the business when this was written and it really shows in this wonderful, thoughtful book.

Excellent book! I bought it directly from Krista in AZ, she really knows what our animals are thinking! This will help the novice and those just touching up on dog communication skills. The breathing, centering ideas are similair to TTouch principles and REALLY work!

We rely on the expertise of others who take their work as seriously as we take our own, because we cannot be experts at everything. Krista Cantrell is the expert I (as an educator) recognize: Learning Styles evaluation for dogs-well, duh, of course! Individualized Educational Plans (IEPs) for individual dogs-How lucky could your dog get to have this quality educational attention, learning diagnosis, and training consultation! How lucky you and I are to have found such an organized master trainer who is so able to communicate practical exercises, so that our dogs are safe in our often unsafe human world. So that we don't worry so about them. So our dogs become family members who are better loved and welcomed than we imagined possible. It's all in her book. Catch Your Dog Doing Something Right is THE book to read.
Review by Sheron Steele, VA

The techniques really work and are simple to implement. Krista even explains how to evaluate your dog to help you understand how your dog learns. Her writing is easy to understand, and she uses real life stories.

The training is broken down into five-minute lessons and even shorter ten-second sessions that reinforce the behavior. Each lesson is step-by-step reinforcing basic commands such as sit, down, stay, etc. but played like a game. My dog loves our "training" time since she just thinks she's playing.

Krista includes help sections throughout the book to help you get the dog's attention. She also provides techniques to change a dog's unwanted behavior such as excessive barking.

I really recommend this book for the fun-loving, busy person who wants a well-behaved dog for a companion.

I love this book.
It is easy to read and understand. It starts with evaluation of the dog and assesing the strenght and weakness of his/her learning abilities. Training...or better called teaching-is set of games, what dogs love.
I really appreciate the teaching strategy of looking at owner and paying attention- without jerking collar or using prong collars! That's an absolut must in training.
There is also part about bad habits. And some Earth energy massage for your dog, if you are into "chi".

Krista's technique takes a common sense approach and a gentle way for our animals to learn "acceptable" behavior. I have brought 3 of my dogs to her classes - based on this book - and have seen dramatic differences in their behavior. Mostly though, this book helps the human companion learn how to work with and listen to their animals. I hope more people take on this progressive approach to non-violent training.The energetic healing chapter adds a new dimension to behavior therapies.