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Find out moreThe world is changing rapidly, with technology advancing at breakneck speed and the constant bombardment of social media. The changes in the world are difficult to navigate as it is without the struggle of parenting. Our featured parenting books are here to offer some help. Whether it is an insight into the brave new world of technology through the eyes of a teenager, or perhaps information on the latest trends to keep you in the know. This selection hopes to offer you the information you need to help you do the best you can.
Cambridge University Press’s first venture into mass market publishing is certainly worth a place in any school library. Authored by a Professor in Psychology, whose research specialises in body image issues, the reader can have every confidence that the contents are backed up by authoritative evidence, but this is no dry academic tome. As she states in her introduction, Dr Mackey is a mother of 12 and 14-year-old girls so she really cares about girls having the information they need to make the right decisions and to develop healthy habits. When young girls are bombarded with images of airbrushed celebrities and social media pressures it is no wonder that most girls are dissatisfied with some aspect of their bodies and this can lead to anxiety, depression and worse. With an estimated 1.25 million people in the UK having an eating disorder there can be no doubt that there is a real need for a book like this to counter the misinformation out there. The ten chapters cover very clearly and concisely an enormous amount of information ranging from puberty and body changes to self-care, mental health, basic nutritional science, healthy eating habits and making food fun, physical activity and loving our bodies for what they do (not how they look)and how to handle social media and challenging fat shaming language. Each chapter has My Story sections with real life experiences, myth busting boxes, Q&A and a valuable concluding summary of the key points. Combined with an excellent glossary and helpful illustrations the reader can quickly find the information that they need at any given time. But the unpatronizing and non-didactive tone also makes this an enjoyable and engaging read likely to be read from cover to cover. Highly recommended for age nine upwards to the many adults who would benefit from its wisdom too!
Your Baby Skin to Skin is a reassuring common-sense companion for new parents. There’s no such thing as ‘normal baby behaviour’ and no baby is going to fit in exactly with your expectations from before they’re born. In Your Baby Skin to Skin, midwife Rachel Fitz-Desorgher teaches you how to trust your baby’s instincts – and yours – from your baby’s birth and throughout their first year. The book explores your baby’s basic needs – food, comfort, love, care, sleep etc. – and how these vary and develop as your baby grows. It focuses on the fact that there is no ‘normal’. Your baby isn’t born with preconceived ideas or expectations – just survival reflexes and instincts, the same as all babies since primitive times, no matter how modern living has advanced since then. The author describes how you can use this knowledge to learn, understand, nourish and care for your baby. She explains clearly why babies may act in a certain way and how you can cope more easily – letting your baby take the lead. The book is written in an easy-to-read non-judgemental style with a sense of authority but not patronising, using realistic Q&As and easy-to-read practical explanations – as if you’re chatting to a midwife in the same room. There’s a lot packed within its pages, including separate chapters on ‘suckling made really easy’ (simplifying breastfeeding and dealing with any issues that may arise) and ‘suckling the bottle-feeding way’ (with details about making up feeds, choosing formula milks and how much to give your baby). Your Baby Skin to Skin makes perfect sense – taking away some of the stresses of new parenthood to put minds to rest. An ideal gift for new parents or parents-to-be!
Award winning author Katherine Rundell is as passionate about reading children’s books as she is about writing them. In this brief but and perfectly structured handbook she encourages all readers to think about the particular qualities of children’s books and about the special experience of reading as a child – which she remembers clearly. Drawing on her deep knowledge of children’s stories and supporting her arguments with endorsing quotes from writers of all kinds she sets out her defence of the book’s title in brief sections. She is as much at home in the factual – ‘On how children’s fiction came to be’ and ‘On children’s fiction today’ as the more personal which reflect her own views including ‘On wild hunger and heroic optimism’ and ‘The galvanic kick of children’s books’.
This is a book which any adult who deals with children, and not just teachers and others who work in school settings, would find enlightening, thought provoking and revealing. As we learn from the little snippets from the school reports of Paul Dix at the end of each chapter, the author has direct experience of being one of the ‘bad boys’ and now has more than 25 years of working to transform the most challenging behaviour in schools, referral units and colleges to call upon. As a 14-year-old he vowed he would change the way adults deal with behaviour and I defy any reader not to rethink their own strategies as a result of reading this book. Responsible adults should be just that – always in control of themselves before they attempt to take control of others. But this book is nothing to do with blaming teachers. Paul Dix is angry but he is angry with the lack of proper training in behaviour management and angry with the unrelenting drive for ‘progress’, pleasing Ofsted and analysing data which is destroying any ethos of pastoral care. Here chapter by chapter he asks hard hitting questions about school policies and behaviours and shows how these impact on students and often in a very counter- productive way. He writes with humour and the occasional frank expletive, he shares personal anecdotes, observations and tried and tested strategies backed up by theory, case studies and international examples. Each chapter concludes with three helpful checklists: Testing, Watch Out For and Nuggets which sum up, encourage and act as a quick aide memoire going forward. Ultimately the author’s message is about consistency and kindness. “ Visible consistency with visible kindness allows exceptional behaviour to flourish” This is a genuine must read that can genuinely transform schools and as his many examples show where improved behaviour leads, improved attainment follows. ~ Joy Court You can also access When the Adults Change, Everything Changes on Audible as an audio book here.
Part of a successful series of books written by the author, who is an experienced specialist in PSHE and SRE education, this provides a child friendly introduction to mental and emotional health and will prove its value within both home and school contexts. The publisher describes the series as ‘helping grown-ups have difficult conversations with little people’ and this is exactly what this book does. The lively and amusing illustrations help to engage the reader and the scenarios provide prompts for discussion and the explanations are perfectly pitched and yet in enough depth to provide many a useful reminder to adults. The opening page even explains the difference between your brain and your mind which is quite a difficult philosophical concept to master! Covering positive self-image, emotional intelligence, relationships and mindfulness with strategies for developing the right sort of mental habits and approaches at an early age can only be a positive help for children. Just giving them the right vocabulary to be able to talk about their feelings is incredibly useful. There is a fascinating section explaining the dangers of rumination – a word I had not considered in this context before- but undue dwelling upon an issue has now been identified as a cause of, for example, OCD or eating disorders. The advice and guidance section for parents and carers at the end of the book is particularly well considered and helpful. With the current situation undoubtedly causing children and families additional anxiety this could not be more useful and relevant. Highly recommended for home and school. You can find more books on this theme in Anxiety & Wellbeing - Helping Young Ones Cope
Wean your baby with help from record-breaking cookbook author and proud dad Joe Wicks, the nation's favourite PE teacher. * All the reliable information you need to wean your baby from first foods to enjoying family mealtimes. * Packed with simple and trustworthy ideas Joe has drawn from his experience of weaning his daughter, Indie, combined with expert guidance from a leading registered nutritionist. * Features one hundred delicious, healthy and balanced recipes, from finger foods and purees to adapting your own favourite meals. Joe Wicks is responsible for getting the nation moving with his incredible record-breaking family-friendly workouts. Now he's turned his attention to making weaning - a daunting prospect for all parents - a happy and enjoyable time for the whole family. Whether you're a first-time parent or not, this book guides you towards getting the best for your little one, from figuring out when to start weaning and how much food your child needs, to adapting your own meals for your child. Joe knows how difficult it can be to manage your time, so he also shows you how to prep like a boss with shopping lists and freezable items. With one hundred tasty recipes split into age stages, expert help with nutrients, allergies, supplements and fussy eaters, as well as knowing how to understand your child's signals, this is the only weaning guide you will ever need to lay the foundation for a lifetime of healthy, happy eating.
'You can be whatever you want to be, but that's nowhere near as important as knowing that you can be exactly who you are' Things My Son Needs To Know About The World is a tender and funny series of letters from a new father to his son about one of life's most daunting experiences: parenthood. In between the sleep-obsessed lows and oxytocin-fuelled highs, Backman takes a step back to share his own experience of fatherhood and how he navigates such unchartered territory. Part memoir, part manual, part love letter to his son, this book relays the big and the small lessons in life. As he watches his son take his first steps into the world, he teaches him how to navigate both love and IKEA and tries to explain why, sometimes, his dad might hold his hand just a little bit too tightly. This is an irresistible and insightful collection from one of the world's most beautiful storytellers.
'Funny and frank' DAWN O'PORTER 'Truly brilliant' EMMA GANNON Two mothers. Two daughters. One school place. Imogen and Lily are old friends - they've shared hangovers, unsuitable boyfriends and wild nights out together. But now they're mums, and their partying days are behind them. When a place comes up at one of the best primary schools in the area, both women want it for their daughters. From faking religious beliefs to bogus break-ups, Imogen and Lily will go to any lengths to secure the perfect school for their children - and so will all the other mothers. Will their friendship survive the strain? Will their marriages take the pressure? And when a sexy new vicar arrives on the scene, will the mothers' keep focus for long enough to keep their eyes on the prize? A hilarious, heartwarming read, perfect for fans of Sophie Kinsella and Fiona Gibson.
Every parent wants their child to be happy and every parent wants to avoid screwing them up. But how do you achieve that? In this absorbing, clever and funny book, renowned psychotherapist Philippa Perry tells us what really matters and what behaviour it is important to avoid - the vital dos and don'ts of parenting. Instead of mapping out the 'perfect' plan, Perry offers a big-picture look at the elements that lead to good parent-child relationships. This refreshing, judgement-free book will help you to: · Understand how your own upbringing may affect your parenting · Accept that you will make mistakes and learn what you can do about them · Break negative cycles and patterns · Handle your own and your child's feelings · Understand what different behaviours communicate Full of sage and sane advice, this is the book that every parent will want to read and every child will wish their parents had.
Born from Elaine Halligan’s experiences of raising her son Sam, each chapter in My Child is Different deals with a specific stage of childhood and development. The format is simple and easy to follow when reading the book from cover to cover, or locating a specific age or time frame. Elaine’s story in its own right is insightful and honest, allowing the reader to find out about Sam’s development and some of the obstacles that were faced by the entire family. The additional content from Melissa Hood deals specifically with the events in each chapter, any specific underlying causes as well as broader behaviour examples before efficiently providing a range of possible solutions or parenting changes that could help to provide a marked improvement. This book has something for everyone. The recollection of Elaine and Sam’s hard work and endurance is compelling; Melissa's helpful advice, explanations and techniques are perfect not only as parenting techniques but also as points for reflection for interacting with people in the world around you. In the Epilogue, Elaine states the ways that using positive parenting skills has made her more accepting and can help to get the best out of everyone. I would definitely recommend.
The beautiful collection of personal letters from the No.1 bestselling author and podcast host of Happy Mum Happy Baby Letters on Motherhood is a collection of heartfelt and deeply personal letters written by Giovanna to her three young sons Buzz, Buddy and Max, husband, Tom, and the family and friends who have inspired and supported her to become the mother that she is today. In this beautiful book she shares the funny and moving personal tales of her own family life whilst also talking about the deeper universal truths of parenting - coping with mum guilt, finding a work/family life balance, positive body image, rediscovering a sense of identity, and a parent's hopes, fears and expectations for their child's future. Honest, heartwarming and hilarious, her own experiences of motherhood and the lessons she has learned along the way will resonate with parents everywhere.
Daisy Upton has two little kids. She loves them - but they drive her mad. So, to try and keep her sanity she started to come up with quick, easy games using stuff from around the house. And @FiveMinuteMum was born. In her first book, she has collected 150+ games that take 5 minutes to set up & 5 minutes to tidy up. From pasta posting to alphabet knock down, it's a recipe book for guilt free parenting! And as Daisy was a teaching assistant, your little ones will be learning while they play! What could be better? GIVE ME FIVE is the perfect companion for anyone who wants five minutes peace.
A scaldingly intimate, powerful, and actually rather beautiful autobiography where the author reflects on her relationships and love. Lucy Fry is a journalist and currently training to be a psychotherapist, here she tells her story which includes her mental health, polyamorous relationship, and parenthood. It is pointed out that the truth is always someone’s story, but this just feels so incredibly heartfelt and rawly honest. It is as though she has reached inside herself, split open and poured out her innermost feelings and thoughts; and yet the way she writes ensured that I didn’t ever, ever feel as though I was intruding. She examines the hidden, concealed, and mysterious side of love, and as I read, I thought… of course, I see, yes! Easier Ways to Say I Love You is unflinching and intense, yet incredibly thoughtful and warm, it touched my heart, and opened my mind, in fact, I rather fell in love with this book.
The world is changing rapidly, with technology advancing at breakneck speed and the constant bombardment of social media. The changes in the world are difficult to navigate as it is without the struggle of parenting. Our featured parenting books are here to offer some help. Whether it is an insight into the brave new world of technology through the eyes of a teenager, or perhaps information on the latest trends to keep you in the know. This selection hopes to offer you the information you need to help you do the best you can.