INA - International Nanny Association

Games to Play with Babies - 3rd Edition


by Jackie Silberg, Laura D'Argo (Illustrator)
Paperback: 256 pages ; Publisher: Gryphon House; ISBN: 0876592558; 3rd edition (May 1, 2001)

Editorial Review

Education Today
In Games to Play with Babies, you'll find over 250 exciting games which allow babies to explore the world around them. The sections, like Growing and learning Games, laughing and Having Fun Games, and Going to Sleep Games, are grouped according to age and describe what your baby will learn at each developmental level. This book encourages healthy and fun interaction between you and your baby. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Book Description
Award-winning author, Jackie Silberg, encourages bonding between you and your baby in the third edition of Games to Play with Babies. With 50 NEW games and all new illustrations, this valuable resource promotes self-confidence, coordination, social skills and much, much more. Build important developmental skills, while enjoying time with your baby.

Reader Review:
This book is excellent. It is well organized with games grouped in sequence from age 0-3 months upto 9-12 months. There are about 20 games for each age group. Each page has a different game, an easy to understand description, and tells you exactly what skill(s) it will help develop. I found this book creative and insightful, and had ideas I wouldn't have thought of on my own. I am putting this on my wish list for when I have kids of my own.

Reader Review:
Finally, a book for new or "experienced" parents with no, little, or high imaginations! Being a parent is the most important job anyone can have, and this book helps make it even more rewarding! I discovered this hidden treasure while browsing through Amazon's book selections, and I thought that it may make a wonderful addition to my parenting book collection. It is completely interactive. The parent is blessed with a huge selection of quick and educationally profitable activities for newborns to one year-olds. Songs, finger games, poems, daily bedtime or bath time rituals and other activities are demonstrated and what benefit it gives you child is written at the bottom of the page: language skills, balance, and bonding just to name a few. A must-have for parents of infants!

Back to Top

Baby Minds: Brain-Building Games Your Baby Will Love


by Linda, Ph.D. Acredolo, Susan, Ph.D. Goodwyn
Paperback: 214 pages ; Publisher: Bantam Doubleday Dell Pub (Trd Pap); ISBN: 0553380303; (July 5, 2000)

Book Description

More than 65 delightful games and activities to jump-start your baby's amazing brainpower

Can simply singing a song or blowing a dandelion under a toddler's nose help her mind to blossom? Can your baby count, remember events, and solve problems even before he can talk? The exciting answer to both questions is yes!

Breakthrough research is revealing the extraordinary inborn abilities of infants.
It is also showing how experiences during the first years of life profoundly
influence intelligence, creativity, language development-and even later
reading and math skills.

Now two psychologists and child development experts-authors of the bestselling Baby Signs-have created a delightful guide for parents based on the most up-to-date knowledge of how babies discover the world. You'll learn how to:

• Create a homemade mobile to stimulate your three-month-old's delight in solving problems
• Play a patty-cake game to help your two-year-old make logical connections
• Initiate bedtime conversations that build your child's memory and sense of personal history
• Develop "Baby Signs" to help your toddler communicate before he or she can talk
• Stimulate your child's natural number skills with puppets and counting games
• Use nursery rhymes and special read-aloud techniques to foster reading readiness
• Nurture budding creativity with humor and fantasy play
• And much more!

Baby Minds is not another program for creating "super babies." Instead it
builds on activities that babies instinctively love to develop their unique abilities and make your daily interactions full of the joy of discovery-for both of you.

Back to Top

In Time and With Love: Caring for the Special Needs Infant and Toddler, Second Edition


by Marilyn Segal, Roni Leiderman, Wendy Masi (Contributor)
Paperback: 208 pages ; Publisher: Newmarket Press; ISBN: 1557044457; 2nd edition (August 20, 2001)

Editorial Reviews

Parenting Preemies
A wonderful resource for new parents who are beginning the many adjustments to parenting a child with special needs.

Back to Top

20 Teachable Virtues: Practical Ways to Pass on Lessons of Virtue and Character to Your Children

by Barbara C. Unell Jerry L. Wyckoff (Editor)

Paperback: ;10 Publisher: Perigee; (August 1995) ISBN: 0399519599

Editorial Reviews

Ingram

America is currently looking to the family to solve the ills of modern-day society. This book provides parents with the tools to instill character in their children--through caring, communication and example. Includes chapters on empathy, helpfulness, fairness, caring, courage, respect, loyalty, and much more.

Reader Review:

Various virtues are examined from a behavioral/psychological approach. The commentary in terms of implementation seems to be focused on a small child or young inexperienced parent. My impression was the virtues were randomly selected without much order and connection. I thought that the recommendations were applicable to middle Americans living in a white suburb. The title teachable implied that these might be used in a classroom, It would have been nice to see a chapter or appendix suggesting how it might be used at school. After all, the problem that most parents are having is a lack of time and most teachers spend more time with children in today's culture than parents. This lack of time was not addressed by the authors. Finally, the book made the assumption that parents are O.K. and they themselves don't have room for improving their own virtues. I think all of us especially parents need to be less arrogant and realize that we teach virtues to children by modeling our own virtuous behavior. This is probably the major failing in this book. The writing style seemed choppy and made it difficult to follow the points of the authors.

Back to Top

The Difficult Child
by Stanley, M.D. Turecki, Leslie Tonner

Paperback: 320 pages ; Publisher: Bantam Doubleday Dell Pub (Trd Pap); 2nd Revision edition (March 14, 2000) ISBN: 0553380362.

Editorial Reviews

How to help--and cope with--the difficult child

Expanded and completely revised, the classic and definitive work on parenting hard-to-raise children with new sections on ADHD and the latest medications for childhood disorders.

Temperamentally difficult children can confuse and upset even experienced parents and teachers. They often act defiant, stubborn, loud, aggressive, or hyperactive. They can also be clingy, shy, whiny, picky, and impossible at bedtime, mealtimes, and in public places. This landmark book has been completely revised to include the latest information on ADHD, medications, and a reassuring approach to all aspects of childhood behavioral disorders.

In this parenting classic, Dr. Stanley Turecki, one of the nation's most respected experts on children and discipline--and himself the father of a once difficult child--offers compassionate and practical advice to parents of hard-to-raise children. Based on his experience with thousands of families in the highly successful Difficult Children Program he developed for Beth Israel Medical Center in New York City, his step-by-step approach shows you how to:

• Identify your child's temperament using a ten-point test to pinpoint specific difficulties
• Manage common--often "uncontrollable"--conflict situations expertly and gently ·
• make discipline more effective and get better results with less punishment
• Get support from schools, doctors, professionals, and support groups
• Understand ADHD and other common diagnoses, and decide if medication is right for your child
• Make the most of the tremendous potential and creativity that many "difficult" children have

Drawing on his experience with thousands of families in his highly successful Difficult Child Program, Dr. Turecki shows parents how to:

• Identify their child's difficult temperament using a ten-point test to pinpoint specific difficulties
• Manage typical conflict situations expertly and kindly
• Make discipline more effective and get better results with less punishment
• Get support from schools, doctors, and others
• Understand ADHD and other common diagnoses, and decide whether medication is right for their child
• Make the most of the child's creativity and potential

Reader Reviews:

This is an excellent book for ALL parents, not just parents of "difficult children." The title might scare or offend some parents who are in denial, thinking that their child is not difficult. But ALL kids are difficult from time to time. This book give great, real-life examples - extremely helpful tips telling us what to do. And all this is to be done under a firm, but very loving manner. This definitely is one of the best parenting books out there. A must-read for ALL parents.
----------------------
Reviewer: A reader from Lake Wales, FL
I learned more from this book than the many other parenting books I've read. Dr. Turecki's link between temperment and behavior has given me a totally new perspective on handling my daughter. His ideas and suggestions are innovative and very practical. I recommend this book to everyone I know who has a difficult child. Excellent!
----------------------
Reviewer: A reader from Cincinnati, OH USA
Dr. Turecki has a difficult child and he describes some personality traits that help one to understand one's child and the various obnoxious behaviors. That part was helpful.

The reality is that he does give some clues to helping the behavior of some kids, but our son was 2.5 yrs old and there is little to help with a difficult age and a very challenging child.

Perhaps the best part of the book was that our son didn't fit the category of "mother killer" close, but not really. I guess I can be relieved about that. The rest of the time, I wonder when my volcano boy will choose to erupt.
----------------------
Reviewer: cycworker from Nanaimo, B.C. Canada
This book does give some insight into temperament. I don't think it truly provides solutions to parents that will help them deal with difficult children. The author's approach is very behaviouristic and authoritarian. Most parents would find it hard to do some of the things Turecki suggests. He uses alot of negative labels for children's behaviour; he seems to be stigmatizing these children. It's a very simplistic approach. There are better methods available for helping parents cope with high energy children. I'd read Mary Sheedy Kurchinka's Raising Your Spirited Child and the follow-up to it, Kids, Parents and Power Struggles.

Back to Top

Why is My Baby Crying?:
The 7-Minute Program For Soothing the Fussy Baby

by Bruce Taubman, Bruce Taubman M.D.

Paperback: 178 pages ; Publisher: White Hat Communications; Revised edition (December 2000) ISBN: 1929109008

Editorial Reviews

T. Berry Brazelton, M.D., author of Touchpoints:

...an interesting approach to...one of the most disturbing things that occur with new babies....

Steven M. Altschuler, M.D., Physician-in-Chief, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia:
Bruce Taubman's common-sense approach works.... His easy-to-follow program will help you understand why your baby cries...

Mia Cronan, Mainstreetmom.com:
"Practical and smart approach to soothing an upset child... I highly recommend this book..."

Book Description
Do you wonder why your baby cries and what you can do about it? Do you worry about whether your baby's crying is normal?

All babies cry. It's their way of telling you they need something. But when they cry too much or you can't quite figure out what they need, you need expert advice. Bruce Taubman, MD, has helped many parents of newborns to:

· Understand their babies' cries'
· Respond accurately and quickly to their tearful children
· Reduce the amount of crying in their infants

Dr. Taubman's research has found that healthy babies communicate five basic needs through their cries. This book will help you understand and respond to these signals, giving your child a sense of security, and allowing you to spend more enjoyable, quite time with your infant.

About the Author
Bruce Taubman, MD, is affiliated with the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia and is Clinical Associate Professor in the Department of Pediatrics, Division of Gastroenterology and Nutrition at the University of PA School of Medicine. He lives in Philadelphia, PA and practices in Cherry Hill, NJ.

Reader Reviews:

Reviewer: sambander from Stamford, CT United States
I bought this book 11 years ago when my son was born. I credit this book with my son never developing "colic". When he cried, we quickly went through the list of needs the book describes and he, without fail, stopped crying. Funny, turns out he was mostly hungry when I was "sure" he could not possibly be, but he was. I give this book to every friend that has a newborn and they all agree, it saved them from lots of crying. If your new baby is having long crying episodes, get this book immediately. It will save your sanity and because you can meet the needs of your crying baby, you will develope confidence in your parenting skills.
----------------------------
Reviewer: A reader from Lakewood, Colorado USA
This book offers flow charts that attempt to complicate a simple process: Your baby is crying because it is wet, hungry, tired, needs to suck,or needs stimulation. The author attempts to put into a book those things which are common sense - if you try to sooth your baby one way, and your attempt is not successful, try something else.

Also, the author apparently subscribes to the Attachment Parenting philosophies, and therefore offers very biased suggestions to soothing techniques to be used. He leaves out other methods that can work.
----------------------------
Reviewer: Midwest Book Review (see more about me) from Oregon, WI USA
Why is My Baby Crying?: The 7-Minute Program For Soothing The Fussy Baby has been completely revised and updated. Written by Dr. Bruce Taubman, by an active staff member of the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Why Is My Baby Crying? provides a step-by-step, process of elimination approach to determining how to understand what your infant is trying to tell you. Written expressly for parents in clear, unambiguous language, Why Is My Baby Crying? explains what infant colic syndrome is and isn't, why some well-intentioned advice is unwise to follow, and how to soothe the seemingly impossible child. Highly recommended for pediatric and community library parenting book collections, Why Is My Baby Crying? is a "must" for any new parents!

Back to Top

Playful Parenting: A Bold New Way to Nurture Close Connections, Solve Behavior Problems, and Encourage Children's Confidence

by Lawrence J. Cohen

Hardcover: 320 pages; Publisher: Ballantine Books (Trd); (May 29, 2001) ISBN: 0345438973

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

Cohen is quick to point out that no matter what your child's temperament, she has a playful side. In its most basic form, play is a way to communicate. The author examines, with plenty of hilarious personal anecdotes, the details of play at every age and across genders. From his daughter and a new male friend discussing how "cool" nuclear weapons are and how "gross" a love song is, to a younger child zooming full-speed around a park at a birthday party, we're shown the exuberant truth behind playing: not only is it just plain fun, it can spark a variety of important sensations. One short section discusses the common phenomenon of happy giggling turning instantly to tears. Cohen suggests that "the fun play opens the emotional door to let out the giggles, and a flood of other feelings come pouring out after." Some specific ideas for games are included, and you'll find recommendations for everything from play wrestling to gentle storytelling. One chapter focuses on how to cope with play you don't find enjoyable, and how learning to appreciate these games can lead to surprising emotional insights. This is where Cohen's years of practice come in handy--it may be true that we all play, but not everyone immediately grasps the underlying messages. This is not simply a book filled with family activities, but rather an exploration of play for all ages. --Jill Lightner

From Publishers Weekly

"Pretend... that we're really gonna be late and you're really mad," Emma, daughter of psychologist and play therapist Cohen, whispered one morning, cleverly transforming their morning ritual his grumpy attempt to get her off to preschool into a fun game. According to Cohen, children of all ages have an ongoing need for connectedness, security and attachment; playful interaction with parents is an important way to develop such bonds. Through play, parents can help their kids develop greater confidence, express bottled up or difficult feelings, recover from daily emotional upheavals, negotiate agreements, express love and not least have fun. In his therapy practice, ohen has used play to help both severely troubled and securely attached kids negotiate the daily travails of life; he demonstrates how to prevent and address serious problems with silliness and laughter. Cohen acknowledges that it is sometimes difficult for busy and harried parents to relearn play, and that playtime is both physically challenging and tiring. However, using examples from his practice, research and personal experience, he intelligently guides parents through the possibilities awaiting them if they are willing and able to loosen up. The book explores play with compassion, but is often so funny that parents will find themselves chortling out loud with recognition and anticipation.

Reader Reviews

Reviewer: kelly-lcce from Marietta, GA USA
I whole heartedly recommend this book to ALL parents. Dr. Cohen's ideas completely changed the tone of our household. We were going through a very difficult phase with our 3 year old that was turning into a downward spiral of negativity. Nobody liked the way things were going. We'd read a mountain of "discipline" books, none of which was helpful in our situation. However, reading & following through on Dr. Cohen's book helped us completely turn our situation around - we now have a very HAPPY, joy-filled and fun home. Using the suggestions in this book I was better able to understand my daughter's behavior and I used many of his suggestions to connect with her. She has literally *blossomed* under this treatment - she's just a fantastic, happy little girl.

I am SO grateful to Dr. Cohen - he has helped me to become a much, much better parent and has given us a whole arsenal of wonderful parenting tools to help shape our children in very positive ways. If I could pick only one book on parenting and discipline, this would be it.
------------------------------------------
Reviewer: A reader from Medford, MA United States
This is a great book! It provides a refreshingly new look at how to connect with your children and have fun while you're doing it.

After reading numerous parenting books, I can recite the usual themes - set realistic limits, provide praise when merited, focus criticism on behavior and keep it brief, be honest, offer choices, blah, blah, blah. They're all good points, but being a responsible parent should not be all there is. Most parenting books ignore the importance of having fun with your children. It's something we're all supposed to just HAVE in our relationships with our children, and then we're disappointed when it's not there as often as we would like.

PLAYFUL PARENTING transcends these usual parenting shibboleths and supplies lessons on how to accomplish something we all yearn for - connection and fun! This book provides simple, easy to use techniques for connecting with your children and having fun while you do it. Like Dr. Doolittle with animals, Dr. Cohen understands the different language that children speak. That language is play. He explains that we need to learn to speak that language if we're going to connect with our children and be truly effective. As adults, we too often lapse into lectures and explanations (sound familiar?) when a playful approach will make us a more effective teacher. Typical of strategies provided in the book is one I now use with my children. Whenever they use some provocative word like "poopyhead" (or something much worse), I respond by saying in a conspiratorial tone "Well, you can say that if you want, but don't ever, EVER, say zoogililoo". Of course, they immediately say it, we all laugh, they get over the need to provoke, and we've connected in a knowing way.

PLAYFUL PARENTING also recognizes that children are often powerless in their relationships with parents and it provides excellent strategies for giving children more control. One strategy described in the book is called "Playtime", which is one on one time a parent sets aside with a child, in which the child gets to make all the decisions about what to do and the parent can not say "no" (basic safety considerations still apply, of course). I tried Playtime with my five year old son one Sunday afternoon and had a wonderful bonding experience with him - doing things such as swimming on a cold day (though I would have rather stayed warm and dry) and letting him hold the train ticket (though I was afraid he'd lose it). For Dr. Cohen understands parents, too, and knows that we all too often say "no" for the wrong reasons - we're tired, bored, or lacking energy. The strategies in this book, like Playtime, will challenge you to stretch yourself as a parent - but with bigtime payback! My son now asks for Playtime every weekend.

I was fortunate to be able to read a prepublication manuscript of PLAYFUL PARENTING last summer. I have employed many of its strategies to great effect with my two boys, ages 5 and 3. I have expanded my repertoire of skills for handling difficult situations, and have a more proactive approach to bonding with my children in ways that we all enjoy. I highly recommend this book to any and all parents. It would make a great gift, especially for those just getting started with the parenting challenge.

Back to Top

Healthy Foods, Healthy Kids: A Complete Guide to Nutrition for Children from Birth to Six-Year-Olds

by Elizabeth M. Ward

Paperback: 320 pages ; Publisher: Adams Media Corporation; (February 2002)
ISBN: 1580625959

Editorial Reviews

The most up-to-date information parents can find! Parents know that healthy eating habits are important. But in today's fast-paced world, guiding children's food choices can be a full-time job! What's a busy parent to do? In Healthy Foods, Healthy Kids, nutritionist Elizabeth M. Ward offers easy-to-follow guidelines for health-conscious parents. This comprehensive guide is packed with nutritional information critical to a young child's formative years. From a detailed look at sound food choices to helping establish a lifetime pattern of healthy living, this book has it all! Readers learn how to:
Ward off chronic diseases

· Feed family members of different ages

· Address allergies and food intolerance

· Select the right vitamin supplements

· Dine out with small children

Raise a vegetarian child Added features include Sidebars highlighting topics of special interest, such as information about minerals, juice, and caffeine, as well as tips on creating a healthy lifestyle before and during pregnancy. This handy book also features recipes for quick and delicious dishes kids will love, including Fluffy Pancakes, Baked Chicken Nuggets, Mashed Sweet Potatoes, and Pineapple Orange Smoothies. From breastfeeding your newborn to ensuring food safety for the entire family, Healthy Foods, Healthy Kids makes maximum healthy and good nutrition easy to achieve.

About the Author
Elizabeth M. Ward, M.S., R.D., is a freelance writer and nutritional consultant. She is the author of several books and has contributed to such publications as Fitness and The Boston Globe. She is a spokesperson for the American Dietetic Association and has been featured in more than 150 local and national print and broadcast interviews, including CNN's On the Menu and U.S. News & World Report. She has three children under the age of seven and lives in Reading, Massachusetts.

Reader Reviews:

Reviewer: HMW from Massachusetts United States
As the mother of three young children - one picky eater, one who can't get enough and one junk-food junky - I was thrilled to find a book written by a nutrition professional that can relate to the challenges of feeding kids. In this easy to read book, nutritionist Elizabeth Ward provides common sense advice on how to feed kids healthy foods based on both sound nutrition science and her experience feeding her own children. Starting with "preparing for pregnancy," Ward covers topics that all parents want to know about -- breastfeeding, introducing solid foods, helping your child establish eating habits that will ward off chronic disease later in life, "super foods" for kids, food safety and more. I think what I like most is that all the information is presented in a really common sense, guilt-free way, and includes a lot of first hand experiences from mom's also trying to raise healthy kids in a "junk food" world. And the recipes are great -- easy to make and kid-friendly. In my opinion, any book that can help me feed my kids healthfully without adding to the stress of child rearing is easily worth five stars !
-------------------------------------
Reviewer: A reader from Newton, Massachusetts
Many children's nutrition books offer unrealistic advice. This book, written by a dietitian and parent, is very practical and realistic, and helps parents figure out how to feed their children healthy food without making the dinner table a battle ground. I found the suggestions very helpful, and I plan to make this book my standard baby shower gift for new mothers.

Back to Top

Proactive Parenting:
Guiding Your Children from Two to Six

by Faculty of Tufts University's
Eliot-Pearson Department of Child Develo, David Elkind

Hardcover: 370 pages ; Publisher: Berkley Pub Group; (February 4, 2003) ISBN: 042518837X

Editorial Reviews

The Eliot-Pearson Department of Child Development has long been one of the world's premier centers for the study of how children grow and learn. Its scholars and professionals-experts in a broad range of disciplines from developmental psychology to linguistics-work together to bring their unique skills and specialties to each child's particular situation. Now they have collaborated on this guide-offering parents a first-rate team to consult whenever they want insight into their child's behavior. Pooling their research and practical experience, the faculty of this renowned institute offers a wealth of information and advice in a parenting guide like no other, addressing questions such as:

· Why is my three-year-old suddenly bossing her playmates around?
· Should I worry when my daughter seems almost hypnotized by TV?
· My son is interested in my computer, but is he too young to use it?
· Should I encourage my child to speak both English and my native language?
· How do I avoid unintentionally "labeling" my kids?
· I feel a bit uncomfortable when my daughter hugs me...is there something wrong with me?
· Is moving to a new house too much for my kids to handle now?

With this comprehensive book, filled with the accumulated wisdom of this distinguished group, parents can look forward to more growth-and fewer growing pains.

About the Author
Founded in 1852, Tufts University has an international reputation for academic excellence. It has campuses located in Massachusetts and France. This book is a collaborative effort by the members of Tufts's Eliot-Pearson Department of Child Development, established 75 years ago to integrate research and practice to promote healthy development of young children and families.

Back to Top

Birth Order Blues: How Parents Can Help Their Children
Meet the Challenges of Birth Order

by Meri Wallace

Paperback: 224 pages ; Publisher: Owl Books; (May 1999)
ISBN: 0805052100

Editorial Reviews

Birth order has a powerful effect on children's emotional development, on their self-esteem, and on their sense of well-being. The youngest child, the firstborn, the middleborn, twins, and the only child all have specific birth order issues that, if not attended to early on, can impair their functioning and their interpersonal relations at home and at school, and can follow them into adulthood. Parental birth order, too, plays an important role, as do such other factors as gender and family size. To understand these birth order blues, the author, an expert in parent-child relationships, first raises parents' awareness of the impact of birth order upon children. She then shows how to identify their children's birth order problems, often disguised by behaviors such as underachievement or aggression, and suggests how they can resolve these issues and prevent negative behavioral patterns from developing.

Ingram

The author raises parents' awareness of the impact of birth order upon children and suggests ways to resolve or circumvent potential problems relating to birth order issues.

Back to Top

The Business Traveling Parent:
How to Stay Close to Your Kids When You're Far Away

by Dan Verdick, Scott Pollack (Illustrator)

Paperback: 144 pages ; Publisher: Robins Lane; (December 2000)
ISBN: 158904004X

Editorial Reviews

From Parents' Choice®
If business travel separates you from your family, tuck this helpful handbook in your carry-on bag. Containing more than 100 ideas for closing the distance gap, this book suggests inventive ways to stay connected.

Choose from a variety of simple activities and games that don't involve a lot of extra time, but do show lots of extra thought and caring. A 2000 Parents' Choice® Approved winner.

The Dallas Morning News, June 17, 2000
"Full of great activities...this lives up to its title."

Reader Reviews:

Reviewer: A reader from Washington, DC
This is a terrific book. The author gives some great ideas on things to do before you leave, when you are gone and when you get home again. The ideas are simple and fun for the kids. If you can't be at home as often as you'd like, then The Business Traveling Parent really offers some simple solutions to staying close to your kids. This is also a great gift for any busy executive, salesperson, or anyone who travels more than they would like to.
----------------------------------------
Reviewer: A reader from Hawthorn, Oregon
I really like the concept of parents staying in touch with kids when they have to travel. One idea from the book that I like is to take pictures to show or send to the child so they can see what it's like where you are. Better than postcards, and sweet, not necessarily a new idea, but a great reminder. Sending secret emails and faxes sounds fun too. Cooking together on the night you return and making something special from the place/country you've been is excellent. Such nice ideas, and not too much to handle for the traveler. These are lucky kids whose parents do these things with them ... and I bet they are the kind of parents who don't want to be away from their kids very often.
----------------------------------------
Reviewer: art4kids from Washington state
I happened to meet the author at a conference in Chicago recently, and what a great guy! His humor and smarts combine to be a sure-fire interesting book writer. So, I read the book, and it ! is! filled with really easy, fun ideas, tips, and tricks for staying involved with your kids when you're away. Nobody is saying it takes the place of being at home with them, but sometimes you just have to travel, and this makes it fun for the kids to keep in touch, as well as giving great ideas for what to before and after. This book is really interesting, and so is the author, Dan. I really enjoyed the fresh ideas in this book. Thanks, Robins Lane Press!

Back to Top

'Bon Appetit! Musical Food Fun'

Children's CD by 'Cathy and Marcy' Focuses on Nutrition, Fitness

Audio CD (April 22, 2003) Label: Rounder Select ASIN: B00008WI9T
http://www.bonappetit.cathymarcy.com/
Web site features recipes, music samples, coloring book, jokes and a link to purchase the CD

NPR EDITORIAL REVIEW:
Any parent who's tried to get a child to eat something nutritious might want Cathy Fink and Marcy Marxer in their corner. Their new CD, Bon Appetit! Musical Food Fun, features catchy songs about good eating habits and the importance of exercise despite lifestyles that don't always promote those goals.

The song, "Five a Day," for example, urges kids to eat their fruits and vegetables: There's a crunch in my lunch / And I've got a hunch / That I'm eatin' carrots today...

Or "Breakfast Power," reminding them not to skip the first meal of the day: When your body wakes up it's a little slow / You need breakfast power to get on the go...

The songs also try to get kids to think about where their food comes from. The CD includes the classic "Garden Song" (Inch by inch, row by row / Gonna make this garden grow...) Marxer says it's about a garden "where you can plant your seed and watch it grow and reap the harvest."

"Times are different, and we don't live on farms, most of us," Fink says. "We buy our food in stores in packages and don't really think about where it came from, where it grew, how it came to us."

And the singers touch on the importance of staying in shape, in "Hula Hoop" and "Big Strong Muscles."

Fink says she was a child herself when President Kennedy "launched the big fitness campaigns. There were three television stations and you didn't spend your whole day watching them. There were no computers. What you did after school is you got on your bike or you went and played ball or you did something. But your parents weren't worried about you being at the playground by yourself."

Fink and Marxer have been singing and writing children's songs together since 1984. They have performed at thousands of shows in the United States and around the world, and their albums have earned eight Grammy nominations. They also have received awards from the Parents' Choice Foundation, the American Library Association and the Washington Area Music Association.

Back to Top

' Parent Talk: How to Talk to Your Children in Language That Builds Self-Esteem and Encourages Responsibility

• Paperback: 320 pages
• Publisher: Fireside; Fireside edition ( February 25, 2003 ) Language: English

From Publishers Weekly:

Language acquisition isn't just a toddler's job: Moorman takes parenting common sense-the notion that affirming, loving speech is crucial to a child's growth and self-esteem-to the level of a "skills-based program" of parenting language in this earnest volume. In a new introduction (Moorman originally self-published the book), he encourages parents to select a few of his "Parent Talk" phrases and practice them until they come naturally; gradually, they can move on to fluency. Parents, he says, should use language that encourages their child to make choices, learn "response-ability" (healthy responses to challenges and setbacks) and seek solutions-e.g., "How come you picked your grumpy mood?"; "So your dad says you're grounded. How did you produce that result?"; and "I know you can handle it." Some of Moorman's phrases sound extremely awkward, while some familiar ones-"You did a good job"-are verboten. (Praise that evaluates rather than describes or appreciates can make children into "praise junkies" whose sense of worth is dependent on others' compliments instead of their own confidence, Moorman warns.) It would take an extremely conscientious parent to employ all these phrases consistently, but Moorman's basic message of encouraging child empowerment and family solidarity through healthy parental communication is an important one, and many of his suggestions feel right on target.

Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Reviewer: Joanna L. Gold-Baker ( Baytown , TX USA )

This is a great book! After 20 years of working with children, I thought I knew all the ways to speak to a child. But this book has given me new insight into the impact that our words have on children. It shows examples of how we inadvertently teach our children 'learned helplessness' and ways to teach them the process of making decisions, handling everyday happenings, and to make their own choices. I have also been amazed at how the advice in this book works with my teenager! So I ventured a step further and have used the advice in this book with co-workers, too, with some amazing results! It is easy to read and refer back to when necessary. Every parent should have a copy of this book handed to them when their children are born.

Reviewer: Stacey Murphy ( Denville , NJ USA )

This is among the best child-raising "advice" books I've ever read. There are many, very short chapters with practical, easy to follow, common sense advice that parents so rarely follow. I've read and reread many of the sections, and I've recommended this book to others who have given rave reviews as well. THis is a must have!

Reviewer: A reader

I enjoyed reading this book a great deal. It is easy to read! The author makes practical suggestions on how you can change your wording when correcting or praising your precious child. I highly recommend this to all parents who want to empower their children!!!

Back to Top

' Teacher Talk: What It Really Means

by Chick Moorman, Nancy Moorman

• Paperback: 136 pages
• Publisher: Personal Power Press (November 1, 1989)
• Language: English
• ISBN: 096160462X

Reviewer: Heather ( Ann Arbor , Mi United States )

If I had to pick one book that I am the most glad I bought (when it comes to teaching), it would be this one. The book is broken down into short chapters (a page or two long.) Each chapter addresses a different 'saying' that you might use in your classroom. Some are thing you hear ALL the time, and would never think they would be harmful to the students. This book is a quick read--it's easy to break it up into small parts. Overall, I don't know how ANYONE could be sorry that they bought this book.

Reviewer: Laura Lynn Walsh ( Fairbanks , AK USA )

This book should be in the hands of every teacher. The authors patiently go through most of the phrases that teachers use DAILY with children and explain their effects on the students. They detail how to make teacher responses better and how to make the talk with children more effective, more humane, and more supportive. This book was published fairly long ago, but the information is as relevant as if it had been published yesterday.

Reviewer: Adriana Alcala ( Mexico )

While searching for bibliography for one of my workshops, I came across this wonderful book which focuses on almost every aspect of the teaching-learning situation. It is a must for new teachers as well as the old, great for parents too. If any one book can raise awareness of the impact that the language patterns we use in the classroom have upon our students, this is definitely the one.

Back to Top

Disclaimer

International Nanny Association does not endorse any of the publications listed on this and other pages, nor do the opinions of the authors necessarily reflect the positions of INA or its members. This is only a partial listing of resource materials available to the public. Readers are encouraged to research and inform themselves about the subjects that interest them.