Great read - fun and full of little nuggets of parental wisdom, most still valid to this day
926047
Great short book about a fathers letters to his son. As his son is leaving for college, ge starts writing letters which covers all spectrum of common sense, which are still applicable to this day (most of them).

Ligh hearted , funny and full of little stories to illustrate his point to his son.

I thoroughly enjoyed this little book!
3143959
Cliches abound when it comes to what we learn from being parents: "My kids teach me how to live in the present....to appreciate the little things....to be more patient..." Please do not make the mistake of thinking that "Small Talk" is merely a feel-good collection of quotable wisdom to consult on those days when being a parent is particularly boring or frustrating. This book is something other, and much more, than that. "Small Talk" invites us to learn, question, and seek alongside our kids, allowing their observations, questions, and interactions with the world to deepen our own questioning and observations about the world--particularly when it comes to those things that are hardest to talk about or comprehend (love, tragedy, forgiveness). Becker's kids say some really cute and funny things. But they also say wise things, and difficult things, and ask profound (and difficult) questions--and Becker invites us to consider, along with her, how those questions can lead us all into deeper reflection and understanding.
4131644
What is the best source for children to learn ethics, values, and morals?  They used to learn them in religious services, but kids who go are usually there only an hour or two a week, and many no longer attend  at all.  I can remember being taught them in school, but, then, that was forty to fifty years ago, and today's public schools apparently have to be "values neutral" in their approach to what they call "character training."  Television?  Well, that's certainly not the best place, but for many kids it's probably the only place.  However, children's first, and best, teachers have always been their parents.  Yet, many parents find that they need something to assist them, and that's where this book can come in handy.

  Ethics is defined as "the study and philosophy of human conduct, with emphasis on the determination of right and wrong."  It is not merely the province of academic philosophers in ivory towers, but is actually the stuff of every day living--the choices that we make and the basis upon which we make them.  It used to be that the ethics, values, and morals of a culture were handed down from generation to generation, but in more recent years the mobility of our society and related factors (such as mass media) have greatly lessened the impact of previous generations' collective wisdom.  Therefore, it is imperative that parents personally take it in hand to raise their children to be ethical, to understand the difference between right and wrong.

  E is for Ethics is a book of 26 simple yet fun stories about Elliot and Lucy, two young children who are faced with various situations in which a positive ethic, such as respect, honesty, kindness, charity, or integrity, can be demonstrated.  The goal is for the stories to be read to children by parents and then discussed as a family.  There are questions at the end of each chapter for this purpose.  Author Ian James Corlett, a children's television creator, writer, developer, and voice actor who is also the father of two children, was motivated to address the subject when his own family grappled with these issues.  While his kids were small, he and his wife started a weekly discussion using these tales, and then he decided to write them down to help other parents.  R. A. Holt's humorous illustrations are a welcome addition to the entertaining nature of the book.  Many parents will find it a useful tool for helping them to instill ethics in their children.
2514651
Christie Mellor provides a wonderfully funny view of life with children then and now. Seeing the reality of the now makes you yearn for the good old days of our youth. She also provides the delightful illustrations on the cover and throughout the book.
She's right on when it comes to the parents of today and hilarious in her reminicences of the child rearing of the past. A great read. Highly recommended to anyone with kids AND a sense of humor.
3027184
As a married man in his mid-thirties it is easy to forget how much of a bumbling chimpanzee I was in High School; the awkwardness of that age, approaching girls, and hormones. Boulerice does a wonderful job sharing his experiences and while you're laughing at his mistakes, you're also recounting and laughing at your own. Through the post script he is able to tie it up into a learning experience, and the lesson is one I will carry with me for that awkward time when my son is in his teens.

This is truly a fun walk down memory lane and a delight to read!
906790
You know you have a great book when the one who wrote it speaks out of their own experience and life. Chuck and Sherry Quinley have been great examples on being parents to me and my husband. I am excited for the whole world to read of their wisdom and simple, yet effective tips and logic. A must have for parents!
2811928
I enjoyed the unique perspective on parenting that this book provides. Children are ours to help guide to a good path but it is their path as the book states, asking: "You deserve the best parent! If Im ever not being the best parent, please tell me so that I can do better." considers the child a human with the ability to decide and provide feedback. Children are ready for the conversations suggested in this book and will go a lot further than some of the traditional advice we are given as parents. I would recommend this book to any parents of kids any age.
250300
I haven't read Reiser's previous books, but gravitated to this book because I grew up in a large family and am currently the father of four. No matter where you are in the world or your background, if you have kids, there are certain core experiences all parents have at one point or another: trying to feed an infant, potty training, teaching your child how to ride a bike, dealing with teenagers, and so on and so on. What Reiser does is select a few experiences from his life as a father and expound on them in a familiar and humorous way. This is a quick read with relatable experiences, and even though I didn't take away any life-changing parenting lessons from this book, I realized that I am like most parents, in that I am an imperfect parent who is failing as often as I am succeeding, but at least I am trying.
1673707
Regret-Free Parenting: Raise Good Kids and Know You're Doing it Right by Catherine Hickem, was one of the most encouraging parenting books I have ever read. She focuses a lot on intentional parenting: how to plan a life for your children that has purpose and how to carry that out as a parent. Throughout the book, she has insightful snippets that are just truly gems for mothers. For example: "Children are the sandpaper God uses to smooth our rough edges." I just LOVE this thought and as a mother of three boys I agree with that completely. Sometimes I do feel like my children push me to the limit but they are also teaching me patience, kindness, and love. Another gem: "Respect is necessary, Happiness is Not" - this is so true. We can't always have happy kids but we can teach them to always be respectful. There is nothing worse than a disrespectful child. I also loved the chapter on "God's Sense of Humor Begins with Contractions." And another thing I loved about the book was one of her points: "Pray for another mother" (who is having a more difficult time than you.) I already try to do this and I love that she included it in the book. It is hard work to be a mom and you don't want to look back at your time as a mom having regrets. Hickem's book really tells you how you can avoid falling into this trap and really live a life as a mother of intention. Overall, this book was a great one - a quick read - interesting, funny, and with lots of deeply insightful points into the heart and soul of what it means to be a mom.

*** I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own! ***
95740
'Family Man' brought back many fond memories from my long time ago parenting days. It is an enjoyable and funny read.
I wonder how I ever survived those good old days now that I'm in my twilight years. I highly recommend this book to anyone
who has a sense of humor and can still relate to the joys of rearing children.
3716516
As a father of a 7 and 4 year old i couldn't have read a more appropriate book. Limbert recognizes the similar frustrations all parents go through
and outlines a concise formula to help develop a nurturing relationship as opposed to a dictatorial one. Witty and well supported
this book hits home and gives parents advice that is down to earth and easy to implement.
Really does make you rethink your way of interacting with your children to promote a healthy ,positive and respectful relationship.
Now if it only works!
Great use of one liners and song lyrics snuck in the text. Funny stuff !
1591410
Just a lovely, witty book; full of stories, clever analogies, and universal parenting troubles, joy, and love.  Mr. Kuritz combines nice observations of the nature of mothers and fathers, never pretending that men and women are not different, but in the end, even to me as a very involved father (though not stay-at-home) the book spoke to me more as a universal parent than just a dad.
  The book holds a mix of wry truism written around fun anecdotes, with an undercurrent of awe at the whole world of being a parent, and especially at the little piece of magic that is his daughter.  The author squeezes in references from Greek literature to Sun Tzu while talking about poopies and late night moth catching and liberation.
  The stories weave back and forth in time, but they never lose track of the magic of the father and daughter growing together (supported, of course, by a patient and lovely mother).  Wrapped up with some lovely poems at the end.  Worth a look not just for stay-at-home dads, not just for involved fathers, but for all parents.
1500687
It's been 17 years since my twin sons were born, and reading It's Twins! brought back many memories of those early years when I wasn't sure if I was going to make it through another day. Now I can laugh when I read other women's stories about trying to breastfeed twins, or answering those weird questions ("But they don't look alike at all--are you sure they're twins?"), or trying to go grocery shopping with two babies. I could go on and on, but I don't have to--this book says it all.

The author's experience as an editor for the series, Chicken Soup for the Soul, is reflected here, since the book contains stories by different people at different stages in their parenting journey. I could have written some of the stories in this book, which showed me that my experiences were not unusual, even if I thought they were at the time. I would have welcomed this book when my boys were young, just to show me others went through the same things that I did.

There is also plenty of general child-rearing advice, making it an all-purpose parenting book--very useful when you don't have much time to spend reading. Throughout the book are "Points to Ponder," questions related to the topics just covered, with space to write a few lines. For those of us who are already journaling, these questions are wonderful prompts to help us write about our experiences as a mother of twins.

One of the most valuable pieces of advice in the book comes in the toddler and preschooler section, where Heim says, "Respect each child's individual differences. Emphasize each child's strengths. And don't allow one twin to dominate the relationship to the detriment of the non-dominant twin." This is something I have always tried to do with my boys, and now that they are 17 and soon to graduate high school, I feel confident that each is an individual prepared to start his independent life.

This book was very enjoyable and a quick read. I think parents of twins (or more) will find it inspiring, fun, and informative. So take some of that precious free time when both babies are actually asleep, and you aren't, to read this book.

by Danelle Sasser
for Story Circle Book Reviews
reviewing books by, for, and about women
2310031
This book is smart, insightful, and at the same time a very fun and enjoyable read. It gives wonderful advice on real life parenting, and the author's sincerity really shines through. I would recommend this book to everyone, whether they are already parents, or hoping to become someday.
2257604
The first, short chapter immediately drew me in to this book and made me think: "Okay. I can do this." Some parenting books feel like one huge long research, discussion, and/or lecture. Keep it Real and Grab a Plunger frankly did not. Each chapter was concise, but also chalk full of great things, examples, ideas, definitions, etc. It's definitely a book I'll be keeping on my shelf to pull out when I need a little parenting lift or a reminder of what I should be doing when I fall into a rut or become frustrated.

Let's talk a little about subject material. The author tackles some tough and can-be-frustrating (at least to parents) topics. There's a chapter on potty training (I am so glad I'm done with my own children!) where one line sums it all: "Staying emotionally disengaged and putting the responsibility and internal reward on the child is fundamental." Then she shares a rather humorous story that was unbelievable, but true. There's another chapter on co-parenting after divorce that has some points for those not in this situation as well, primarily with "gatekeeping." There is also a chapter on using technology wisely, which is definitely a hot topic these days.

You'll find the usual topics as well, but presented in a way that I easily connected with and understood, which made them much easier to apply and implement. I loved the encouragement and praise chapter, the eight values that are common to strong families section of the values-based parenting chapter, the chapter on lifting children who make mistakes, and found the chapter on helping children overcome their fears especially helpful with one of our children. I could go on and on because I basically found gems of knowledge and applications for my own children in every chapter.

Keep it Real and Grab a Plunger was informative, enjoyable, but most of all gave me a lot of things to think about and implement as a parent to enrich my children's lives. I liked that I didn't feel each topic was repetitious or overly discussed, but got the point across in a way I could relate to, understand, and easily apply. This is definitely a parenting book I would recommend!

Content: Clean
Source: I would like to thank Cedar Fort, the publisher, for my complimentary copy, which did not affect my review in any way.
520885
I thought this was a wonderful book, I enjoyed it very much. What set it apart for me is that it's a book about BEING a parent, not how to parent. It doesn't tell you how to raise your kids. It's about how parents feel and  how we can feel better. It was one of the few parenting books I've read  that is more likely to relieve guilt than create it.
This book has no  preachy advice; the author is truly respectful of individual differences  and, having raised 10 kids herself, she's nothing if not realistic. She  talks a lot about "attitude and atmosphere" and how the way we  feel as parents affects those things. Along that central theme the book is  filled with encouragement and food for thought. She really tries to uplift  parents, encourage them to enjoy the ride and offers frequent reminders of  the rewards of the job.
The text is broken up by anecdotes from the  author, her children and others, and quotes borrowed from everything from  the Farmer's Almanac to Confucius. I pick the book up often for a shot in  the arm of inspiration. The anecdotes alone could be read "Chicken  Soup" style.
Best of all, perhaps, the book is an easy read. It is  written in a light tone.  It's short, direct, and formatted for brief  reading sessions (which is all most parents really get!).
4924115
This book reminds me a lot of parents and the stuff they say. Nothing in here is groundbreaking or revolutionary, but it's the kind of valuable advice that you need to hear once in a while when times are tough. It's worth a read.