So helpful. Recommended for parents puzzling over conflicting recommendations
346026
Brilliant. So helpful. I loved that she seems to be puzzled by the same conflicts and confusing messages I've been struggling with. This book is full of citations, and provides helpful explanations about how much causality to read into a particular research methodology. I felt confident her advice was both weighted in a full complement of relevant studies, and not overly burdened with an agenda. If the case for something is mixed, she gives you the pros and cons and trusts the reader to make the decision. Also handy charts and lists for things like what foods maximize iron intake, etc.
634255
I think every parent in our current culture should buy this book. It helps parents navigate through the culture fog of ideas that are bombarding their teens. Many students seem to have a hard time sifting through the cultural muck that's shaping their values in terms of sex, college, technology, alcohol, and even Jesus. This will be a handy tool to aid parents in engaging with their students and provide questions for meaningful conversation.
4254645
As a therapist, I'm constantly looking for things to recommend to my clients. This is by far the best-written, most relevant book I have found for answering the kinds of questions children tend to have about parental divorce. The questions cover the pre-divorce phase when parents may be fighting and/or distant, through the post-divorce and dating someone else phase. Psychologically, the issues covered are very appropriate and well thought out. Highly recommended.
980643
Bought this book for my godson who is 8 to help him and his mother answer the many questions that arise daily about his body.  This book is so simple, yet informative and lays a great foundation for further discussion between parent and child.  Dr. Metten is clearly an expert in this field of study and I have attended parent workshops where she has covered this topic.  Sometimes as parents, we don't know what to say to our children or what is appropriate at a particular development stage.  Dr. Metten takes out all the guess work and provides a simple understanding from a medical perspective about anatomy.  She tackles the tough topics head on and provides a valuable resource and guide for parents and kids of all ages.  I wish there were books available like this when my own son was young.  I highly recommend this purchase!
2691669
I know the authors of this book (disclosure), and I have tremendous respect for their knowledge of nutrition and children's health. The book provides many answers and clear guidance for parents who have difficulty navigating the often confusing nutrition and health advice for their children. Dr. Campbell is a seasoned pediatrician who has seen children change and and medicine's treatment of children change over many decades. For example, antibiotics can save a child's life, but these drugs are now overprescribed and compromise children's health in numerous ways. (Antibiotics actually depress immune function and destroy beneficial bacteria in the gut, leading to digestive disorders and likely setting the stage for allergies and obesity.)

Why the book's focus on nutrition? Nutrients form the building blocks of our entire biochemistry. When a child (or adult, for that matter) has nutritional deficiencies or exposure to artificial chemicals, his biochemistry functions at subpar levels, affecting physical health, susceptibility to infection, moods, and cognitive development. Children are far more sensitive to these imbalances because of their faster growth rate and metabolism.

The book addresses many important issues relative to children's health, including our increasing toxic environment, the phenomenal increase in childhood obesity and type 2 diabetes (once a disease of adults), allergies, asthma, and ADHD. It recommends ways to improve eating habits and provides supplement recommendations for children. I highly recommend this book.
970590
Here we have a terrific list of activities for parents or grandparents who are looking for things to do with small children. Activities are listed according to the months and sometimes relate to seasons and holidays such as Valentine's Day and Thanksgiving. Since the list of things to do with small children is seemingly endless, this book provides a refreshing look at the important things in life rather than letting children play video games all day. It's good to remember two things: chose activities that compliment the building blocks for human development and chose activities that are interesting to the child and parent. Many of the chapters have a list of activities that could take place during other months of the year. Good parenting advice is sprinkled throughout the chapters since the author is most likely a seasoned parent.

Teachers in the field of early childhood development should find this book as a helpful resource, but parents who are looking to do something meaningful with their children will get the most out of this book. Not all parents will be able to do everything listed, but it's fun to read the suggestions and to keep the resources handy. Parents who want to know if they have overlooked any important activities will also enjoy reading this book for added assurance. Parents who want a little bit of encouragement will also like this book, even if their schedules are already filled up.
2210566
This book has become an invaluable resource for myself and my son (11), and daughter (6). It covers all the bases! I can't think of anything off the top of my head that I would add. I purchased it shortly after we separated, in Dec. 2010, and it's just as useful today, in Febr. 2014, as it was then (we're technically "divorced", but still have some things to settle).
This book is a fantastic guide for kids, helping them to understand the whys, the process, the feelings, etc...
One of the first things it says is that, "Divorce takes place between mothers and fathers. You are not to blame if your parents get divorced". And I must say, as a product of divorce myself, and as a latchkey kid, that was something that no one ever said to me, and I really did feel a lot of guilt, and that maybe it was my fault somehow. So for this book to acknowledge that, and to touch on so many other things from why parents divorce all the way to living with step parents and having step siblings and/ or half-siblings is fantastic!
For the kids & I, their picking this book and asking me to read it at bedtime is a clue that there's something they need to express, and they're not sure how to do it. I can't tell you how thankful I am that we have this open door of communication through the aid of a simple, soft bound children's storybook. The illustrations are fun and lively, making us laugh sometimes even when we're crying (a welcome comic relief). It's well-written (easy for them to comprehend) and appeals to both of my children, even though they're 4.5 years apart in age! I'm so relieved that they are comfortable enough to come to me when they need to, and that this book makes it less stressful for them to do so.
3273758
Dr. Kastner's advice is like a balm for the stressed parent's mind. With a calm and fact-based approach, she walks parents through common scenarios and challenges and gives us strategies to troubleshoot problems, all while focusing on building trust and communication with our kids. My husband and I especially loved the sections on sleep; we've had many "adventures" around sleep, including anxiety and kids who adore the family bed. While we, too, like to be close to our kids, we also work demanding jobs and parent best when we are well-rested. Our kids, ultimately, are happier when they are well-rested, too. Dr. Kastner's advice about encouraging good sleep habits with positive reinforcement and with charts really helped us move our family to where it needed to be a nighttime. We also loved the mindfulness mantra and the reminders and strategies to help stay calm and relaxed even when our kids are really frustrating us. The book is filled with techniques and ideas that you can apply immediately and covers a range of behaviors and temperaments (great because we have one shy, clingy child and one feisty, stubborn child!). All around a great parenting guide rich with information, backed up by cited research, that informs but doesn't talk down to parents. I would highly recommend this book for anyone with kids ages 2-9!
1532099
Dr. Robert Mendelsohn, nationally recognized pediatrician and author guides parents on how to how to choose the best pediatrician for their children and offers numerous effective remedies that parents can use at home. I have recommended parents to buy and refer to this book for decades. I recommend How to Raise a Healthy Child in Spite of Your Doctor in Chapter 6: Energizing Your Immune Systems suggested reading section of my book,&nbsp;<a data-hook="product-link-linked" class="a-link-normal" href="/Your-Body-Can-Talk-How-to-Use-Simple-Muscle-Testing-for-Health-and-Well-Being/dp/1935826360/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?ie=UTF8">Your Body Can Talk: How to Use Simple Muscle Testing for Health and Well Being</a>.
995936
I found this book to be really helpful in many ways--it offers lots of information and guidance and does so in a way that consistently demonstrates that the authors "get" the experience of infertility. Other reviews indicate that readers found the first edition to be biased against older moms but I found no evidence of this in the second edition. In fact, very much the opposite. My wife and I are both 43 and we feel like we're in a race against time.  I felt that the authors understood and addressed our dilemma. The book is especially helpful in offering guidance about choosing a donor, which I find to be one of the most confusing and stressful aspects of egg donation.  Perhaps more than anything, I came away from the book feeling that this really CAN be a good option for our family.  While the authors seem to be talking primarily to women, I felt very much included in the readership and hope that other men (as well as women) will get a lot out of reading it.
3263487
I got this book when a neighbor and fellow mom recommended it. Glad she did! I already knew about basic child development, and even a solid amount (for a non-scientist) about emotions and the brain. But the authors have put these together in a way that I found very helpful. While they present specific strategies (good), the better aspect is that through these strategies, they're helping you shift they way you understand and respond to the bigger, broader challenges of parenting (great!). I've been recommending it to other parents (including my husband, who also really liked it).
841107
This book was recommended to me by a friend after I expressed my frustration with my young teen. I am so glad that she did. I found this book tremendously helpful for several reasons:

1. The behaviour of my kids is completely normal, albeit frustrating. This was an enormous relief. Wolf spent a lot of time explaining the normal development of both boys and girls and it was like a light went on for me. It helped make me more understanding and less annoyed and helped me choose how to react.
2. Our laments that we would never have acted this way with our parents are in fact well-founded. Today's teens are different because as a society we have correctly agreed not to wallop our kids and have thus removed the element of fear and a powerful controlling element from the parenting equation. Now that we understand that kids are acting true to their nature and we can't take them to the wood shed for it, how do we respond?
3. Wolf outlines at length how to respond to a variety of situations with your teen. Hold firm. Set expectations. Make it all clear.

This book has given me renewed confidence as we enter a new era of parenting. The toddler stage seems like a cakewalk! But with Wolf's advice and insight I am hoping that there will still be room for some cake as we navigate the teen years. Very helpful read.
2506623
This is an easy-to-read guide for moms on how to establish healthy food habits for their kids, including intelligent shopping, quick but tasty preparation, and involving kids in some "lite" cooking. Very user-friendly, while at the same time showing how to read labels at the supermarket in order to avoid harmful additives, dyes, and other weird stuff.  An example of a hint by the author:  "If a food is advertised on TV, it is probably bad for you."
134299
This is a fabulously helpful book.  Having older kids who are (mostly) out of the house, I didn't think that stepfamily issues would be a concern, but that turns out to be naive.  Patricia's book is extraordinarily helpful in identifying important dynamics and how best to address the needs of all members of the new family.
3456015
This book was an answer to prayers. I have been struggling to find my balance with my independent five-year-old and very active two-year-old. I worry about becoming a parent like my mother (inpatient, overbearing and always seemed emotionally unattached as a kid), to my daughter (who is essentially the reincarnation of me). I find myself losing my cool, and her struggling with the recent change in routine (she started kindergarten this year). This book was easy to read and digest, and full of tips to try particularly with the mother-daughter relationship (although I could easily apply it to my son too). I found myself to be too controlling in many of the choices my daughter makes, and when I relaxed and realized that trust is built in allowing her to make choices, our relationship has improved and we are communicating better. Realizing that I'm not perfect, can apologize and communicate openly with my daughter has been eye opening and I find myself more patient and forgiving. I've also been able to ask her questions about how she feels, and how she wants to feel love from me and her dad. Acknowledging her emotions and feelings has helped her feel validated and help me come to feel like I'm parenting differently from my own parents. I am also taking better care of myself, and feeling like I love my children more -- if that's even possible :) This book can help any new parent or stressed out parent!
2913709
I loved that this book gave you pretty much word-by-word answers to the early questions your child asks you about reproduction. My three year old daughter asked me recently where a friend's baby came from. I answered absently, "Oh, you know, she just showed up one day, out of nowhere." At that point I knew I needed a book. :) This one gives you information about what your child is REALLY asking at different stages of his/her development. I am a liberal parent who feels things like sexual orientation and gender identity are totally irrelevant to how much I love, accept, and approve of my kid, and this book is right there. Social conservatives might have a problem with many of its ideas, although I would suggest they read it, for obvious reasons.
838187
The Organic Nanny is an excellent resource for parents. Many of us are juggling so many things in our lives, and though we may know , in theory, all the right things to do to raise healthy balanced kids, it is far more difficult to actually establish consistent routines and habits into our daily lives. I like the slow unobtrusive approach to changing diet  and lifestyle habits that Barbara recommends. The recipes at the end of the book are quite practical. I picked up a few really good ideas there for lunchbox and quick, healthy snacks. As a teacher, artist and divorced mother of two teenage girls, I have little time to conjure up healthy snacks and meals that everyone will eat. I love the sneaky way Barbara infuses a simple tomato sauce with veggies and the peanut butter tortilla wrap slices. I also love the voice of  "Tata". This book is a great gift for any parent or caregiver. Just open it up, flip through the pages, and you'll find a useful tidbit of information that might help you through your day.