Children don't come with a manual. Here are some resources that might be helpful.
On the web:
Common Sense Media
I love this website because it provides information on SO MANY things. Common Sense reviews movies, TV shows, video and computer games, apps, websites, books, and music and provides information about whether these things are appropriate for children and at what age. They also make recommendations of all of these things, seeing the possibility of each of these as tools to enhance learning, experiences, and relationships as parents and children engaged with these activities together.
This site is updated regularly, and you can subscribe to email updates as well.
Parenting an Exceptional Child
This little story is a beautiful illustration of what it is like to parent a child with a disability...or any time you end up with a parenting experience different from what you expected or envisioned.
Common Sense Media
I love this website because it provides information on SO MANY things. Common Sense reviews movies, TV shows, video and computer games, apps, websites, books, and music and provides information about whether these things are appropriate for children and at what age. They also make recommendations of all of these things, seeing the possibility of each of these as tools to enhance learning, experiences, and relationships as parents and children engaged with these activities together.
This site is updated regularly, and you can subscribe to email updates as well.
Parenting an Exceptional Child
This little story is a beautiful illustration of what it is like to parent a child with a disability...or any time you end up with a parenting experience different from what you expected or envisioned.
On the shelf:
Parenting with Love and Logic--Foster Cline & Jim Fay
Parenting Teens with Love and Logic--Foster Cline & Jim Fay
Loving your child means, in part, giving him or her opportunities to be responsible and empowering them to make decisions on their own. Logic means allowing your child to experience the natural consequences of their decisions while showing empathy for the frustration, pain, and/or disappointment they experience. These books provide a road map for loving your child, caring for your child, and guiding him or her to become more independent and responsible--ideally without the power struggles, anger, and frustrating moments that come with being a parent. Both books are loaded with practical tips and scripts for a variety of situations that are common for children and teens including handling homework, arguments, sports, video and computer games, divorce, entitlement, friends and peer relationships, grades, curfews, money, extracurricular activities, and so much more.
Parenting with Love and Logic--Foster Cline & Jim Fay
Parenting Teens with Love and Logic--Foster Cline & Jim Fay
Loving your child means, in part, giving him or her opportunities to be responsible and empowering them to make decisions on their own. Logic means allowing your child to experience the natural consequences of their decisions while showing empathy for the frustration, pain, and/or disappointment they experience. These books provide a road map for loving your child, caring for your child, and guiding him or her to become more independent and responsible--ideally without the power struggles, anger, and frustrating moments that come with being a parent. Both books are loaded with practical tips and scripts for a variety of situations that are common for children and teens including handling homework, arguments, sports, video and computer games, divorce, entitlement, friends and peer relationships, grades, curfews, money, extracurricular activities, and so much more.
The Explosive Child: A New Approach for Understanding and Parenting Easily Frustrated, Chronically Inflexible Children--Ross Greene
Explosive children often behave the way they do because they lack some skill that is more appropriate for the situation--usually a deficit in skills related to frustration tolerance, problem solving, and/or flexibility/adaptability. Ross Greene outlines an approach for working with these types of children, but I have found that what he offers works NOT JUST FOR EXPLOSIVE CHILDREN. If you're looking for a different way to communicate with your child/teen in order to solve problems or work through tough situations together--and help your child/teen learn problem solving skills and how to communicate and work with others more effectively--you should check out this book.
Explosive children often behave the way they do because they lack some skill that is more appropriate for the situation--usually a deficit in skills related to frustration tolerance, problem solving, and/or flexibility/adaptability. Ross Greene outlines an approach for working with these types of children, but I have found that what he offers works NOT JUST FOR EXPLOSIVE CHILDREN. If you're looking for a different way to communicate with your child/teen in order to solve problems or work through tough situations together--and help your child/teen learn problem solving skills and how to communicate and work with others more effectively--you should check out this book.
Try and Make Me!: Simple Strategies that Turn Off the Tantrums and Create Cooperation--Levy, O'Hanlon, & Goode
Sometimes, as parents, we inadvertently reinforce or encourage negative behaviors in our children. Sometimes, our children have picked up behaviors from other places. Sometimes, our children come wired with a more reactive temperament, which can lead to some difficult behaviors. This book is low on jargon and high on clarity. It helps identify places where parents may fall into encouraging less than desirable behaviors as well as outlining solutions, including consequence-based strategies that help to make children responsible--within reason--for their actions. Filled with anecdotes to remind us all that we are not alone, this book also includes practical tips and scripts for responding well to your child(ren).
Sometimes, as parents, we inadvertently reinforce or encourage negative behaviors in our children. Sometimes, our children have picked up behaviors from other places. Sometimes, our children come wired with a more reactive temperament, which can lead to some difficult behaviors. This book is low on jargon and high on clarity. It helps identify places where parents may fall into encouraging less than desirable behaviors as well as outlining solutions, including consequence-based strategies that help to make children responsible--within reason--for their actions. Filled with anecdotes to remind us all that we are not alone, this book also includes practical tips and scripts for responding well to your child(ren).
The Everything Parent's Guide to Children with Executive Functioning Disorder--Rebecca Branstetter
Do you ever get frustrated with your child's lack of organization or focus or seeming inability to finish anything they start? Do you have a child who is rigid and inflexible, digging in their heels when plans change for reasons beyond anyone's control? Do you have a child who has a hard time managing his or her emotions? Do you ever have to repeat the same set of directions 17 times before your child remembers half of them well enough to at least start the job? You may have a child with what is known as executive dysfunction--or weaknesses in executive functioning. This book not only defines executive functioning and the brain structures involved (your child truly cannot help it...they need some adjustments with their wiring), but also describes each of the executive functions and how you as a parent can help improve those functions. This book is easy to read and provides practical suggestions for helping your child overcome these challenges.
Do you ever get frustrated with your child's lack of organization or focus or seeming inability to finish anything they start? Do you have a child who is rigid and inflexible, digging in their heels when plans change for reasons beyond anyone's control? Do you have a child who has a hard time managing his or her emotions? Do you ever have to repeat the same set of directions 17 times before your child remembers half of them well enough to at least start the job? You may have a child with what is known as executive dysfunction--or weaknesses in executive functioning. This book not only defines executive functioning and the brain structures involved (your child truly cannot help it...they need some adjustments with their wiring), but also describes each of the executive functions and how you as a parent can help improve those functions. This book is easy to read and provides practical suggestions for helping your child overcome these challenges.