My Sister Is An Only Child

"As the events shaping our lives give rise to character, so too do they shape and influence what become our passions and interests. In "My Sister is an Only Child" the author chronicles snapshots of his life and heritage that have informed his passion for engaging in and developing small group ministry within the broader context of the evangelical Christian experience. Always revealing, often humorous, the twelve chapters, a number that is not random but symbolic, each illustrate from true life narratives a dozen guiding principles for the small group leader. Mr. Patterson draws from a wide variety of personal sources and familial background to develop a delightful series of autobiographical reveals, each set in its historical context. Each chapter stands alone and is supplemented by a complimentary appendix providing a biblical perspective, complete with scripture references, of the guiding principle illustrated in the sketch. It is the authors intent and hope that small group leaders, coordinators and participants alike will benefit from this modest, happy tome. While not a DYI end all treatise on the subject, anyone desiring to enhance the small group experience will find fresh perspectives from this fairly easy read. Alliteration abounds and the reader may be well advised to keep a dictionary close by as the vocabulary should provide some aid to the avid scrabble enthusiast." Because kids of all ages matter to God,

AN ONLY CHILD AND HER SISTER is a compelling true life story. Two sisters born to the same parents but treated so differently; one ended up pregnant and married at thirteen. The other didn't fare so well.Casey and her little sister, Christine, started off with what looked like a good beginning. But looks can be deceiving. Their mother, Eve Whitney, a stunning Hollywood beauty, didn't much care for children. Unfortunately, she had two. Their father, Eddie Maxwell, was a successful songwriter and gag man; he was a brilliant, handsome, hugely charismatic man, but he had a secret drug habit that sent him careening between warm and loving parent one day, to hair-trigger monster the next. If Casey got only sporadic moments of love and caring, Chris got nothing. Neither Eddie nor Eve ever had a kind thought for their youngest child. And so the sisters were forced to find their own paths through this horrific excuse of a childhood, each making choices that pulled them farther and farther apart when the one thing they needed was each other.Told without an ounce of self-pity or bitterness, this story is unique as well as universal. The scenes of pain and incredible neglect live side by side with amazing moments of humor, courage, and triumph.

Guides parents--and future parents--through the long list of factors working for and against them while highlighting the many positive aspects of raising and being a singleton. Original.

Two sisters born to the same parents but treated so differently; one ended up pregnant and married at thirteen. The other didn't fare so well. Casey and her little sister, Christine, started off with what looked like a good beginning. But looks can be deceiving. Their mother, Eve Whitney, a stunning Hollywood beauty, didn't much care for children. Unfortunately, she had two. Their father, Eddie Maxwell, was a successful songwriter and gag man; he was a brilliant, handsome, hugely charismatic man, but he had a secret drug habit that sent him careening between warm and loving parent one day, to hair-trigger monster the next. If Casey got only sporadic moments of love and caring, Chris got nothing. Neither Eddie nor Eve ever had a kind thought for their youngest child. And so the sisters were forced to fi nd their own paths through this horrifi c excuse of a childhood. Told without an ounce of self-pity or bitterness, this tale of a truly bizarre Hollywood life is both unique as well as universal. The scenes of pain and incredible neglect live side by side with amazing moments of humor, courage, and triumph. Told without an ounce of self-pity or bitterness, this tale of a truly bizarre Hollywood life is both unique as well as universal. The scenes of pain and incredible neglect live side by side with amazing moments of humor, courage, and triumph. Visit Casey's website at: caseymaxwellclair.com Cover photo of the author by MICHAEL HELMS Cover design by SUSAN ROSKENS

Mayhem ensues in their sleepy California beach town when three best friends, motivated by unlimited snacks, no parents, and earning money for an epic seventh-grade party, find an old copy of "The Babysitters Club" and decide to start their own babysitting business.

By a child-care authority and mother of an only child, this useful, knowledgeable book provides sound advice on creating an enriching environment that's stimulating and enjoyable for only children and their parents alike.

What is it really like to be an only child? In this insightful and entertaining collection, writers including Judith Thurman, Kathryn Harrison, John Hodgman, and Peter Ho Davies reflect on a lifetime of being an only. They describe what it’s like to be an only child of divorce, an only because of the death of a sibling, an only who reveled in it, or an only who didn’t. As adults searching for partners, they are faced with the unique challenge of trying to turn their family units of three into units of four, and as they watch their parents age, they come face-to-face with the onus of being their families’ sole historians. Whether you’re an only child, the partner or spouse of an only, a parent pondering whether to stop at one, or a curious sibling, Only Child offers a look behind the scenes and into the hearts of twenty-one smart and sensitive writers as they reveal the truth about growing up–and being a grown-up–solo.

From the groundbreaking, bestselling author of The End of Nature, a controversial and provocative book arguing that to help the planet we should begin to voluntarily limit our numbers. Bill McKibben's books and essays on our environment -- physical and spiritual -- have shaped and spurred debate since The End of Nature was published in 1989. Then, he sounded one of the earliest alarms about global warming; the decade of science since has proved his prescience. Now, in Maybe One, he takes on the most controversial of environmental problems -- population. We live in a unique and dangerous time, he asserts, when the planet's limits are being tested and voluntary reductions in American childbearing could make a crucial difference. The father of a single child himself, McKibben maintains that bringing one, and no more than one, child into this world will hurt neither your family nor our nation -- indeed, it can be an optimistic step toward the future. Maybe One is not just an environmental argument but a highly personal and philosophical one. McKibben cites new and extensive research about the developmental strengths of only children; he finds that single kids are not spoiled, weird, selfish, or asocial, but pretty much the same as everyone else. McKibben recognizes that the transition to a stable population size won't be easy or pain-free but ultimately is inevitable. Maybe One provides the basis for provocative, powerful thought and discussion that will influence our thinking for decades to come.