Parenting Ahead

Parenting Ahead helps parents with younger children build a foundation for their family based on biblical principles for the teen years to come.

A progressive Christian parenting book with a social-justice orientation How do we build a better world? One key way, says Cindy Wang Brandt, is by learning to raise our children with justice, mercy, and kindness. In Parenting Forward Brandt equips Christian parents to model a way of following Jesus that has an outward focus, putting priority on loving others, avoiding judgment, and helping those in need. She shows how parents must work on dismantling their own racial, cultural, gender, economic, and religious biases in order to avoid passing them on to their children. “By becoming aware of the complex ways we participate in systems of inequal­ity or hierarchy,” she says, “we begin to resist systemic injustice ourselves, empower our children, and change our communities.”

Everyone has a story, but not everyone has their story straight. This 52-week devotional helps teens and young adults escape the confusion of the selfie culture, embrace the gospel story where God is the hero, and live each day in the security of his love.

Sometimes in our childhood, we fantasize about our future parenting skills and how we will be the ultimate mom or dad. These grand visions rarely survive the first few months of our own journey as parents-once that specter of self-will first manifests in our new bundle of joy. We quickly learn that while parenting is infinitely rewarding and a wonderful blessing, it is also a difficult, sometimes confusing, often thankless responsibility. We find ourselves wishing for a clear, simple, and preferably, illustrated instruction manual. In Purposeful and Persistent Parenting, John and Cindy Raquet seek to share, through encouraging examples of their journey toward God-honoring parenthood, the lessons they learned in raising their eight children. With personal stories of triumph and failure, goal-setting (and resetting), many practical tips, and a little blue tape, they hope that this work will be a valuable companion on your own adventure in parenting and instrumental in helping you to truly enjoy the work of raising your children.

Dr. Bowers examines the challenges a child with ADHD presents and offers parents workable, effective ways of handling the behavior problems. He reminds parents that, despite the diagnosis, children need to be held responsible for their actions and he suggests how to use positive discipline strategies to help them learn better behavior.

As John Samuel writes, Parenting for Tomorrow attempts to inform parents of practical ways to raise their children to be disciplined, respectful, and intelligent individuals. Stemming from Samuels extensive knowledge and experience, Parenting for Tomorrow emphasizes the importance of a strong parent/child relationship while also examining the unique and important roles played by fathers and grandparents in the upbringing of children and pinpointing many helpful achievement goals in the areas of education and tackling peer pressure. An informative and insightful guidebook, Parenting for Tomorrow will be an invaluable tool for all parents who strive to be part of their childrens world, to provide for their well-being, and respond positively to their many needs.

When you’re a new parent, the miracle of life might not always feel so miraculous. Maybe your latest 2:00 a.m., 2:45 a.m., and 3:30 a.m. wake-up calls have left you wondering how “sleep like a baby” ever became a figure of speech—and what the options are for restoring your sanity. Or your child just left bite marks on someone, and you’re wondering how to handle it. First-time mom Tracy Cutchlow knows what you’re going through. In Zero to Five: 70 Essential Parenting Tips Based on Science (and What I’ve Learned So Far), she takes dozens of parenting tips based on scientific research and distills them into something you can easily digest during one of your two-minute-long breaks in the day. The pages are beautifully illustrated by award-winning photojournalist Betty Udesen. Combining the warmth of a best friend with a straightforward style, Tracy addresses questions such as: Should I talk to my pregnant belly / newborn? Is that going to feel weird? (Yes, and absolutely.) How do I help baby sleep well? (Start with the 45-minute rule.) How can I instill a love of learning in my child? (By using specific types of praise and criticism.) What will boost my child’s success in school? (Play that requires self-control, like make-believe.) My baby loves videos and cell-phone games. That’s cool, right? (If you play, too.) What tamps down temper tantrums? (Naming emotions out loud.) My sweet baby just hit a playmate / lied to me about un-potting the plant / talked back. Now what? (Choose one of three logical consequences.) How do I get through an entire day of this? (With help. Lots of help.) Who knew babies were so funny? (They are!) Whether you read the book front to back or skip around, Zero to Five will help you make the best of the tantrums (yours and baby’s), moments of pure joy, and other surprises along the totally-worth-it journey of parenting.

FINALIST FOR THE BOOKS FOR A BETTER LIFE AWARD • NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER "Parents . . . you will be wowed and awed by [Dr. Shefali]." —Oprah Winfrey As seen on Oprah’s SuperSoul Sunday, a radically transformative plan that shows parents how to raise children to be their best, truest selves, from the New York Times bestselling author of The Conscious Parent. What if...? What if I told you that you can put an end to all of your parenting struggles? That you can learn to parent without fear or anxiety? That you can end conflict with your children? That you can create close and connected relationships within your family? …Would you accept this invitation to a revolution in parenting? We all have the capacity to raise children who are highly resilient and emotionally connected. However, many of us are unable to because we are blinded by modern misconceptions of parenting and our own inner limitations. In The Awakened Family, I show you how you can cultivate a relationship with your children so they can thrive; moreover, you can be transformed to a state of greater calm, compassion and wisdom as well. This book will take you on a journey to transcending your fears and illusions around parenting and help you become the parent you always wanted to be: fully present and conscious. It will arm you with practical, hands-on strategies and real-life examples from my experience as a parent and clinical psychologist that show the extraordinary power of being a conscious parent. Everyone in your family is ready to be awakened. Will you take this journey with me? —Shefali