Raising Kids Who Can

In a world that’s changing at warp speed, our kids will need to navigate a path to success without a roadmap – something entrepreneurs do every day. What if we looked to the world of entrepreneurship, in addition to child development experts, for insights on helping kids gain the skills they’ll need in order to prosper personally and professionally? Raising Can-Do Kids is the first book to make a link between the essential qualities that make great entrepreneurs tick and what we know about how children learn and grow, offering parents proven ways to raise kids who embrace the uncertain, challenging adventure that is growing up in today’s (and tomorrow’s) changing world. Each chapter is devoted to a quality – including curiosity, inventiveness, optimism, opportunity-seeking, compassion, and service -- and reveals how parents can nurture these qualities. Filled with engaging examples and actionable insights, Raising Can-Do Kids introduces a timely new paradigm for parents—one that will help “future-proof” our children and set them up for success on their own terms.

Jill Winger, creator of the award-winning blog The Prairie Homestead, introduces her debut The Prairie Homestead Cookbook, including 100+ delicious, wholesome recipes made with fresh ingredients to bring the flavors and spirit of homestead cooking to any kitchen table. With a foreword by bestselling author Joel Salatin The Pioneer Woman Cooks meets 100 Days of Real Food, on the Wyoming prairie. While Jill produces much of her own food on her Wyoming ranch, you don’t have to grow all—or even any—of your own food to cook and eat like a homesteader. Jill teaches people how to make delicious traditional American comfort food recipes with whole ingredients and shows that you don’t have to use obscure items to enjoy this lifestyle. And as a busy mother of three, Jill knows how to make recipes easy and delicious for all ages. "Jill takes you on an insightful and delicious journey of becoming a homesteader. This book is packed with so much easy to follow, practical, hands-on information about steps you can take towards integrating homesteading into your life. It is packed full of exciting and mouth-watering recipes and heartwarming stories of her unique adventure into homesteading. These recipes are ones I know I will be using regularly in my kitchen." - Eve Kilcher These 109 recipes include her family’s favorites, with maple-glazed pork chops, butternut Alfredo pasta, and browned butter skillet corn. Jill also shares 17 bonus recipes for homemade sauces, salt rubs, sour cream, and the like—staples that many people are surprised to learn you can make yourself. Beyond these recipes, The Prairie Homestead Cookbook shares the tools and tips Jill has learned from life on the homestead, like how to churn your own butter, feed a family on a budget, and experience all the fulfilling satisfaction of a DIY lifestyle.

How parents and educators can teach kids to love reading in the digital age Everyone agrees that reading is important, but kids today tend to lose interest in reading before adolescence. In Raising Kids Who Read, bestselling author and psychology professor Daniel T. Willingham explains this phenomenon and provides practical solutions for engendering a love of reading that lasts into adulthood. Like Willingham's much-lauded previous work, Why Don't Students Like School?, this new book combines evidence-based analysis with engaging, insightful recommendations for the future. Intellectually rich argumentation is woven seamlessly with entertaining current cultural references, examples, and steps for taking action to encourage reading. The three key elements for reading enthusiasm—decoding, comprehension, and motivation—are explained in depth in Raising Kids Who Read. Teachers and parents alike will appreciate the practical orientation toward supporting these three elements from birth through adolescence. Most books on the topic focus on early childhood, but Willingham understands that kids' needs change as they grow older, and the science-based approach in Raising Kids Who Read applies to kids of all ages. A practical perspective on teaching reading from bestselling author and K-12 education expert Daniel T. Willingham Research-based, concrete suggestions to aid teachers and parents in promoting reading as a hobby Age-specific tips for developing decoding ability, comprehension, and motivation in kids from birth through adolescence Information on helping kids with dyslexia and encouraging reading in the digital age Debunking the myths about reading education, Raising Kids Who Read will empower you to share the joy of reading with kids from preschool through high school.

“But everyone else has it.” “If you loved me, you’d get it for me!” When you hear these comments from your kids, it can be tough not to cave. You love your children—don’t you want them to be happy and to fit in? Kristen Welch knows firsthand it’s not that easy. In fact, she’s found out that when you say yes too often, it’s not only hard on your peace of mind and your wallet—it actually puts your kids at long-term risk. In Raising Grateful Kids in an Entitled World, Kristen shares the ups and downs in her own family’s journey of discovering why it’s healthiest not to give their kids everything. Teaching them the difference between “want” and “need” is the first step in the right direction. With many practical tips and anecdotes, she shares how to say the ultimate yes as a family by bringing up faith-filled kids who will love God, serve others, and grow into hardworking, fulfilled, and successful adults. It’s never too late to raise grateful kids. Get ready to cultivate a spirit of genuine appreciation and create a Jesus-centered home in which your kids don’t just say—but mean!—“thank you” for everything they have.

The "family meeting" is a key concept among parenting experts and family counselors, and this is the first book to show how regular family meetings can help nurture responsible and caring children who grow into capable, independent adolescents and adults.

A dynamic program for empowering children to protect themselves In Raising Kids Who Can Protect Themselves, Debbie and Mike Gardner share their decades of self-defense experience to show parents how to teach their children courage—the trait needed to make brave, smart, and safe choices, no matter what their age, no matter what the situation. Raising Kids Who Can Protect Themselves helps families foster courage in their children at an early age so that it becomes an inherent trait, rather than a situational need. The book features: Age-appropriate methods to instill courage in children without creating fear Courage coaching as a way to create a “family” defense system Lifesaving skills, such as quality eye contact, voice control, breathing, control of inappropriate crying, development of positive self-talk, and space awareness Ways to reduce children’s vulnerability Site-specific survival strategies, from parties to the mall to sports practice Every time I watch the nightly news, I thank God my wife and children have been trained by Debbie and Mike Gardner. Please, please, please read this book as a family. You will learn how to avoid the most dangerous situations and fight your way out of the rest. We live in a very different world today—arm your family with the power of this book. -Cris Collinsworth, Sports Commentator for Fox/HBO Sports This book is brave, bold and one of the most important books I’ve read in a long time. A must for parents everywhere. -Doug Hall, Author of Jump Start Your Business Brain

Raising kids to be socially conscious and embrace strong values can be difficult in today's world. In Raising Kids Who Will Make a Difference, mother, counselor, and family-life educator Susan Vogt sets out to inspire, equip, and comfort parents in the awesome task of raising Catholic kids who will make positive contributions to our world. Using a delightful blend of honesty and humor, Vogt offers successful parenting strategies and straightforward discussions on important issues such as sexuality, substance abuse, materialism, racism, global awareness, and death.