Taming The Spirited Child

Do you dread parent-teacher conferences? Does your child really know how to push your hot button? Has your child been labeled "defiant" or "rebellious"? Here are proven strategies that have helped millions to tame -- not break -- a spirited child. Parents are often faced with scary labels for their children, such as attention deficit disorder, learning disabilities, bipolar disorder, or hyperactivity. In this uniquely prescriptive guide, leading parenting expert Dr. Michael Popkin shows parents how to think differently about so-called problem children. The effective strategies within this guide will quiet the difficulties spirited children have at home and school while exposing the unique, special gifts they possess. Develop a relationship with your spirited child by: -- Building relationship skills -- Disciplining with encouragement -- Balancing the power dynamic -- Curbing tantrums effectively With step-by-step methods for every type of misbehavior and every child's unique personality, this comprehensive guide will help parents cultivate their child's spark, not extinguish it -- and reach beyond depressing labels for their beloved children.

“Mary Sheedy Kurcinka, Ed.D., brings her expertise in raising spirited children to help you understand and soothe your spirited baby. Her research-based, parent-tested strategies will help your baby sleep better and develop a calmer, more resilient brain and nervous system.” —Dr. Laura Markham, founder of AhaParenting.com, and author of Peaceful Parent, Happy Kids From the beloved bestselling author whose award-winning parenting books have sold over 1 million copies—an indispensable guide to the unique needs of Spirited Infants™. Does your baby bursts into tears when another baby in the same situation sleeps soundly? Do the strategies your friends swear by not work with your baby? Do the upsets and shrieking come out of seemingly nowhere and take forever to subside? Moms and dads who answer “yes,” are the parents of a spirited infant. Spirited infants are the outliers—the exceptions to the “rules.” They are genetically wired to be alert and intense. Raising them takes special skills and patient perseverance. In this groundbreaking new book, beloved parenting expert Mary Sheedy Kurcinka, Ed.D., offers her findings in the fields of neuroscience, sleep, temperament, self-regulation, attachment, and parent-child interactions, and shares what she has learned from hands-on experiences with families to bring this much-needed perspective to the parenting of babies under eighteen months of age, including: A plan for success with the 5-step Spirited Baby™ Methodology How to master the “NUDGE” approach to help your baby thrive Parental Permissions – practical advice for parents to help them make sure their needs are met Resources to ensure the whole family unit finds balance and happiness Raising Your Spirited Baby is a shame-free, guilt-free how-to handbook that will be embraced by parents—and everyone who supports them—as a simple, trusted companion.

Bestselling author, psychotherapist, and leading parenting expert on tackling any child's worst behavior Following her phenomenally successful, Honey, I Wrecked the Kids, parenting guru Alyson Schaefer addresses every parent's secret fear: their child is the one no parenting book can possibly help. In her newest book, she conquers, one by one, all those behavioral bugaboos that can make a child seem, at times, impossible-and a parent's life hell. With explicit, life-saving tips on the perfect thing to say or do when things get out of control, Ain't Misbehavin' offers parents a sensible, democratic solution to meeting even the toughest discipline challenges. Includes first-person accounts of literally hundreds of parenting conundrums-with practical insights on what exactly to do Full of detailed "how to do it" advice for a multitude of situations parents inevitably face While acknowledging the daily reality that parents face, Schaefer's humor and experience make this book a must for parents who want to preserve the peace and also the joy of raising a child.

In just thirty days, you can get children to behave the way you want them to. Whether their misbehavior is as minor as letting the dishes pile up and the trash overflow or as traumatic as a drug habit and stealing, Back in Control will enable you to set and enforce rules that your kids will obey. Back in Control is based on a highly successful program that has helped thousands of parents regain control over their children. Without compromising your values away or kicking the kids out of the house, it offers you the simplest, most effective method of childhood discipline to date. It presents a three-step formula that is perfect for virtually any adult wanting to control children's misbehavior. Instead of getting caught up in children's arguments and manipulations, Back in Control shows parents how to reestablish their rightful place as bosses of the family. Teachers are able to devote more time to teaching than to disciplining students. Probation officers and social workers working with parents, in addition to managing their caseloads more effectively, are able to permanently stop children from abusing drugs or alcohol, stealing, running away from home, and being truant. Children themselves learn that there are some rules they must obey, whether they want to or not, and they will grow up believing that they can succeed in doing what is required of them. Power belongs to those who use it. And if you don't, your children will. If your children's problem behavior is out of hand, it's time you got Back in Control.

A vibrant picture book featuring an irrepressible new character—perfect for fans of The Dot and Beautiful Oops!—from acclaimed illustrator Julia Denos. In a place where color ran wild, there lived a girl who was wilder still. Her name was Swatch, and color was her passion. From brave green to in-between gray to rumble-tumble pink . . . Swatch wanted to collect them all. But colors don’t always like to be tamed. . . . This is an exuberant celebration of all the beauty and color that make up our lives.

The spirited child—often called "difficult" or "strong-willed"—can easily overwhelm parents, leaving them feeling frustrated and inadequate.Spirited kids are, in fact, simply "more"—by temperament, they are more intense, sensitive, perceptive, persistent, and uncomfortable with change than the average child.Through vivid examples and a refreshingly positive viewpoint, Mary Sheedy Kurcinka offers parents emotional support and proven strategies for handling their spirited child. Raising Your Spirited Child will help you: Understand your child's—and your own—temperamental traits Plan for success with a simple four-step program Discover the power of positive—rather than negative—labels Cope with tantrums and blowups when they do occur Develop strategies for handling mealtimes, bedtimes, holidays, school and many other situations Filled with personal insight and authorative advice, Raising Your Spirited Child can help make parenting the joy it should be, rather than the trial it can be.

Informative, inspiring, and enlightening, Becoming the Parent You Want to Be provides parents with the building blocks they need to discover their own parenting philosophy and develop effective parenting strategies. Through in-depth information, practical suggestions, and many lively first-person stories, the authors address the many dilemmas and joys that the parent of young children encounter and demonstrate a range of solutions to the major issues that arise in the raising of babies, toddlers and preschoolers. Full of warmth, clarity, humor, and respect, Becoming the Parent You Want to Be gives parents permission to be human: to question, to learn, to make mistakes, to struggle and to grow, and, most of all, to have fun with their children.

They share a passion to heal what is broken, but it's their own hearts that need to be made whole. Brody McQuaid is a broken man, and he knows it. While his body survived the war, his soul did not. Besides loving his little niece, his only sense of purpose comes from saving the wild horses that roam South Park. Ranchers in the area have taken to killing the horses, which are competing with their cattle to feed on the open grass. Savannah Marshall is a veterinarian on her family's Colorado ranch. She longs to keep her father happy following the tragic death of her older brother, including marrying a man of his choosing. But days before her wedding, she gets cold feet and disappears to South Park. As she learns more about the destruction of the horses, she joins Brody in an attempt to save the wild creatures. But when Savannah's family and the resentments of the area cattlemen catch up with them both, Brody and Savannah will have to tame their fears if they've any hope to let love run free.