Kids Development

Over the past decade, children’s mental health challenges have reached epidemic levels—stress, anxiety, childhood depression, and suicide are at unprecedented high rates. Amid high-stakes pressure for kids to succeed, parents and teachers have never needed a road map to healthy child development more urgently. And as psychologist and educator Doug Bolton explains in this eye-opening guide, underlying our modern-day stresses is an even more pervasive problem: We’re relying on practices that are not in line with what science tells us about how to truly motivate children and help them thrive.

Most parents understand that free, unstructured playtime is great for children’s development. What they may not know is that playful interaction with parents is also a powerful way for kids to cultivate healthy emotional development and resilience. Kids often want their parents to play with them, but many parents don’t know how to play or see it only as an (often boring) way to kill time. Playing with your kids doesn’t have to mean enrolling in countless parent-and-me classes or getting on all fours and making toy car sounds; the little daily moments together can make the most impact.

Make Your Kid a Money Genius (Even If You're Not) is a jargon-free step-by-step guide to help parents of all income levels teach their kids - from ages 3 to 23 - about money. It turns out the key to raising a money genius isn't to teach that four quarters equal a dollar or how to pick a stock. Instead it's about instilling values that have been proven to make people successful - not just financially but in life: delaying gratification, working hard, living within your means, getting a good education, and acting generously toward others.

The techniques of mindful awareness have helped millions of adults reduce stress in their lives. Now, children - who are under more pressure than ever before - can learn to protect themselves with these well-established methods adapted for their ages. Based on a program affiliated with UCLA, The Mindful Child is a groundbreaking book, the first to show parents how to teach these transformative practices to their children.

Teen rebellion is seen as a cultural norm, but Rebecca Gregoire Lindenbach begs to differ. In Why I Didn't Rebel - based on a viral blog post that has been read by more than 750,000 people - Lindenbach shows how rebellion is neither unavoidable nor completely understood. Based on interviews with her peers and combining the latest research in psychology and social science with stories from her own life, she gives parents a new paradigm for raising kids who don't go off the rails.

Bringing Up Bébé meets Last Child in the Woods in this lively, insightful memoir about a mother who sets out to discover if the nature-centric parenting philosophy of her native Scandinavia holds the key to healthier, happier lives for her American children.

From internationally renowned family consultant Kim John Payne comes an eloquent guide that seeks to help parents reclaim for their children the space and freedom that all kids need for their individuality to flourish.

Middle school is its own important, distinct territory, and yet it's either written off as an uncomfortable rite of passage or lumped in with other developmental phases. Based on her many years working in schools, professional counselor Phyllis Fagell sees these years instead as a critical stage that parents can't afford to ignore (and though "middle school" includes different grades in various regions, Fagell maintains that the ages make more of a difference than the setting).

How do children thrive? As a parent, you probably think about this all the time. You want your children to have happy, healthy, and meaningful lives - but what's the best way to support them? In How Children Thrive, developmental pediatrician and parent Dr. Mark Bertin provides a positive, simple, and empowering approach for raising children of all ages. Bringing together mindfulness, new science on brain development, and the messy reality of being a parent, Dr. Bertin has a created a breakthrough guide that will help children - and their parents - flourish.

Anger Management For Parents: It’s Not The Kids, It’s You! delves deep into the root causes of anger, offering real, life-lasting solutions to transform your family life. Drawing from real-life family scenarios, this book, or blueprint, if you may, provides practical solutions to common parenting challenges.

Mom and dad, your kids are created in God's image, not your own. Jill Savage and Kathy Koch will guide you in truly appreciating your kids. They will teach you how to study and become an expert on your children, because you cannot fully embrace them until you truly know them.

Gary John Bishop has helped millions of people break free of self-sabotaging behaviors. Yet we all seem to feel like we’re failing at this thing called parenting. Common wisdom isn’t working—our kids are struggling. Gary argues we don’t need more tips, tricks, and techniques, we need an overhaul of who we are. We’re never going to measure up to the “perfect parent” model we’ve built up in our heads—a Frankenstein version of mom and dad cobbled together from our childhoods, our parents, cultural ideals, social media, and everything in between.

Transform your parenting with "Parenting Kids with ADHD": A guide to mindful, effective strategies for raising a child with ADHD. Discover how to maintain your identity while enriching your child's life with essential skills.

The wise and insightful "If the Buddha" books have won Charlotte Kasl thousands of devoted fans. In her latest work, she turns her attention to parenthood, a stage of life that leaves most of us searching for answers. If the Buddha Had Kids applies Kasl's signature blend of spiritual guidelines, exercises, and practical advice to help parents raise peacemakers in our increasingly turbulent times, emphasizing that finding peace within a family is the first step toward creating a peaceful world.

Many of us didn’t have a perfect childhood. But it’s never too late (or too early!) to transform into the parent you were always meant to be—grounded, present, intentional, compassionate, and confident. In Parent Yourself First, licensed marriage and family therapist Bryana Kappadakunnel argues that the secret to successful parenting is to UN-learn the wounded patterns you grew up with and create new ways to connect with your child.

Raising kids in America is difficult—no federally supported parental leave, a lack of mental health support, a crushing combination of workplace pressure and aspirational parental perfection, and the fresh hell that is the playgroup Facebook page. But what if there was another way? Parenting—and specifically motherhood—looks wildly different across nations. Please Yell at My Kids is an around the world journey and a practical guide to rethinking parenting. What can we learn from Brazilian birth parties, Singaporean grandparents, and Danish babies sleeping soundly outside of coffee shops?

In Co-Parenting with a Toxic Ex, a nationally recognized parenting expert offers you a positive parenting approach to dealing with a hostile ex-spouse. You'll learn to avoid the most common mistakes of co-parenting, how to avoid "parental alienation syndrome", and effective techniques for talking to your children in a way that fosters an open and honest response. In addition, you'll learn how to protect your children from painful loyalty conflicts between you and your ex-spouse.

If you're wondering how your bright, motivated little kid became such an unmotivated adolescent, you're not alone. Fortunately, help is at hand! Read by the author, this compassionate guide explains that kids who have lost the will to do anything (other than play video games) need more than simple encouragement or the “right” school, teacher, or coach to get back on track. Psychologist and learning expert Ellen Braaten helps you understand the myriad biological, psychological, and social factors that affect motivation.

Only 7% of all baseball players have the opportunity to play at the college level. Bryan Eisenberg was fortunate to stumble upon some incredible baseball mentors that helped him guide his son Sammy along his baseball development and recruiting journey. Play Ball Kid, brings you the roadmap from the perspective of a baseball parent, college coaches, private coaches and a travel ball team owner who has helped 95% of his athletes play at the next level. Bryan is a New York Times bestselling author, optimization expert and baseball dad who always loved the game and when his son Sammy was around...

With so many “experts” touting different approaches to raising thriving children, how do you know which is the best one? Dr. Rhonda Spencer-Hwang, professor of public health at Loma Linda University and mom of three, had the same question. As a member of a community known worldwide for its health and longevity, often referred to as a Blue Zone, she decided to study the area’s many centenarians to find out what they - or their parents - did right in childhood to make them so resilient to stress, disease, and the adversities of life.