Koncocoo

Best Parenting

Go the F**k to Sleep
" Go the F*** to Sleep challenges stereotypes, opens up prototypes, and acknowledges that shared sense of failure that comes to all parents who weary of ever getting their darling(s) to sleep and briefly resuming the illusion of a life of their own." Seriously, Just Go to Sleep, a children's book inspired by Go the F*** to Sleep and appropriate for kids of all ages, is also available, as well as Seriously, You Have to Eat for finicky ones everywhere! Adam Mansbach's novels include The End of the Jews, winner of the California Book Award, and the best-selling Angry Black White Boy, a San Francisco Chronicle Best Book of 2005.
Reviews
"I was shocked to find that some reviewers, apparently completely forgot to read the title of the book before purchasing. For those parents who do have a sense of humor and who may not find profanity particularly offensive and who live in the real world. It's real, overworked, frustrated beyond belief, about to loose your mind at 3am, inner parent monologue. Samuel L. Jackson should narrate a book for every single stage of life, from being born to the grave. This book is one that will be shared from one exhausted, fed up, delusional, red eyed, sleep deprived parent to another."
"Look past the cursing - there is a lot of love in this book!"
"My son is an adult and I don't have anyone in mind when I purchased it but I laughed so hard that I decided how could I NOT buy this book?"
"Hilarious, maybe I can read this to someone who is drunk and wont go to sleep."
"I laughed out loud."
"Makes for a great laugh, speaks the truth in a light-hearted way, and will give your child a funny story to tell when they are old enough (age-appropriate, of course) to read it."
"Everyone who has had kids will remember incidents where the kids' eyes just will not go closed and stay closed."
"I purchased this book as a 21st birthday gift for my best friend."
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What to Expect When You're Expecting
Current lifestyle trends are incorporated, too: juice bars, raw diets, e-cigarettes, push presents, baby bump posting, the lowdown on omega-3 fatty acids, grass-fed and organic, health food fads, and GMOs. Heidi Murkoff is the author of the What to Expect® series of pregnancy and parenting books.
Reviews
"This book is a MUST for expecting moms - new or repeats."
"A good book for first time moms, though there are not any references in the book so it often led me to believe it was personal biases rather than scientific information."
"There's definitely a reason this book has been around so long."
"I am expecting my first child and this was recommended by my sister and so far I am really getting some good info from it."
"Bought this for a friend - even though they have beat apps now sometimes it's nice just to have an actual book to read!"
"So much info."
"Read only a few chapters and it’s more informative than i expected.i can see why this book gets so much hype."
"This book my my wife and I through conception to delivery day... if your expecting this is the book to get."
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Q&A a Day for Kids: A Three-Year Journal
Children's author Betsy Franco poses a question each day with only a few lines provided for a response, making this journal the ultimate no-fuss record keeper. Betsy Franco is the author of multiple children's books including: A Curious Collection of Cats, A Dazzling Display of Dogs, Double Play, and Zero Is The Leaves On The Tree .
Reviews
"Just compare the questions from the "adult" one: "Do you owe money to someone? The format is comfortable, it's soft to the touch and the questions are fun and inspiring."
"6 years old: Went on an expedition all by myself. 7 years old: Touched the bottom of the 8 feet deep section of the pool for the 1st time. I don't have to ask "tough" questions and get a shrug, or try to force an awkward discussion about "what did you do in school today" because it all comes out when I ask these questions and show that I'm accepting of every answer she gives. A question in this book is what raised the big red flag for me when she told me how bored she was in school, or that someone was stealing her pencils, or that a place called Cat Paradise exists, if only in her and her friends' minds."
"It's not a hardback book, like I originally thought but more of a journal like cover with a curved binding. As for the best age to start using this book, my son could talk in complete sentences by the time he was two but I feel like most of the questions would've been a bit too difficult for him."
"They're short prompts, and give him a few lines for each year."
"Some of the questions are a little advanced for his age but I think it will be fun to see how his answers change over the next 3 years as he grasps the concepts of the questions better."
"He is so excited to answer his daily questions, we now do them in the morning rather than at night."
"We've had so much fun already -- she loves answering the questions and I get to know more about her by asking questions from the book, versus me asking her on my own."
"And will be enjoyed for years to come."
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Best Baby & Toddler Parenting

What to Expect When You're Expecting
Current lifestyle trends are incorporated, too: juice bars, raw diets, e-cigarettes, push presents, baby bump posting, the lowdown on omega-3 fatty acids, grass-fed and organic, health food fads, and GMOs. Heidi Murkoff is the author of the What to Expect® series of pregnancy and parenting books.
Reviews
"This book is a MUST for expecting moms - new or repeats."
"A good book for first time moms, though there are not any references in the book so it often led me to believe it was personal biases rather than scientific information."
"There's definitely a reason this book has been around so long."
"I am expecting my first child and this was recommended by my sister and so far I am really getting some good info from it."
"Bought this for a friend - even though they have beat apps now sometimes it's nice just to have an actual book to read!"
"So much info."
"Read only a few chapters and it’s more informative than i expected.i can see why this book gets so much hype."
"This book my my wife and I through conception to delivery day... if your expecting this is the book to get."
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Best Parenting Boys

Be Prepared
An indispensable survival manual for guys entering the trenches of fatherhood, Be Prepared is loaded with one-of-a-kind insights, MacGyver-esque tips and tricks, and no-nonsense advice for mastering the first year as a dad. Yes, there's a bit too much emphasis here on broadly drawn manly stuff like changing a diaper at a ballgame, but there's also heaps of useful advice that's cleverly and efficiently presented for pops who, despite their best intentions, really aren't prepared to dig into encyclopedia-sized tomes.
Reviews
"I bought it for my hubby but I wound up reading the entire thing myself."
"I wanted something that would help him prepare for our first child, but worried that a normal baby book would bore him (he's not much one for self-help books in general)."
"My husband has very much enjoyed learning the essentials of first time daddyhood from this book."
"I've never wanted children, but I will make lifestyle sacrifices to make my wife’s lifestyle dreams come true."
"There are ideas in the book that every dad should know, especially those becoming a dad for the first time."
"I bought this for my son for the birth of his first baby, kinda sorta as a joke."
"The writing hilariously describes the first year of a baby's life with illustrations that match the absurdity and truth of new parenthood."
"I got this book for my husband who doesn't have much experience with how to handle babies."
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Best Parenting Girls

Strong Fathers, Strong Daughters: 10 Secrets Every Father Should Know
Dr. Meeker shares the ten secrets every father needs to know in order to strengthen or rebuild bonds with his daughter and shape her life–and his own–for the better. Inside you’ll discover: • the essential virtues of strong fathers–and how to develop them. • the cues daughters take from their dads on everything from self-respect to drugs, alcohol, and sex. • the truth about ground rules (girls do want them, despite their protests). • the importance of becoming a hero to your daughter. • the biggest mistake a dad can make–and the ramifications. • the fact that girls actually depend on their dads’ guidance into adulthood. • steps fathers can follow to help daughters avoid disastrous decisions and mistakes. • ways in which. a father’s faith–or lack thereof–will influence his daughter. • essential communication strategies for different stages of a girl’s life. • true stories of “prodigal daughters”–and how their fathers helped to bring them back. Directly challenging the feminist attack on traditional masculinity, Dr. Meeker demonstrates that the most important factor for girls growing up into confident, well-adjusted women is a strong father with conservative values. Strong Fathers, Strong Daughters reveals: • The essential characteristics and virtues of strong fathers—and how to develop them • How daughters take cues from their fathers on everything from drug use, drinking, smoking, and having sex, to self-esteem, moodiness, and seeking attention from boys • Why girls want you to place restrictions on them (even though they’ll complain when you do) • How to become a hero to your daughter—and why she needs that more than anything • The one mistake fathers make that is the primary cause of girls "hooking up" • Why girls depend on the guidance of fathers through, and even beyond, their college years • Recipe for disaster: the notion that girls "need to make their own decisions and.
Reviews
"Exceptional real look at what dads should step up and be for their girls."
"FATHERS NEED TO READ THIS BOOK."
"Unfortunately, I also realize that modern days hold nothing sacred anymore and this kind of talk is probably something that needs to be emphasized."
"Meg Meeker MD’s “Strong Fathers, Strong Daughters” is an A-list book for both fathers and mothers…and for daughters. She has written five other books on the raising of children – “Strong Mother, Strong Sons”, “Your Kids at Risk: How Teen Sex Threatens Our Sons and Daughters”, “Boys Should be Boys: 7 Secrets to Raising Healthy Sons”, and “The Ten Habits of Happy Mothers: Reclaiming Our Passion, Purpose, and Sanity”. In “Strong Fathers, Strong Daughters”, author Meeker outlines the importance of the father’s role in a daughter’s development and ultimate happiness; and she provides ten key “secrets” to guide fathers in navigating the path they must take for success. Secret #1 - “You (the father) are the most important man in her (your daughter’s) life” – is the overarching theme throughout the book. When she is 25, she will mentally size her boyfriend her husband up against you; when she is 35 the number of children she has will be impacted by the life she had with you.” Fathers are critical to a daughter’s self-worth and growth - physically, emotionally, intellectually, and spiritually. The father is a far more effective protector of his daughter than anyone else in life. Meeker goes into great depth on each of the 10 secrets, providing supporting data and ample real life examples of prodigal daughters that are sure to resonate. My children are now doing the same for their children (my son has two and my daughter has five). Key take-aways of this book include the essential virtues of strong fathers; how a father’s modeling contributes or denigrates a daughter’s self-esteem; the importance of boundaries and how to enforce them; the biggest mistake a dad can make; the importance of faith; and how girls depend on their dad’s guidance well into adulthood. What will your daughter’s life say about you?"
"Only 70 something pages into it and it seems like a very powerful message."
"When I first had a daughter, I said the typical, "time to buy a gun" because I thought I needed it to protect."
"I really enjoyed reading this book."
"Very helpful book."
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Best School-Age Children Parenting

The 5 Love Languages of Children: The Secret to Loving Children Effectively
You know you love your child. Discover your child’s love language Assist your child in successful learning Use the love languages to correct and discipline more effectively Build a foundation of unconditional love for your child. I wish every parent, grandparent and educator had The 5 Love Languages of Children (The Secret to Loving Children Effectively) to read. I want all the children in my life to never doubt they are loved and I really believe that this book has given me the tools to ensure that happens. I have been a lover of the 5 love languages since I first stumbled upon it and I love that this helps in opening the door when dealing with children. Each child is different so I love the practical and useful ideas not just in loving them and making sure they know that they are loved but for discipline and everyday interactions."
Reviews
"The love languages (Words of Affirmation, Physical Touch, Quality Time, Acts of Service, and Gifts) are the same. Also, there were sections devoted to parenting philosophy and the nature of children whereas the original book focused more on the spouse and romantic love relationships. Gary Chapman and Ross Campbell had plenty of good and wise things to say about raising children and I highlighted up a storm. -Affection and love mean expressing appreciation for the very being of a child, for those characteristics and abilities that are part of the total package of the person. The goal is that the child would reach a level of maturity that will allow him one day to function as a responsible adult in society. While I without a doubt knew that both of my parents loved me I definitely grew up in a household where punishment was the main form of discipline. It's an information packed book with easy concepts to implement into your daily life in hopes that your children will feel more loved."
"I have used the concepts presented in the original 5 Love Languages book with my clients for many years. However, it can be a bit of a challenge for clients to translate the concepts presented in that book to interactions with their children."
"Great book!"
"If you wanted to, you read the entire book in one sitting."
"Informative Book."
"Great sound advice for communicating love to my kids, it's helped me better understand myself and my family better."
"This book opened my eyes and help me understand my kids better ...and myself!"
"Love this book-- just finished it."
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Best Single Parenting

On Becoming Baby Wise: Giving Your Infant the Gift of Nighttime Sleep
For over 20 years, On Becoming Babywise has been the de facto newborn parenting manual for naturally synchronizing your baby's feeding time, waketime and nighttime sleep cycles, so the whole family can sleep through the night. Practical discussions then focus on broad and niche topics including feeding philosophies, baby sleep problems, baby scheduling challenges, nap routines, sleep training multiples, baby sleeping props, Colic and Reflux and many other dimensions which impact breast feeding schedules, bottle feeding tips and baby sleep training. 1) Taking care of baby and mom. 2) A timeline of what to expect and when. 3) Baby Sleep Training Problems and Solutions. 4) Monitoring Your Baby's Growth. 5) Healthy Baby Growth Charts. It can help any parent develop a plan that meets both the needs of a new baby and of the entire family. Instead of being in baby bondage, I was liberated to be the mother God wanted me to be. We highly recommend ONLY purchasing the newest and most current version of On Becoming Babywise (isbn 1932740139). In becoming one of America's leading infant management guides, On Becoming Babywise has continued to improve its methods and practices throughout its 24 years and this latest version is the result of all the best over the last two decades. and co-author Gary Ezzo in this book helps parents successfully and naturally synchronize their baby's feeding time, waketime and nighttime cycles. Happy, healthy and contented babies who sleep through the night on average between seven and nine weeks of age. The best evaluation of any parenting philosophy, including Babywise, is not found in the reasoning or the logic of the hypothesis. Rather, our larger objective is to help prepare minds for the incredible task of raising a child. Your baby will not care if his head rests on designer sheets or beside Disney characters, nor is your success tied to his wardrobe or bedroom accessories, but rather to the beliefs and convictions that will eventually shape your parenting experience. It is our opinion that the achievements of healthy growth, contented babies, good naps, and playful wake times, as well as the gift of nighttime sleep, are too valuable to be left to chance. We realize there are a number of parenting theories being marketed today, most of which come gift-wrapped with unrealistic promises and unnecessary burdens. Spend time with relatives and friends who follow the Attachment Parenting style of infant care. The principles contained within the pages can help parents develop workable strategies that meet the needs of their babies and the rest of the family. However, your pediatrician or family practitioner should always be consulted when questions arise about the health and welfare of your baby. Because the principles of On Becoming Babywise are so effective, I consider it part of my extended health care for the family. They consistently produce babies who are healthy, content, and who sleep through the night at an early age. ". As family physicians and a husband-wife team, we are often asked questions related to parenting and the general care of children.
Reviews
"On Becoming Babywise taught me to tap into my God-given parental instincts while providing me medically-sound advice to equip me in teaching my infant to sleep through the night."
"Good book and easy read."
"Some of the information is good, but there are better sleep books out there."
"I didn't get it until my daughter was six months old, and you are supposed to start it when your baby is a newborn, but I was still able to implement the recommendations."
"We really like the advice and it's very sound advice, but it's particularly preachy."
"Very helpful in helping daughter get my granddaughter on a sleeping and eating schedule as a newborn."
"I read through this book and there are a lot of things I don't like about it...however...I followed it somewhat loosely and our baby slept through the night the second day of following the feed, wake, sleep schedule...I do believe there is some truth to this book."
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Best Parenting Teenagers

The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Teens
With more than five million copies in print all around the world, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Teens is the ultimate teenage success guide—now updated for the digital age. In an entertaining style, Covey provides a simple approach to help teens improve self-image, build friendships, resist peer pressure, achieve their goals, and get along with their parents, as well as tackle the new challenges of our time, like cyberbullying and social media. As prejudiced as this may sound, this is a remarkable book, a must-read!” (Stephen R. Covey, Sean's dad, author of the #1 New York Times bestseller The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People and cofounder and former vice chairman of Franklin Covey Co.). “I wish I'd had this book when I was a teen.” (Shannon Hale, New York Times bestselling author of Newbery Honor winner Princess Academy and The Goose Girl). Whether you are a teen or not, you should read this book!” (Anson Dorrance, University of North Carolina Tar Heels women's soccer coach, 22 time national collegiate champion). I have personally read it and practiced the timeless principles with my daughters.” (Diana Thomas, U.S. vice president of training, learning & development, McDonalds Corporation).
Reviews
"My granddaughter read this in school and recommended it for her brother."
"The book is a great resource but the Kindle edition is not the same edition as the most current paperback."
"Great book for my high school students!"
"Excellent book for teens."
"Good habits to avoid and acquire very effective."
"Bought for kids for school."
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Best Aging Parents

Knock Knock What I Love About Mom Fill In The Love Journal
Just complete each line and voilà: you have a uniquely personal gift Mother will read again and again.
Reviews
"A word of advice if you're willing to put in the work (which you should be, since you clearly love your mom): In a Word document, type out all the statements on each page, then fill in the blanks here before you copy them all into the actual book."
"I loved the idea of this gift-- but I loved it even more once it was complete."
"I filled it out with some very serious responses, and some funny, and sent it to my mom for Mother's Day."
"My mom is my best friend and to get a chance to leave some really sweet and loving notes and then some really funny make her laugh out loud notes I had to buy this book!"
"I got one of these for both of my parents for Christmas and they ADORED them."
"I filled it out and mailed it to my sister, across the country, who filled out her answers and mailed it to the rest of our siblings in another state."
"Over all a cute idea, although for the price I would have expected something a bit larger."
"If you are a person of few words, this is perfect to get you thinking and writing from the heart."
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Best Parenting & Family Reference

Teach Your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons
Teach Your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons is a complete, step-by-step program that shows parents simply and clearly how to teach their children to read. One hundred lessons, fully illustrated and color-coded for clarity, give your child the basic and more advanced skills needed to become a good reader.Teach Your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons will bring you and your child closer together, while giving your child the reading skills needed now, for a better chance at tomorrow. (Point to m )I'm going to touch under this sound and say the sound. Your turn to say the sound when I touch under it. (To correct child saying a wrong sound or not responding:) The sound is mmmmmm. (Point to s. )I'm going to touch under this sound and say the sound. Your turn to say the sound when I touch under it. (To correct child saying a wrong sound or not responding:) The sound is ssssss. TASK 2 SAY IT FAST. My turn: motor (pause) boat. (To correct child saying word slowly -- for example, "motor [pause] boat":) You didn't say it fast. Here's saying it fast: motorboat. Listen: ice (pause) cream. Listen: sis (pause) ter. Listen: ham (pause) burger. Listen: mmmeee. Listen: iiifff. (Repeat any words child had trouble with.). I'm going to say some words slowly, without stopping. Listen: aaammm. Listen: mmmeee. Listen: iiinnn. Listen: shshsheee. Now it's your turn to say the words slowly with me. (To correct if child stops between sounds -- for example, "aaa [pause] mmm":) Don't stop. (Don't pause between sounds a and m as you say aaammm. ). (Repeat until child responds with you.). Your turn to say words slowly by yourself. Good saying the words slowly. (Touch first ball for m,) Get ready. (Touch first ball for s.) Get ready. TASK 5 SAY IT FAST. Listen: motor (pause) cycle. TASK 6 SOUNDS WRITING. You're going to write a sound on each line. I'll show you how to make each sound. Then you'll write each sound. Here's the first sound you're going to write. (Point to m.) What sound? (Help child trace sound two or three times. Child is then to make three to five m 's on top line. For each acceptable letter child makes, say:) Good writing mmm. Here's how to make sss. Point to s.) What sound? (Help child trace sound two or three times. Child is then to make three to five s's on second line. For each acceptable letter child makes, say:) Good writing sss. (Point to m.) I'm going to touch under this sound and say the sound. Your turn to say the sound when I touch under it. (To correct child saying a wrong sound or not responding:) The sound is mmmmmm.
Reviews
"I become painfully aware of how naive I was to the processes of reading when my daughter was at the age that she should be knowing her letters and stuff. Despite the fact that my husband and I are voracious readers, and that we read to our daughter daily, she had developed a loathing towards all things letters. When she was still mixing up her letters and sounds, and resistant towards all reading games at 5 years old, I began to worry. So I scoured the internet for various books and programs to help me, as I, by then, understood fully I knew jack squat about how to teach a kid to read."
"To me, this is actually a bonus because I want my boys to learn that boring isn't bad and that sitting still is a skill just as much as reading. When reading the slow way, they step from one sound to the next, if they're not sounding it out, they can't move- that helped with pausing."
"The dialog of this book and the way the book has already to say phrase you need to speak to your child that encourages positive results. It came just in time for the new years on Sunday, December 31, 2017."
"LOVE LOVE LOVE this book."
"My husband, older son and I all learned to read with hooked on phonics but my younger son couldn’t get the hang of it."
"I love the fact that I get to teach my kids kid at a pace I know they will grasp everything that is taught to them."
"Seriously ... not what I would call EASY ( I'm not the most patient person) but your child will absolutely be a reader after you're done with this book!!!"
"I have a moderately bright 4 year old who has NO interest in learning new things, and she dove into this."
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Best Special Needs Parenting

Smart but Scattered: The Revolutionary "Executive Skills" Approach to Helping Kids Reach Their Potential
The latest research in child development shows that many kids who have the brain and heart to succeed lack or lag behind in crucial “executive skills”--the fundamental habits of mind required for getting organized, staying focused, and controlling impulses and emotions. As a parent of three children, one of whom has learning disabilities, and as a special education associate who works in the classroom, I highly recommend this book. "Filled with real-world examples and solutions, this easy-to-read book is the first comprehensive guide to the management of children's executive skills. Dawson and Guare explain the importance of executive skills and provide science-based strategies that empower you to start helping your child today." Dawson and Guare translate cutting-edge research into meaningful, practical, well-organized, and easy-to-implement strategies that parents can use to enhance a child's natural executive abilities. ( Library Journal 2009-01-04). "Fun to read....This book is quite interactive....Questionnaires are provided both for children (of various ages) as well as parents, so that they can both see their strengths and weaknesses....Techniques to teach executive skills are shown in a step-wise manner, and planning sheets are available throughout the text....Another strength of this book is its focus on the emotional aspect of executive functioning, and providing strategies to bolster the emotional skill set of children....Strongly recommended for any parent who wishes to help their children maximize their potential, even if they do not have identified academic or behavioral struggles."
Reviews
"This book is actually really helpful as long as you buy the book and not the kindle edition."
"But until I took the inventory for parents in this book, I didn't realize how truly weak my own executive skills are all around (unless I'm inspired, and then I'm a machine! If your children are also very smart, I also *highly* recommend reading this book together with:Living With Intensity: Understanding the Sensitivity, Excitability, and the Emotional Development of Gifted Children, Adolescents, and Adults When you understand low and evolving EF skills in combination with overexcitabilities/intensities, you can finally stop asking, "What have I done wrong? And the _Smart but Scattered_ book will help them manage those overexcitabilities through developing better executive skills."
"This is EVERYTHING we experience on a daily basis in the ADHD department and has really helped us to better understand our son and how to best support him!"
"i like the way the book is set up."
"I learned a lot about my son and about myself by reading this book."
"I have been able to use it and its ideas to better support my smart, but scattered son."
"Well organized and practical advice for helping your children if you are a parent (or your students if you are a teacher) to develop the organizational strategies and study skills that will serve them well in life but are not often taught directly."
"Ideal for add, ADHD or TBI injuries and child development for non diagnosed kids as well."
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Best Marriage

The 5 Love Languages: The Secret to Love that Lasts
Whether your relationship is flourishing or failing, Dr. Gary Chapman’s proven approach to showing and receiving love will help you experience deeper and richer levels of intimacy with your partner—starting today. Updated to reflect the complexities of relationships today, this new edition reveals intrinsic truths and applies relevant, actionable wisdom in ways that work. GARY CHAPMAN --author, speaker, counselor--has a passion for people and for helping them form lasting relationships.
Reviews
"My wife and I have 2 small children and our house is hard to stay clean because every room feels like a mess. A big part of improving your relationship with your spouse or boyfriend/girlfriend is to sticking with a date night to make sure you have quality time together. My wife and I have been together for 10 years and got stuck in the rut of an endless routine of doing everything we could for our kids, followed by daily chores and left little time for ourselves. Committing to 1 date night a week has really helped our relationship and improved our communication."
"I was once asked to read this book by the only person in the world I love.....I refused. It's not a good feeling as a man to agree to read a book on relationships because you feel like you're putting everything into the authors hands.....and what if he "doesn't understand" or what if the advice doesn't apply to us.....what if it makes things worse between us because he advises things we don't believe in.....no....I'm not reading that I told her. I thought no matter what we would always figure each other out and we would be ok......I didn't see being asked to read this book , was a cry out from the woman I love hitting a boiling point and her attempt to communicate to me in a different way......the same things she's been trying to for a long time..... Instead of being some guys opinions or......typical shrink talk that in no way could apply to each specific relationship.......I found it to be a book that opens up the mind to the understanding of love.....and how it is not this one universal "language" we all feel we should be the same with.....I once told her...."nobody taught me how to love, I'm growing....learning".....I pleased with her to understand I love her.......we simply didn't have an understanding of how and why we didnt approach love the exact same way as each other.....only makes sense that it should be the same right? I will just end it like this..... last night I took a stretch that I have been doing for over 2 years and I changed it in a slightly different way....... a lot of the pain I normally get daily is gone....... just to put a spotlight on that sentence .....I'm saying that what I had been doing for so long..... trying to cure one of the biggest problems in my life that hadnt been working............that I continued doing........ believing in and depending on.... to be my much needed answer.......It wasn't until I allowed the idea of the same stretch applied in a different way, that I ALLOWED life to be better for me. You have to go into the book with an open mind because if you do it with the mindset of wanting it to say what it is that you want to hear.....then you can never let the life-changing words happen.......you're learning a language as you read...not what's right and wrong but what was being lost in life. Keep in mind this is a book about the language of love so if you think about when you go to school to learn a different language...you are taking the difficult step of taking time there in order to understand.....be able to take what you understand and apply it.....and be able to communicate in a NEEDED way once you learn....AND THEN USE......communicate and UNDERSTAND eachother."
"Great book, I read a friends book and decided to purchase it for myself."
"My husband and I read it and I bought a copy to give my parents (they could really use it to understand each other better!)."
"This book will really make you think about things when you read it, especially if you have had relationship problems..."
"contains helpful information and I enjoyed reading through people's testimonies and experiences."
"Really comes to show you why people are the way they are."
"This is an excellent book."
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Best Adoption

Year of Yes: How to Dance It Out, Stand In the Sun and Be Your Own Person
This poignant, intimate, and hilarious memoir explores Shonda’s life before her Year of Yes—from her nerdy, book-loving childhood to her devotion to creating television characters who reflected the world she saw around her. The book chronicles her life after her Year of Yes had begun—when Shonda forced herself out of the house and onto the stage; when she learned to explore, empower, applaud, and love her truest self. “Honest, raw, and revelatory” ( The Washington Post ), this wildly candid and compulsively readable book reveals how the mega talented Shonda Rhimes finally achieved badassery worthy of a Shondaland character. Rhimes opens up, and inspires, discussing her personal experiences as a sister, daughter, mother, friend and boss tempered with biting insights on societal expectations of women…[a] blend of biography and badassery.”. — Ebony.com. frankness of, say, Dr. Cristina Yang from Grey's Anatomy…Even if Rhimes's fame and career don't make her an everywoman, she writes with an everywomanly sensibility…her words brim with such life that by the end of the book, some readers may find themselves wanting to say yes to more things, too.”. —TVInsider.com. “Rhimes' familiar,conversational writing style makes the book a more accessible Lean In ,a self-help book and personal journal all rolled into one.”. —TVGuide.com. “A self-help book dressed in casual clothes, lessons for living a better life told through relatable personal essays from the woman who set out to, in the course of a year, make her own better… There’s an uncanny familiarity to the journey Rhimes goes on… Never do you feel preached at while reading Rhimes’s book.
Reviews
"And this is a praiseworthy, life affirming, sister-centric, love filled, thank you Jesus!, Where-has-this-book been-all-of-my-life kind of read. Let me count the ways: 1) First off, unlike a lot of authors, she did not pre-seed Amazon with preselected reviewers hitting up all 5 stars and offering formulaic praise. 3) In addition to being funny, she's pitch perfect in her capacity to convey authenticity, vulnerability, and confidence all within the same paragraph. 5) Her year of living fearlessly by fully stepping into her life and saying YES inspires because it shows that even a Shonda Rhimes can suffer from the "Who Me?" Granted, Shonda needed to say yes to things like hanging out with the Obama's or being honored as a Human Rights Boss, but she brilliantly shows that despite the loftiness of her life, like many of us she too struggled with stepping into her well earned right to "stand in the sun" without fear or apology."
"I've recommended this book to my book club members (it's not even time for is to choose a new book) and to many others who would listen."
"Somewhere after the initial bunch of pages i dint quite frankly feel like going ahead with completing it...but i am not a quitter lol so i kept on and to my great pleasure the book just got more interesting to me after the initial 20% and i totally LOVED it to the last page."
"This titan of television tells us how one word completely changed her life and level of enjoyment and participation in her own life."
"This book seems to be the product of people telling Shonda Rhimes to write a book, and her agreeing to do it for the money."
"I really enjoyed this book, will take a example of the authors life to change my own."
"This is a great book, full of encouragement and words that ultimately give permission for everyone to love themselves."
"Without giving away the book, I laughed when I learned what was "the" thing that made her declare a "year of yes." So much so, that I ordered six copies to give to friends in need of putting themselves first."
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Best Family Health

The Narcissistic Family: Diagnosis and Treatment
Narcissistic families have a parental system that is, for whatever reason (job stress, alcoholism, drug abuse, mental illness, physical disability, lack of parenting skills, self-centered immaturity), primarily involved in getting its own needs met. It focuses on the conduct of parents and their children trying to make sense out of their chaotic lifestyles in search of love, self-esteem, acceptance, and inner peace. It is a real eye opener for those physicians who routinely prescribe psychotropic medications without psychiatric input and without insisting on the patient's participation in therapy.?
Reviews
"I’m I therapist and have found this book incredibly useful in helping clients understand their families and the impact they have on them."
"I enjoyed listening to the audio."
"I particularly appreciate the authors' reframing of the problem as children growing up within a narcissistic system rather than specifically trying to find diagnosable illness of the parents."
"The Narcissistic Family is a family-based diagnostic and treatment approach based on both family and psychoanalytic perspectives on (pathological) narcissism."
"The authors guide us through an understanding of the impact of both benign and malevolent forms of abuse and neglect on the adult child."
"This book was very very helpful not only in understanding my upbringing with a narcissistic parent, but also recognizing many narcissistic tendancies within myself."
"I read this book after hearing reviews from several patients and therapists."
"This book would also be a valuable resource for a persons seeking to understand his/her own adaptive behaviours whch may have developed from being raised in the narcissistic family."
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Best Family Relationship

Knock Knock What I Love About Mom Fill In The Love Journal
Our crackerjack in-house team creates humorous nonfiction and specialty journals from the ground up, and we also publish new titles from outside authors, bloggers, and other creative types. Just complete each line and voila: you have a uniquely personal gift Mother will read again and again.
Reviews
"A word of advice if you're willing to put in the work (which you should be, since you clearly love your mom): In a Word document, type out all the statements on each page, then fill in the blanks here before you copy them all into the actual book."
"I loved the idea of this gift-- but I loved it even more once it was complete."
"I filled it out with some very serious responses, and some funny, and sent it to my mom for Mother's Day."
"My mom is my best friend and to get a chance to leave some really sweet and loving notes and then some really funny make her laugh out loud notes I had to buy this book!"
"I got one of these for both of my parents for Christmas and they ADORED them."
"I filled it out and mailed it to my sister, across the country, who filled out her answers and mailed it to the rest of our siblings in another state."
"Over all a cute idea, although for the price I would have expected something a bit larger."
"If you are a person of few words, this is perfect to get you thinking and writing from the heart."
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Best Family Activity

Teach Your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons
Teach Your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons is a complete, step-by-step program that shows parents simply and clearly how to teach their children to read. One hundred lessons, fully illustrated and color-coded for clarity, give your child the basic and more advanced skills needed to become a good reader.Teach Your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons will bring you and your child closer together, while giving your child the reading skills needed now, for a better chance at tomorrow. (Point to m )I'm going to touch under this sound and say the sound. Your turn to say the sound when I touch under it. (To correct child saying a wrong sound or not responding:) The sound is mmmmmm. (Point to s. )I'm going to touch under this sound and say the sound. Your turn to say the sound when I touch under it. (To correct child saying a wrong sound or not responding:) The sound is ssssss. TASK 2 SAY IT FAST. My turn: motor (pause) boat. (To correct child saying word slowly -- for example, "motor [pause] boat":) You didn't say it fast. Here's saying it fast: motorboat. Listen: ice (pause) cream. Listen: sis (pause) ter. Listen: ham (pause) burger. Listen: mmmeee. Listen: iiifff. (Repeat any words child had trouble with.). I'm going to say some words slowly, without stopping. Listen: aaammm. Listen: mmmeee. Listen: iiinnn. Listen: shshsheee. Now it's your turn to say the words slowly with me. (To correct if child stops between sounds -- for example, "aaa [pause] mmm":) Don't stop. (Don't pause between sounds a and m as you say aaammm. ). (Repeat until child responds with you.). Your turn to say words slowly by yourself. Good saying the words slowly. (Touch first ball for m,) Get ready. (Touch first ball for s.) Get ready. TASK 5 SAY IT FAST. Listen: motor (pause) cycle. TASK 6 SOUNDS WRITING. You're going to write a sound on each line. I'll show you how to make each sound. Then you'll write each sound. Here's the first sound you're going to write. (Point to m.) What sound? (Help child trace sound two or three times. Child is then to make three to five m 's on top line. For each acceptable letter child makes, say:) Good writing mmm. Here's how to make sss. Point to s.) What sound? (Help child trace sound two or three times. Child is then to make three to five s's on second line. For each acceptable letter child makes, say:) Good writing sss. (Point to m.) I'm going to touch under this sound and say the sound. Your turn to say the sound when I touch under it. (To correct child saying a wrong sound or not responding:) The sound is mmmmmm.
Reviews
"I become painfully aware of how naive I was to the processes of reading when my daughter was at the age that she should be knowing her letters and stuff. Despite the fact that my husband and I are voracious readers, and that we read to our daughter daily, she had developed a loathing towards all things letters. When she was still mixing up her letters and sounds, and resistant towards all reading games at 5 years old, I began to worry. So I scoured the internet for various books and programs to help me, as I, by then, understood fully I knew jack squat about how to teach a kid to read."
"To me, this is actually a bonus because I want my boys to learn that boring isn't bad and that sitting still is a skill just as much as reading. When reading the slow way, they step from one sound to the next, if they're not sounding it out, they can't move- that helped with pausing."
"The dialog of this book and the way the book has already to say phrase you need to speak to your child that encourages positive results. It came just in time for the new years on Sunday, December 31, 2017."
"LOVE LOVE LOVE this book."
"My husband, older son and I all learned to read with hooked on phonics but my younger son couldn’t get the hang of it."
"I love the fact that I get to teach my kids kid at a pace I know they will grasp everything that is taught to them."
"Seriously ... not what I would call EASY ( I'm not the most patient person) but your child will absolutely be a reader after you're done with this book!!!"
"I have a moderately bright 4 year old who has NO interest in learning new things, and she dove into this."
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Best Babysitting, Day Care & Child Care

The Wonder Weeks: How to Stimulate Your Baby's Mental Development and Help Him Turn His 10 Predictable, Great, Fussy Phases into Magical Leaps Forward
Including a bonus chapter with everything about the relationship between sleep and leaps, as well as unique insight into your baby's sleeping behavior. Week-by-week guide to baby's behavior When to expect the fussy behavior, what this implies (cranky, clingy, crying (the three C's) behavior) and how to deal with these regression periods (leaps) A description from your baby's perspective of the world around him and how you can understand the changes he's going through Fun games and gentle activities you can do with your child Unique insight into your baby's sleeping behaviour. The bonus chapter includes everything about the relationship between sleep and leaps, as well as unique insight into your baby's sleeping behavior. This book will open parents' eyes to aspects of their children's growth, development, changing behavior, and emotional responsiveness that they might otherwise not notice or find puzzling and distressing." van de Rijt and Plooij have observed and found the vulnerable times in an infant's development that I independently came to in my book Touchpoints (Perseus). Featured in AWHONN magazine Healthy Mom & Baby:“Breakthrough science reveals the true reasons of fussiness and weeks of wonders”.
Reviews
"I have referenced this book over and over for our twins."
"This book shares so much insight on how little ones view the world through out different stages of development."
"Great book for my daughter who is a new mom!"
"Will highly recommend it to other parents as well as caregivers."
"The research contained in this book is spot on when it comes to the neurological development of infants."
"It gives great advice as to how to handle their fussy phases and how to help them get the most out of each leap."
"She has read this book and is using its contents to full advantage on my granddaughter."
"This book has brought a significant increase in peace of mind to our household."
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