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What’s New NEW! | Parenting Press®What’s New at Parenting PressComing talks by our authors are listed on the author tour page (Last updated Aug. 28, 2010) School Districts Use Our Newsletter—and You Can, Too!School districts around the country use information from News for Parents in their parent newsletters, and you can, too! In the September issue, you’ll find almost a dozen articles with ideas you can use at home, play group, preschool, school or in the community. With little kids, read all about a leaf scramble, and with kids of all ages, “No More Bedtime Battles.” Other stories that’ll help with back-to-school: “Easy to Be A Math Wizard,” “How to Be a Better Writer,” and “Why People Gossip (And What to Say to Gossipy Kids).” (Sept. 1, 2010) Note to e-mail subscribers: Several copies of the e-mail edition are rejected by bulk mail (“spam”) filters each month. If you subscribe to the e-mail edition and did not receive your copy, this may be the reason. If your mail server permits, put “ezine@ParentingPress.com” on the list of senders you will always accept. 27 Ways to Provide Positive Discipline![]() Frustrated about how your kids behave? On Sept. 1, join parent educator Susie Leonard Weller at the Liberty Lake (Washington) Library for a complimentary workshop on positive discipline. The author of Why Don't You Understand? Improve Family Communication with the 4 Thinking Styles, Weller will provide a variety of realistic guidance strategies. Sponsored by the Liberty Lake Mindful Mamas, this 10:30 a.m.–noon program is open to all parents and caregivers. For details, call Weller at (509) 255-6676. (August 18, 2010) Tantrums! How Can We All Cope?Believe it or not, kids can learn from meltdowns! With the practical tips in Helping Kids Deal With Tantrums, you’ll understand hissy fits and what you as an adult need to do to help kids cope when they’re unhappy. This two-page QWIK Sheet is available 24/7 from our web site. Read it online or print it out so you’ll have it handy. Free this month to parent educators who register with our Parent Educator Corner; a $2 value. (August 6, 2010) Way I Feel, Calming Cards among July BestsellersThe 18-page toddler board book edition of The Way I Feel topped the Parenting Press consumer bestseller list for July, with the 32-page hardback edition one of the three books tied for second place. Other popular titles for July were the Self-Calming Cards and Something Is Wrong at My House (revised edition). Rounding out the list of bestsellers were two books by Helen F. Neville, Temperament Tools and Is This a Phase?, the newly published Where Is My Mommy? and the ever-popular guide for instructors and workshop leaders, Who, Me Lead a Group? The Press also received several orders for its quarterly for professionals, PEP Talk. The Summer issue of this newsletter, still available, includes such articles as “Staying Effective While Multi-Tasking,” “What To Teach Kids about Gossip,” and “What Parent Educators and Counselors Can Learn from Leading Therapists,” which excerpts from Clinical Pearls of Wisdom (W.W. Norton). There are also reviews of Parents Who Cheat: How Children and Adults Are Affected When Their Parents Are Unfaithful (Health Communications, Inc. and Counseling Men and Boys with ADHD (Routledge). (August 3, 2010) Child Sexual Abuse Author to Keynote in New Orleans![]() Sandy Wurtele, Ph.D., author of the newly published Out of Harm’s Way: A Parent’s Guide to Protecting Young Children from Sexual Abuse, will speak on “Mission Impossible: Preventing Childhood Sexual Abuse in the 21st Century” when she keynotes the 11th National Conference on Child Sexual Abuse and Exploitation Prevention in New Orleans. Wurtele, a psychology professor at the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs, will speak Aug. 26. She will be available for media interviews before and after her presentation. She will also speak in September in San Diego at the 15th International Conference on Violence, Abuse and Trauma, a program sponsored by the Institute on Violence, Abuse and Trauma with support from the Office for Victims of Crime, Office of Justice Programs, United States Department of Justice. Out of Harm’s Way is being shipped now and will be available through bookstores by late August. You can order from Parenting Press or ask your local bookseller to order a copy for you. (June 31, 2010) Out of Harm’s Way now availableOut of Harm’s Way: A Parent’s Guide to Protecting Young Children from Sexual Abuse by University of Colorado at Colorado Springs psychology professor Sandy K. Wurtele has arrived in the Parenting Press warehouse! In 32 pages, in easy to read language, this book describes what can signal a potential molester and provides suggestions for broaching the topic of predators with very young children. It also explains what your children should know when they’re out and about, to ensure they are prepared to respond to inappropriate behavior, and provides recommendations for parents and caregivers, to ensure that kids are protected. If you can’t find Out of Harm’s Way in your favorite bookstore, ask the bookseller to order it for you, or place a phone or online order with us. (June 31, 2010) Parent Educator Quarterly Offers Teaching Plan, ADHD ReviewEach issue of Parenting Press’s quarterly for parent educators and ECE professionals includes a fully-scripted hour-long teaching plan with handout, and the Summer 2010 is no exception: “What to Teach Kids about Gossip” explains how to handle snide or humiliating comments in the cyber age. “How Can Family Members and Caregivers Help Boys with ADHD—and Men, Too?” reviews George Kapalka’s “Counseling Boy and Men with ADHD” (Routledge, 2010). Other reviews in “Parenting Education Practitioners Talk” are of Harvard psychology professor Christine Hooker’s research on emotional recovery from arguments, and Ana Nogales’s “Parents Who Cheat: How Children and Adults Are Affected When Their Parents Are Unfaithful” (Health Communications). The quarterly’s how-to focus shows in:
“Parenting Education Practitioners Talk” is available by electronic subscription for $10 annually. Single issues are $5 each, 5/$20. More information is available online or telephone (800) 992-6657. (June 17, 2010) What About Me? Topic for July 26 Web Talk Radio![]() Eileen Kennedy-Moore’s conversation with Teena Cahill about What About Me? 12 Ways to Get Your Parents’ Attention (Without Hitting Your Sister) and Dr. Kennedy-Moore’s forthcoming book will air the entire week of July 26 on “Nurturing the Nurturers.” If you miss it, check the archives for Dr. Kennedy-Moore’s trademark humor and common sense remedies for sibling rivalry. (June 17, 2010) New QWIK Sheet Describes Self-CareWho needs self-care? Probably all of us. This two-page information sheet, downloadable and printable, spells out the signals that we adults need nurturing, and explains why self-care is so important. Like all QWIK Sheets, it provides practical, realistic help in a format that’s quick and easy to read. Just $2. (June 1, 2010; updated Aug. 6) How Can Kids Break the Ice?“Giving your child the expectation that he’ll make a friend allows him to be more open to signs of friendship from others,” says Eileen Kennedy-Moore in the June 14 issue of First for Women. If your child is hesitant about approaching new people, tell her that somewhere in that group is a child who wants to be a friend of your child, she continues. Kennedy-Moore, the clinical psychologist and mother of four whose books include What About Me? 12 Ways to Get Your Parents’ Attention (Without Hitting Your Sister), was one of three experts quoted in “Instant Confidence,”an article about children’s “social growing pains.” (June 21, 2010) Eileen Kennedy-Moore Tackles Tattling![]() How should parents handle tattling? You’ll find lots of options in Breezy Mama’s interview with Eileen Kennedy-Moore, a Princeto-area clinical psychologist and mother of four. She explains what prompts tattling and provides suggestions for responding to kids who think it’s unfair if every child is not disciplined equally for the same offense. (June 21, 2010) Parenting, Grief Guides Are BestsellersMay bestsellers at Parenting Press were Parenting Tips & Tools: Understanding Young Children, by Elizabeth Crary, and 25 Things to Do When Grandpa Passes Away, Mom and Dad Get Divorced, or the Dog Dies, by Laurie A. Kanyer. Other popular titles were the newly released Where Is My Mommy?, by Mary Kilgore and Mitchell Kilgore; the newly revised edition of Something Is Wrong at My House (revised edition), by Diane Davis; Pick Up Your Socks . . . and Other Skills Growing Children Need!, by Crary, and Self-Calming Cards, created by Crary and Mits Katayama. (June 14, 2010) Teaching Kids to Stay SafeSummer’s here, and kids are spending more time outdoors! You can help them avoid—-and handle—common minor injuries with the tips in Teaching Your Kids First Aid. There’s nothing complicated about introducing children to first aid: even preschoolers can be taught to dial 9-1-1 and to apply direct pressure to a cut. Most kids are excited about learning first aid because it’s one more step in becoming independent. (June 1, 2010; updated July 9, 2010) Ask Neville about Toilet Training on June 19![]() You can call in your potty training questions to nurse and author Helen Fowler Neville when she is interviewed June 19 by Linda O’Connor on “Parent Talk.” Broadcast from Buffalo NY on WECK-AM 1230, this weekly show airs every week from 8 to 9 a.m. EST. You can also listen to streaming audio or catch the podcast when it’s uploaded later that day. (May 29, 2010) Ask Jean Illsley Clarke How Much Is Too Much![]() Mark your calendars! Jean Illsley Clarke, author of the new Leader’s Guide for How Much Is Enough?, will take listener calls Friday, June 11 from 11 to noon Central Daylight Time on Jody Johnston Pawel’s Parents Tool Talk radio program. If you’re afraid you’re spoiling your child, you’ll get straight answers and help with making changes. (May 29, 2010) These Feel Like Bestsellers!The publications our customers liked best in April include several about emotions: The Way I Feel, both hardback and board book and the Spanish edition, Así me siento yo, the Self Calming and Feeling Elf cards, and What Am I Feeling?. Other popular titles with our direct customers: Temperament Tools: Working with Your Child’s Inborn Traits, Is This a Phase? Child Development & Parent Strategies, Birth to 6 Years, and Love & Limits and its Spanish edition, Amor & Límites. (May 8, 2010) No More Diapers!You’re tired of dragging around diaper bags and looking for places to change your child? Then you’ll want a copy of our newest printable QWIK, Sheet, Potty Training Your Child. Full of information you can use to introduce the concept of toileting, and lots of how-to’s for getting started—and being successful. Just $2. (May 5, 2010; updated June 1, 2010) Holidays Helper Features Parenting PressA Mother’s Day gift suggestion from the Parenting Press staff is featured in Holidays Helper at www.holidayshelper.com/mothers-day-crafts/. All you’ll need is a cotton butcher-style apron and either fabric paints or markers. Kids can dress up these aprons for moms, grandmothers, great-grandmothers. . .and (thinking ahead) even for the guys you’ll honor on Father’s Day! We suggested kids put their handprints on the apron fronts, or draw stick figures of themselves that can be decorated with ribbon and buttons. (April 28, 2010) Potty Training Is Radio Topic for May 30Helen Neville, who created the revised and expanded edition of Mommy! I Have to Go Potty! (2nd ed.), will discuss potty training and nighttime dryness with Rona Renner on Renner’s “Childhood Matters” radio program Sunday, May 30. “Childhood Matters” airs on several San Francisco Bay Area stations. Out of the area? You can hear Nurse Neville live or after her program is archived at www.childhoodmatters.org. (April 28, 2010) Toni Schutta Praises Why Don't You Understand?Parenting coach Toni Schutta heaped praise on Susie Leonard Weller's Why Don't You Understand? in a recent newsletter, which you can read at www.familiesfirstcoaching.com/newsletter_april2010.htm. (April 28, 2010) Parenting Press BestsellersWhen people call or e-mail Parenting Press, what do they usually order? Most recently, it’s 25 Things to Do When Grandpa Passes Away, Mom and Dad Get Divorced, or the Dog Dies by Laurie Kanyer. She’s doing several presentation on grief, and a group which works with the children of deployed military also uses the book. Another always popular title for our direct customers is It’s MY Body, written by Lory Freeman (now Lory Britain). What About Me? 12 Ways to Get Your Parents’ Attention (Without Hitting Your Sister), with text by Eileen Kennedy-Moore and illustrations by Mits Katayama, is another favorite. Of course, most Parenting Press books are sold to bookstores, libraries, and catalog companies, not to individuals. The most popular title with these accounts is always Janan Cain’s The Way I Feel, which now has about 1.7 million copies in print. (April 21, 2010) Kids Desperate to Have Emotions ValidatedIn praising Janan Cain’s The Way I Feel, the elementary school counselor who blogs at Books That Heal Kids writes: “When it comes to the social and emotional growth of children, this just might be in my top five book picks. The Way I Feel was first released ten years ago and is as relevant today as the day it was published. I get a lot of, ‘Yaaaas, I love that book!!’ when I show the cover. Not only do [kids] love the illustrations, but they relish the opportunity to discuss feelings and what to do with them. Yes, it may sound cliched for a counselor to highly recommend a book about feelings but I have students who are desperate to have their emotions validated and heard.” (April 21, 2010) New for Professionals: Military Families, Transgender Kids, Networking and Learning ProblemsIdeal for family support specialists, Extension agents, parenting instructors and home visitors, the Parenting Press quarterly Parenting Education Practitioners Talk in its newest issue includes “Supporting Families of Deployed Military,” “How to Use Meetings to Create a Network with Real People—without Going Online,” and reviews of You Were Always Mom’s Favorite, by Deborah Tannen and The Transgender Child, by Stephanie Brill and Rachel Pepper. The teaching plan, “Understanding Kids’ Learning Problems,” is packed with explanations, advice on talking to kids about weaknesses, and how-to’s for helping them. An annual subscription to the advertising-free electronic version is $10; single copies are $5 each. (April 7, 2010) Remember We’re on Twitter!The Parenting Press crew tries to tweet once a day to tell you what new books have arrived in the warehouse and what articles we’re researching. You can follow us at Twitter.com/parentingpress. Or e-mail us at office@parentingpress.com and we’ll add you to our press release list. Want more information about Parenting Press or any of our materials? We’re friendly people, happy to chat: (206) 364-2900. (April 7, 2010) Getting Your Child to Stay in BedIf you have a child who won’t—or can’t—stay in bed, you’ll want Get Children to Stay in Bed and to Sleep, our newest printable QWIK Sheet. This quick info publication explains why children sometimes have sleep problems and outlines seven strategies for addressing these issues. Complimentary this month for those parent educators registered for the Parent Educator Corner; $2 for all others. Coming soon: a concise fact sheet on toilet training. You’ll find this and many other valuable and easy-to-read QWIK Sheets listed at qwik-sheets.html. Just $2 each, and available 24/7! (April 5, 2010) Domestic Abuse Explained to Kids in Revised GuideIf you work with children, you know how they suffer when things go wrong at home. If you work with the social service agencies, nonprofits or educational institutions that serve abused women, you know it’s almost impossible to conceal abuse from their children. Written by someone who is passionate about how domestic violence can damage children, Something Is Wrong at My House: A Book About Parents’ Fighting takes a complex and frightening problem and explains it in terms appropriate for the young. Formatted so that the same book can be used with toddlers through school-age children, Something Is Wrong at My House provides simple text under illustrations on each of the two-page spreads, with more detailed text on the facing page. First published in 1984, the English edition of Something Is Wrong at My House has now been revised and expanded by the original author, Diane Davis. Updated illustrations have been created by Keith Neely. The original edition is still available in Spanish. (March 22, 2010) New York Radio Station Interviews Two Authors![]() ![]() Shari Steelsmith, author of Parenting Press’s weekly tips, and author of Go to Your Room! and several other books, provided her usual practical advice when interviewed March 16 by Simone Perry on Inner City Mom Radio. Steelsmith, whose guide to home-based child care centers is issued by another publisher, was asked about establishing a home-based day care business. On March 9, Linda Carlson, who wrote Internet Safety and Your Family and creates the Press’s monthly “News for Parents,” was able to describe how many free and inexpensive resources are available on www.ParentingPress.com, including Steelsmith’s tips and the monthly newsletter. Perry focused on bullying, dealing with disappointment and Internet safety, and the interview provides several how-to’s for addressing those issues. You can access both articles at “On Demand Episodes,” on www.blogtalkradio.com/innercitymom. (March 16, 2010) Jean Clarke Schedules Summer WorkshopsJean Illsley Clarke promises that you’ll sharpen your leadership skills, network and make new friends at her summer workshops, which will use How Much Is Enough?and Who, Me Lead a Group? as texts. The five-day June workshop in Minneapolis will start June 21. Starting July 19, Clarke will conduct a similar workshop in Olympia WA. For information, see www.overindulgence.info, call (763) 473-1840, or e-mail jiconsults@aol.com. (March 16, 2010) School Newsletters Quote Parenting PressIf you publish a school, preschool, parenting or Extension newsletter, you’re welcome to excerpt from this web site or “News for Parents,” our monthly newsletter. Just remember to credit Parenting Press, include our URL. . .and send us a copy of what you publish. Here are some of the recent newsletters with Parenting Press material:
(March 16, 2010) Crary’s Love & Limits Attracts Praise“What do children need in order to grow into the caring and competent people we want them to be?” writes Ohio EAP consultant and coach Mary Macek on the blog, Symmetry Wellness Counselors Corner. After acknowledging the myriad of resources available today, she continues, “Ignore most things that promise a quick fix. . .Beyond your own instincts, I would recommend looking for parenting approaches that emphasize both love and limits. And yes, there is a valuable little book by that title, too: Love & Limits, by Elizabeth Crary, which I have drawn from along with my experience as a counselor and a parent in writing this article.” (March 16, 2010) Traumatic Stress Network Includes Calming CardsThe Self-Calming Cards created by Elizabeth Crary and Mits Katayama are among the resources recommended by the National Child Traumatic Stress Network in its Participant Handbook for a February Resource Parent Workshop. The NCTSN, www.nctsnet.org, was established by Congress in 2001 and receives its funding from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. It serves as a resource on child traumatic stress for parents and professionals. The web site currently has a focus on military kids and children in foster care. (March 13, 2010) Harriet Heath on Radio March 12 on Values![]() Philadelphia-area parent educator Harriet Heath, the author of Using Your Values to Raise Your Child to Be an Adult You Admire, discussed “Teaching Children and Teens Values” on “Parents Tool Talk” on March 12 on www.blogtalkradio.com/parentstooltalk. If you missed the hour-long program, visit the web site and select “On Demand Episodes” to hear the podcast. (March 4, 2010; updated March 17) Active Alert Author Receives Praise![]() Linda Budd, the psychologist author of Living with the Active Alert Child, now in its third edition, is often praised for her practical and innovative approaches to parenting the extremely creative, extremely intense child. . .but seldom do the compliments come two decades later! Recently, however, she received this praise from parents who had consulted her regarding their child in 1989: “We met with you in 1989 regarding our son, who is now very successful due to your ideas for raising an active alert child. Thank you for helping us appreciate our son who I truly believe would have been a totally different child were it not for your book.” (March 4, 2010) Yes, You Can Get Your Child to Sleep!If you can’t believe that your baby will ever sleep through the night, or that your child will ever climb into bed cheerfully, you’ll want a copy of our newest printable QWIK Sheet, Establishing Sleep Routines. Full of information you can use right now to develop bedtime rituals, routines. . .and responses to the inevitable, “Just one more. . .” requests. You’ll find this and many other valuable and easy-to-read QWIK Sheets listed at qwik-sheets.html. Just $2 each, and available 24/7! (March 4, 2010; updated April 5, 2010) Brain Styles Webinar Attracts 130![]() Susie Leonard Weller, author of Why Don't You Understand? Improve Family Communication with the 4 Thinking Styles, had an audience of 130 for the March 23 webinar that covered:
For more information, see Weller’s web site, www.susieweller.com. (March 1, 2010; updated April 12) What About Me? Helps Anger Management Group
New Jersey school counselor Kathy Jensen reports that Eileen Kennedy-Moore’s advice is “spreading like wildfire,” even to Jensen’s elementary school anger management group. Her students, using Kennedy-Moore’s What About Me? 12 Ways to Get Your Parents’ Attention (Without Hitting Your Sister) as a guide, created What About Me? 12 Ways to Get Your Teacher’s Attention (Without Hitting Your Classmate). Tactics included:
(March 1, 2010) Susie Weller Quoted in Spokane Paper![]() Susie Leonard Weller, author of What About Me?, is the subject of a lengthy article in the Spokane Spokesman-Review for her emphasis on peace in the home, especially during this “Season for Nonviolence,” a grass roots, 64-day campaign to demonstrate the power of nonviolence which began Jan. 30. The observance started in 1997 on the 50th and 30th memorial anniversaries of the deaths of Mahatma Gandhi and Martin Luther King Jr. In the parenting classes she teaches at the Community Colleges of Spokane’s Institute for Extended Learning, Weller invites her students to read her reflections and create their own “Top 10 Tips” of how they want to promote peace in their own homes. In her reflection, she wrote: “It’s often easier to love those unrelated to me. Somehow, the most intimate relationships trigger reactions no one else does — or at least not as intensely. Yet, peace begins in the home. This is where I learn to practice forgiveness, acceptance and reconciliation.” (February 8, 2010) Free 4-year-old Info Sheet for Parent EducatorsIf you’re a parent educator, register on the Parent Educators Corner to receive your complimentary copy of Perfectly Normal (if Challenging) Four-Year-Olds. This easy-to-read information sheet is packed with information about the intellectual and emotional development of the pre-K crowd, and why these children can be the proverbial “handful” to understand and manage. Regular price: $2. Not a parent educator? You’ll find this and many other valuable and easy-to-read QWIK Sheets listed at qwik-sheets.html. Just $2 each, and available 24/7! (February 7, 2010) What About Me? Author Quoted in Moms Like Me![]() “Wake Up to Happy Kids” is the title of the article in the January issue of Moms Like Me that quotes Eileen Kennedy-Moore, clinical psychologist, mother of four and Parenting Press author. Kennedy-Moore is quoted about the fact that having little sense of urgency is one luxury of being a kid. “When we say ‘Come on! Hurry up, we’re late!’ we might as well say, ‘Higgledy piggledy pop!’ because those comments have absolutely no meaning to them,” says Eileen Kennedy-Moore, author of What About Me? 12 Ways to Get Your Parents’ Attention (Without Hitting Your Sister). As adults, we live by the clock and naturally want to teach kids to respect timeliness. So focusing on just that—the clock—can make time the grumpy messenger, not you.” The article continues: “Test out this theory by letting kids set a timer and try completing tasks before the chime rings. Toss in rewards, like an extra cookie for lunch or adding mini-marshmallows to their morning cereal. Challenge older kids to a race against Mom, such as getting washed and dressed before breakfast is on the table.” (January 26, 2010) Parenting Press Titles at Texas ConferenceTwo Parenting Press books, Así me siento yo and Mi Cuerpo Es MIO, will be among the door prizes at the 12th annual Academy for Teachers of Young Children in July in Amarillo TX. The several hundred teachers expected to attend will come from such cities as Wichita Falls, Abilene, San Angelo, Lubbock, Midland and El Paso. (Not attending but want more information about the books? Just click on the images.) (January 26, 2010) Make History Come Alive with 101 ActivitiesYou can have lots of fun, and teach kids a little about history, when you open History Comes Alive: 101 Activities for the Classroom and pick a project like making silhouettes, or a taffy pull or a puppet show. Because they’ve been on display, copies of this 116-page guide are now available for $5. That’s about a nickel for each of the activities, which include crossword puzzles, the music and lyrics for early day songs and spirituals, cooking and such science projects as studying the constellations and physical vital signs. Ideal for preschool, school, home-schooling, after-school care programs and youth groups, History Comes Alive is complete with patterns, recipes, handouts and material lists. For more information or to order, call (800) 992-6657, Ext. 101 (not available online). Supplies of the specially-priced copies are limited. (January 26, 2010) Parenting Press Web Site Recommended to MilitaryParentingPress.com is one of the few corporate web sites listed in two publications for military families created by Military & Family Life Consultants, who provide counseling and resources through on-base programs. These publications discuss physical, psychological and intellectual development in the 10–12-year-old, and how to help children with “reintegration,” when a parent returns from deployment. If you are part of a military family or work with the children of deployed troops, you’ll find helpful information in back issues of our professional quarterly, PEP Talk, and in the Instant Help section of this web site. Our books about emotions can also help your children identify, discuss and learn to cope with feelings like fear, loneliness and disappointment. (January 13, 2010) Parenting Press Books Recommended for Stressful TimesChoices for Children, a California nonprofit, headlines its Winter newsletter with “Caring for Children in Stressful Times,” which concludes with a list of pertinent materials in its resource libraries. These include three Parenting Press titles: The Way I Feel by Janan Cain, and Mommy, Don’t Go and I’m Scared, both by Elizabeth Crary. (January 13, 2010) Bullies and Extra-Bright Kids among PEP Talk TopicsA teaching plan on recognizing and preventing bullying and a look at why extra-bright kids need special help are only two of the articles in the Winter issue of Parenting Press’s quarterly for professionals, Parenting Education Practitioner Talk. How to spot child molesters and predators, and understanding how children’s mental illness affects family members are among the other topics covered. Sources include Judith Wynn Halsted, author of Some of My Best Friends Are Books (Great Potential Press), Robin Sax, author of Predators and Child Molesters: What Every Parent Needs to Know to Keep Kids Safe (Prometheus Books), Diane T. Marsh and Melissa J. Marks, How to Talk to Families about Child and Adolescent Mental Illness, and Allan L. Beane, author of Bullying Prevention for Schools (Jossey-Bass). You can subscribe to the electronic edition of this newsletter. Single issues, current and back, are $5 each. For more information, call (800) 992-6657. (January 7, 2010) Waiting for “Wimpy Kid” in Theaters?Waiting to see the movie version of “Diary of a Wimpy Kid”? So are we! One of our books, Kids to the Rescue! First Aid Techniques for Kids, by Maribeth and Darwin Boelts, was purchased for use as a prop in the movie, and we’re excited to see if it shows on screen. In the meantime, we invite you to practice some of the first aid techniques recommended by the Boeltses, and use the free downloadable activity plan to create skits or your own short films about accidents and how to treat injuries. (January 7, 2010) Facts on 5-Year-OldsFantastic at 5, a new downloadable QWIK Sheet about 5-year-olds’ abilities and interests poses several questions parents can use to determine readiness for kindergarten. You’ll find this and many other valuable and easy-to-read QWIK Sheets listed at qwik-sheets.html. Just $2 each, and available 24/7! (January 5, 2010; updated February 7, 2010) School Newsletters Feature Our TitlesLooking for practical and well-written text for your school newsletter? Consider a brief excerpt from a Parenting Press publication. That’s what the Parent Institute of Fairfax Station, Virginia does for the newsletter content it creates for schools and preschools. In November, the Institute’s “Helping Children Learn,” a publication for early childhood, quoted Elizabeth Crary’s 365 Wacky, Wonderful Ways to Get Your Children to Do What You Want in an article titled “Avoid Preschool Power Struggles.” The January issue features advice from Shari Steelsmith’s Go to Your Room!: Consequences That Teach in an excerpt entitled “Make Consequences Make Sense.” Besides books, Parenting Press allows material from “News for Parents,” the monthly newsletter, and “Parenting Education Practitioner Talk” to be reprinted or excerpted at no charge if the Press is credited. (December 14, 2009) Blog for Teachers Praises The Way I FeelA first grade teacher posting to Teachers’ Favorite Children’s Books at teachersfavoritechildrensbooks.blogspot.com is full of praise for Janan Cain’s The Way I Feel, our best-selling children’s book. “This colorful picture book is one of the best to help young children learn about emotions and how to deal with them. . .Explains the many different and complex emotions we feel. . .and enables children to understand that emotions are okay. . .In addition to the great pictures, this book gives children a handle on some very useful vocabulary.” Both The Way I Feel and the new Spanish edition, Así me siento yo, have been approved for use in California public schools. (December 10, 2009) Available Now: QWIK Sheet on ToddlersExciting! Exhausting! Emotional! Yes, that’s toddlers! In Rapid Development: 18 Months–3 Years, you’ll read why the months from toddlerhood to preschool are filled with such outbursts and frustration (for parents and caregivers as well as children). Based on Helen F. Neville’s Is This a Phase? Child Development & Parent Strategies, Birth to 6 Years, this QWIK Sheet explains tantrums, meltdowns, the value of playing with your child, and what signals a red flag. Retail value: $2. (December 1, 2009; updated Jan. 5, 2010) Así me siento yo OK’ed for California schoolsThe Spanish edition of The Way I Feel, Así me siento yo, has been approved for use in California schools, grades K–8. Classroom instructors anywhere can order the teachers’ guides for these books. The three-page guide for The Way I Feel, PPTG200607, is $5, or free if ordered from Parenting Press with 20 copies of the book. The guide for Así me siento yo, PPTG200901, is two pages, and $5 if ordered alone, free if ordered with 20 copies of the book. Both teaching guides are in English and include large group, small group and individual activities. (November 16, 2009) What About Me? Is Grand’s Book of WeekGrand Magazine, a publication for grandparents, has selected What About Me? 12 Ways to Get Your Parents’ Attention (Without Hitting Your Sister) as its book of the week for the first week of November. Written by Eileen Kennedy-Moore, this children’s book was illustrated by Mits Katayama. See Grand’s entire story on Dr. Kennedy-Moore and the book at www.grandmagazine.com/article.asp?id=228. (November 4, 2009) Now Available: QWIK Sheet on ToddlersThis downloadable information sheet, usually sold for $2, is ideal for discussing with new parents. As author Lyndall Shick points out, this time period brings a huge transition in a child’s life, from helpless dependence to self-directed mobility. “Life has changed forever for him—and for you,” she reminds parents as she provides tips on child-proofing, toy selection and the all-important parent-child bonding. (November 4, 2009; updated Dec. 2) Jean Illsley Clarke on Radio Nov. 4 on Overindulgence![]() Tune in to “Real Parents, Real Solutions” on the VoiceAmerica Variety Channel to hear the Nov. 4 interview with Jean Illsley Clarke about overindulgence. Catch the comments by the author of How Much Is Enough and its Leader’s Guide by selecting the November episode listing. (November 2, 2009; updated Nov. 4) Hear Janan Cain on Army Wife Radio Web Site![]() If you and your children enjoy our best-selling The Way I Feel, you’ll enjoy hearing author/illustrator Janan Cain in the archived story from her recent Army Wife Network interview. She describes what inspired her to start the book, and the heartwarming comments she’s received about it from parents and teachers. “When someone tells me that a child requests the book every day—well, it doesn’t get any better than that!”she says. To hear Cain, visit www.armywifenetwork.com/playerwindow.html and select Show #236. To get directly to Cain’s comments, move the slider to 65 minutes. Army Wife Network, created by two military wives, offers programs that are designed to motivate, inspire and empower spouses of troops. (October 20, 2009) Now Available: It’s A BabyHow can we nourish the minds and bodies of babies? Based on Helen F. Neville’s Is This a Phase? Child Development & Parent Strategies, Birth to 6 Years, It’s a Baby: 2 to 9 Months is a Qwik Sheet that explains how babies develop as they move past the newborn stage. You’ll read about what babies perceive, how to play with them, what to expect in terms of attention spans and growth spurts, and how to introduce solid foods. (October 7, 2009; updated Nov. 3, 2009) Now Available: Staying Safe in CyberspaceEven if your family is not on the Internet (and these days, who isn’t?), you can still be at risk for electronic bullying, identity theft and stalking. Now, as a new school year is underway, see how to protect your family with Parenting Press’s new Staying Safe in Cyberspace. This easy-to-read information sheet is ideal for distribution in schools, too. (October 7, 2009) CD Now Available for How Much is Enough? Leader’s GuideYou can now add a CD with all 365 pages of the How Much is Enough? Leader’s Guide to your order for the downloadable or hard copy edition—for just $15. Not available as a separate purchase, this CD makes it especially easy to print out copies of the 74 handouts and posters and 43 interactive exercises for class use created by author Jean Illsley Clarke. The guide has received such praise from parent educators as:
(September 24, 2009) “Childhood Matters” and “Nuestros Niños” Promote Our BooksTwo San Francisco Bay area radio programs, Rona Renner’s “Childhood Matters” and Dr. Marisol Muñoz-Kiehne’s Spanish language “Nuestros Niños,” are promoting Parenting Press books with giveaways. “Childhood Matters,” which frequently features nurse, parent educator and temperament specialist Helen F. Neville, is publicizing Neville’s three books: Temperament Tools, Is This a Phase? and Mommy! I Have to Go Potty!. “Nuestros Niños” is promoting Así me siento yo, the new Spanish language edition of our best-selling The Way I Feel, by Janan Cain. The translation was done by Yanitzia Canetti, the Boston-area translator who has created the Spanish language text for all of the Dr. Seuss books. (September 16, 2009) Act Out Emotions in The Way I FeelKids learn what the words for emotions mean when they express themselves through drama, writes preschool teacher Tandy Jurgensen in her blog, Preschool Playhouse. That’s why she’s having her groups use costumes and props to act out the emotions in The Way I Feel. “I intend to use music to act these feelings out so that while we dress silly, we also act silly to silly music,” she explains, citing one of the emotions in the book, now available in both English and Spanish editions. (August 12, 2009) “Win the Chore Wars” Is Crary’s Radio Topic![]() Walk the dog, dump the garbage, set the table: how do you get kids to help out around the house? Tune into “Real Parents. Real Solutions” on Wednesday, Aug. 12 at 10 a.m. Pacific time/noon Central for Elizabeth Crary’s explanation of the importance of chores—and how to get kids to actually do them, and do them right. To listen, click through to “Real Parents, Real Solutions”; when the show is playing, click on the "Live Show" button. Listeners will be offered a free Qwik Sheet, a two-page informational sheet with dozens of tips on kids and chores. If you miss the broadcast, you haven’t missed the chance to hear Crary: the show archives will have her program. (August 8, 2009; updated August 11) Neville on Radio Aug. 23![]() Helen F. Neville, author of the newly revised and expanded Mommy! I Have to Go Potty! (2nd ed.), will discuss “Setting Limits and Adapting to Transition and Change” with host Rona Renner on “Childhood Matters” Sunday, Aug. 23 on several California radio stations and at childhoodmatters.org. If you live in northern California, you can listen from 7 to 8 a.m. on KISS 98.1 FM, K-OCEAN 105.1 FM, La Nuestra KBBF 89.1 FM, or streaming at childhoodmatters.org. The program also airs between 10 and 11 a.m. on KGOE 1480 AM in Eureka. All “Childhood Matters” programs are archived at childhoodmatters.org, so you can click through to Neville’s new program or to her earlier presentations. These include “Is this a Phase?,” Dec. 27, 2008. (August 4, 2009) Is This a Phase? Being Translated into Simplified ChineseIs This a Phase? Child Development & Parent Strategies, Birth to 6 Years, written by San Francisco Bay area parent educator and temperament specialist Helen F. Neville, R.N., is being translated into Simplified Chinese by a Beijing publisher. Published by Parenting Press in 2007, Is This a Phase? was created to answer the common parenting questions that Neville had heard over and over again as a pediatric advice nurse. It received a silver medal in Foreword Magazine’s Book of the Year program, and an honor award in the National Parenting Publications Awards program. Library Journal called it “An authoritative reference covering a broad range of topics in health, behavior, and human needs” and commented, “Accurate, reliable, and practical, with many charts and graphs that render the information accessible.” (August 1, 2009) What People Say about Así me siento yoThe Spanish edition of Janan Cain’s award-winning The Way I Feel has been praised for its careful translation and it’s winning kudos from parents, too! As a bilingual mother of three and day care provider tells us: “It is very important to me that I have engaging books during Circle/Story Times. Así me siento yo discusses feelings with great illustrations and stories to accompany the feeling at hand. It is a great book that also gives children who are bilingual, Spanish speaking or in the process learning the Spanish language a chance to hear a great story in either their native tongue or the language that they are trying to master. The best part to me are the illustrations—bright, comical pictures that catch your eye and explain the story even if you are not Spanish-speaking. They make the feelings so easy to comprehend!” (July 15, 2009) Promote Spanish Edition of Así me siento yo![]() If you are a library or bookstore, consider introducing Así me siento yo, the new Spanish edition of Janan Cain’s book, with a Fish Lips Face Photo Contest. A humorous (sometimes hilarious) way to get children and their parents through your doors, it’s an ideal program for those dreary winter months. With this contest, Parenting Press provides gift books as prizes when kids imitate the goofy face on the cover of The Way I Feel. Rules are simple; all you have to do is publicize the contest and display a cover of the book for at least a month prior to selecting the “fishiest face.” (July 15, 2009) For Safety Anytime, Anywhere, Teach Kids First AidQuick! How do you treat a bug bite? A deep cut? A broken bone? You can teach your children simple first aid techniques with our new how-to-teach QWIK Sheet, Teaching Your Kids First Aid. In Kids to the Rescue! First Aid Techniques for Kids, Maribeth and Darwin Boelts explain how to handle several common injuries, and Marina Megale’s pictures illustrate the treatments. (June 8, 2009; updated Jan. 26, 2010) Education.com Recognizes Neville’s Red Flags![]() “Red Flags for Reading Problems” by Helen Fowler Neville, B.S., R.N., based on Is This a Phase? Child Development & Parent Strategies, Birth to 6 Years, has just been published by Education.com. If you’re concerned about a child with potential reading problems, see www.education.com/reference/article/red-flags-reading-problems/. (April 23, 2009) Parenting Press on Twitter.com!Faster than a speeding Smith-Corona! Quicker than a quill pen! More rapid than. . .well, you get the idea! To read Parenting Press news even sooner than it appears on this What’s New page, check our new Twitter account, http://twitter.com/parentingpress. Better yet, follow us! We promise to not deluge you with minute-by-minute accounts of what’s arriving in the Parenting Press warehouse. Not yet receiving tweets from anyone? You can sign up at twitter.com. (April 22, 2009) New Toilet Training Guide Honored
The newly revised Mommy! I Have to Go Potty! (2nd ed.) has received an honor award in the annual National Parenting Publications program. Just updated and expanded by Helen F. Neville, B.S., R.N, Mommy! now provides information on training children with special needs, working with a child care provider, and on early training. Neville, who is also the co-author of Temperament Tools: Working with Your Child’s Inborn Traits and author of Is This a Phase?, discusses how a child’s inborn traits affect the pace of the training process. (April 7, 2009) “Active Alert” Author Launches Web Site![]() Linda Budd, the psychologist author of Living with the Active Alert Child: Groundbreaking Strategies for Parents, is online. You can read about Dr. Budd’s practice, her work with unusually energetic and creative children, and her book at www.drbudd.net. (March 10, 2009) "Why Don’t You Understand?" Gets MORE RavesWhy Don't You Understand?, Susie Leonard Weller’s look at thinking styles, and the research on which it is based continue to receive favorable reviews. Writing on a library consortium web site, www.worldcat.org, a conference attendee said, “It’s going to take a few more readings and a lot of practice to master the habits and techniques Susie teaches in this book, but I think the effort will really pay off. . . “Before I went to the conference Susie led on Whole-Brain thinking, I would have described myself as a “left-brained” thinker, with a preference for the logical, linear types of thought-processes. Then I went through her exercises and discovered that actually I am split about 60/40 between quadrant “B” (Practical) and quadrant “C” (Relational), with only a tiny bit of preference for “A” (Logical), and no preference at all for quadrant “D” (Creative). . . “What I loved most about this book were the dialogue and real-life applications/situations. But I think what is of most value is the chance to think about and respect other people’s ways of thinking and points of view. Ideally, both parents (or any adults in any situation) can learn to calm down, slow down, and make better decisions that work for everyone involved. . . “I highly recommend this book to all adults, but especially those who have kids with opposite thinking styles.” In The Element: How Finding Your Passion Changes Everything (Viking, 2009), Ken Robinson points out there have been various attempts to categorize thinking styles, and he is critical of the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator. However, about the Hermann Brain Dominance Instrument, which is the basis of Weller’s Why Don't You Understand?, Robinson says, “It doesn’t seek to put people in a box. Instead, it tries to show people which of four brain quadrants they tend to use more often. . .[it] acknowledges that everyone is capable of using each of these thinking styles, but tries to indicate which of these styles is dominant in any individual.” (February 16, 2009) Consider Helen Neville for Your Co-op or PTA![]() You’re a reporter writing about potty training? Or children’s temperament? Or you’re a preschool or PTA leader, looking for a speaker for a program? Here’s the answer: Helen F. Neville, B.S., R.N., Expert. The author of Is This a Phase? Child Development & Parent Strategies, Birth to 6 Years, this Oakland CA author has just revised Mommy! I Have to Go Potty! (2nd ed.), which has been expanded to discuss toilet training the special needs child, working with child care providers and the influence of a child’s temperament on the training process. Neville, who earlier co-authored Temperament Tools: Working with Your Child’s Inborn Traits for the Seattle publisher Parenting Press, can detail how a child’s temperament affects readiness for such milestones as toilet training and readiness for preschool or kindergarten. She can also describe how parents must be aware of their temperaments and how those affect their parenting. For more information, see www.temperamenttools.com or the media kit for Is This a Phase? Child Development & Parent Strategies, Birth to 6 Years. (February 16, 2009; revised July 15) Weller Published in "Chicken Soup"![]() Susie Leonard Weller, the Spokane parent educator and author of Why Don't You Understand?, is one of the contributing authors in Chicken Soup for the Soul: The Cancer Book, 101 Stories of Courage, Support and Love, to be in bookstores in March. Weller, who was diagnosed with colon cancer as she completed the original manuscript of Why Don't You Understand?, is the author of the 31st story, “The Cancer Triathalon.” Describing her “triathalon” as “Radiate, Medicate and Operate,” Weller says she applies the principles of her book—the different thinking styles you can use in a situation—to her experience with cancer. (February 16, 2009) Professional Journal Recommends Decision Is Yours Series
Professional School Counseling, in its December 2008 issue, describes how the Parenting Press Decision Is Yours books in an after-school mentoring program called CAMP. “The Cross-Age Mentoring Program: A Developmental Intervention for Promoting Children’s Connectedness across Grade Levels” was written by Michael J. Karcher. The “Decision Is Yours” books, which describe what the journal calls such “social dilemmas” as bullying, theft, cheating and use of liquor, are all written in the “you-choose-what-happens-next” format. The CAMP curriculum is designed to help high school students develop leadership and collaboration skills while promoting connectedness, self-esteem and academic achievement among the younger students being mentored. Each mentor-mentee pair reads and discusses a different “Decision Is Yours” book and then role-plays alternate outcomes to the entire group of mentors and mentees. (January 13, 2009) Seattle’s Child Raves, and Raves, and Raves about Is This a Phase?“Here’s a secret for parents of today’s infants through preschoolers: You have it made. Luckily for you, Neville, a registered nurse, shares the vast knowledge and insights she’s gleaned as a parent educator, pediatric advice nurse and infant temperament expert in the comprehensive new guide, Is This a Phase? Child Development & Parent Strategies, Birth to 6 Years, published by Seattle-based Parenting Press.” So writes Cheryl Murfin in a new review on SeattlesChild.com. She goes on to describe Is This a Phase? as a “jam-packed, authoritative reference guide” and says, “A book like this would have saved my husband and me a lot of time and worry and taken much of the guesswork out of divining the mysteries of child development.” Murfin, who also praises Neville’s emphasis on temperament, how it affects a child’s development, and how it affects parenting, concludes, “When my kids were young, the phrase ‘Is this a phase?’ came to my mind at least weekly. Would they ever stop whining? Would she ever start sharing? Was this kid over-emotional? Was I crazy? Would he grow out of hitting or did I have a hoodlum in the family? If only I could have pulled Helen Neville’s book from my shelf.” (Dec. 9, 2008) Bloggers Full of Compliments“Love love love [The Way I Feel],” blogged Jo's 101 in 1001, pointing out, “The pictures are excellent at characterizing the different feelings that we all go through in life.” “When I read The Way I Feel to the children of my grandsons’ preschool, every child was fascinated,” a New Mexico reader recently said about Janan Cain’s book. “As an adult, I might not have been overly impressed, but the important impression is the one it makes on kids. The words and the art in this book give kids permission to feel their feelings—not to act on them, but to feel. I ordered several as gifts for the children in my life.” “Beautiful illustrations,” says kiddieliter.com, a blog created by students of children’s literature at Lander University (Greenwood, S.C.) about The Way I Feel. “Perfect for children learning about poetry,” it continues about the book, coming soon in Spanish (see our earlier post below). Another blogger, mandeeandbrandy.blogspot.com, also praises The Way I Feel, commenting, “It’s important to teach children that it’s okay to be angry or sad. It’s okay to get excited and to be happy. . .” When kids suffer from separation anxiety, turn to Elizabeth Crary’s Mommy, Don’t Go, recommends idaalfaiz.multiply.com, which the blogger calls among the most helpful of Crary’s problem-solving books for young children. Two other Crary books, When When You’re Shy and You Know It, and When You’re Silly and You Know It, are also recommended on imperfectparent.com (scroll down). Reviewer Charity R. Bartley Howard reminds readers how important it is to read even to infants, and she describes how much fun it is to use these and the two other Feelings for Little Children board books to sing to the tune of “If You’re Happy and You Know It.” (October 27, 2008; updated Nov. 10 & 19, Dec. 1) Download Our New Book on Internet SafetyHow much do you know about phishing? Spoofing? Social networking? Cyber bullies? We’ve provided an overview to all of these Internet issues in our Internet Safety and Your Family (media kit), available 24/7 from our web site as a PDF. Download now and you’ll save $5—simply type “Safety” in the “Promotional Code” box when you check out. If you’d prefer a paperback edition of Internet Safety and Your Family, you may order through Amazon.com.
(July 14, 2008/updated July 22, 2008) The Way I Feel Praised by Parents of Autistic KidsTwo recent online reviews by parents praise The Way I Feel can be used with autistic children. “Teaching an autistic child the language for their emotions is a difficult task,” wrote one mother, who explained that her child could not recognize people’s emotions from their actions and facial expressions. “We pull this book out whenever I see that my daughter does not understand how someone was feeling earlier in the day.” “This is an ideal book to have in your home,” wrote another parent, who said, “Some children may have language delays, developmental delays or any array of speech/language pathologies that make The Way I Feel a fantastic choice to provide children with the tools they need to verbalize their feelings.” Earlier, during National Autism Awareness Month, we were told, “The Way I Feel is absolutely a treat to read and explore. . .It’s not uncommon for children on the Autism spectrum to struggle with interpreting facial expressions and body language. . .This was an area my son had a tough time with. We started out with simple line drawings. . ., we tried showing him actual photos of people making different expressions. . .But, whaddya know, The Way I Feel worked. . .No detail has been left out, from the image to the colors on the page and even the font. The text speaks the truth and isn’t heavy-handed.” ![]() “The Way I Feel is the best book I’ve seen for helping teach children what emotions are,” commented another parent, who said her daughter had difficulty understanding emotions and expressing them appropriately. “The illustrations themselves are large and spill from one page to the next, each conveying the emotion perfectly. . .[the book] has been a wonderful conduit for getting my daughter to learn and talk about emotions.” Many parents and educational programs have expressed interest in a Spanish edition of The Way I Feel, which Parenting Press is now working on. If you are interested in a quantity purchase of a Spanish edition, please e-mail our marketing department and we will provide information on pre-publication retail discounts for orders of 25 or more books. For quantity purchases of the 32-page hardbound edition, or the 19-page board book, both in English, contact our sales department by email or phone, (206) 364-2900, Ext. 101. (June 21, 2008) California Schools Approve PublicationsThe Way I Feel, Parenting Press’s 32-page prize-winning picture book about emotions, and Self-Calming Cards, which show and describe how to manage feelings, are two of the Parenting Press publications approved for supplemental use in California public schools. The Feeling Elf Cards & Games and the Decision Is Yours Series—Bully on the Bus, Finders, Keepers, Under Whose Influence, Making the Grade and First Day Blues—were also determined to meet “social content” requirements of the California Department of Education’s code. “These guidelines ensure that materials portray democratic values, cultural pluralism, and the diversity of our population by emphasizing people in a variety of positive roles,” the Press was told. The publications will now be included on the list of California’s Legal and Social Compliance Approved Out-of-Cycle Instructional Materials. (January 9, 2007 | |||||
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Last updated September 01, 2010