FAMILIES

My Kind of Family: A Book for Kids in Single Parent Homes. by Lash, Loughridge & Fussier

This is a wonderful workbook that helps children to explore and express their feelings about living in a single-parent home. Children live in single-parent homes for many reasons but often have similar feelings, thoughts and questions about their experiences. The book includes lots of space for kids to write or draw their own thoughts and express feelings from the books content.

Stepfamilies Stepping Ahead. Stepfamily Association of America Edited by Mala Burt.

An essential book for any new or evolving stepfamily. This book spells out the Stepping Ahead Program and it's eight step program for stepfamily integration. Additional topics include defining what a stepfamily is, the common myths about stepfamilies, stages of their development, differences and how stepfamilies are different & much more complex than nuclear families. $10 from The Stepfamily Association of America or free with annual membership. 800-735-0329.

RELATIONSHIPS & COMMUNICATIONS

Men Are From Mars, Woman Are From Venus. by John Gray, Ph.D

A practical guide for improving communication and getting what you want from relationships. The CD-ROM package is included. A nice informational tool for gaining understanding the dynamics of self in relation to your partner. This multimedia experience includes a customizable "personal workshop," testimonials of past participants, movie segments of relationship problems and skill building tips for improving communication and relationships. At about half the price of a therapy session, it's a steal. The book is included in this package. 

Getting The Love You Want by Harville Hendrix, PH.D.

This book can help you transform your relationship into a lasting source of love and companionship. This is a great guide to helping couples develop a more mature and satisfying relationship together. The book includes exercises for couples to do together to help them gain insight into their current relationship by looking and evaluating past relationships with significant parents or others in their family of origin development. 

Divorce Busting. By Michelle Weiner-Davis.

This book, as its name entails, is focused first on challenging the myth of divorce as a solution to most marital problems. She goes on to give straight forward and effective directions for how couples can stay together and prosper rather than move apart. Marriage enrichment and divorce prevention techniques are shown for the couple or even when only one partner participates. This positive solution focused book is a must read for any couple in stress or desiring improved relationship with self and others. At about $11 in your local bookstore, its a bargain.

LEADERSHIP & PARENTING

7 Habits of Highly Effective Families by Stephen Covey

This book presents a concise and well planned way of giving and getting the most for your self and family. It appears to be similarly based on the main tenants from the "7 Habits of highly effective people" and expands into areas of family vision and mission from a very proactive position.

Credibility: How leaders Gain and Lose It, Why People Demand It. by James M, Kouzes & Barry Posner.

The title says it all. This motivational book focuses on the how's and why's of good leadership and qualities that are demanded of them. It discusses key characteristics and qualities of admired leaders and the foundation necessary for the role in a straight forward and effective format. It discusses effective leaders as people who have principles, stand up for their values, are honest, competent, forward-looking and trustworthy. They exude confidence and inspire others to be visionaries, highly motivated and effective.

Who's In Charge Here. by Robert Barnes.

The theme of this book is on personal responsibility and effective discipline, both in the parents and the child. It makes a very specific point about how discipline is the basic part of the child's training and how future behavior is affected. It helps expand our understanding of why discipline is necessary and helpful to development. The book includes numerous examples, both positive and negative, to support their contentions. Worksheets at end of chapters are also very helpful in putting their notions into action. This book is definitely a keeper. Buy it, read it, use what you can.

 Self-Esteem, A Family Affair by Jean ttlsley Clarke

Self-Esteem is possibly the most essential ingredient for human happiness. It starts at home, in the nurturing interactions between children and grown-ups. This book concerns all kinds of family settings, and the ways self-esteem is nourished for both parents and children. It offers creative ways to help self-esteem flourish for everyone, grown-ups and children. I like it because it starts with parents strengths and offers options for improvement. It contains stories of families, worksheets to help implement suggestions and tips that work with children of all ages. As far as I am concerned it's a basic text for parental skill building. A must read for all parents, new or old.

 SUBSTANCE ABUSE & TEENS  

Choices And Consequences: What To Do When A Teenager Uses Alcohol/Drugs. by Dick Schaefer.

This book was written for parents, teachers and other professionals who are concerned about teenagers and the problems alcohol/drugs cause in their lives. It does a good job of looking at the developmental tasks of adolescence and discusses differences in adolescence and adult abuse and disease progression. A very good resource for any concerned parent.