Family Development

Everyone seems to agree that we have an epidemic of what is diagnosed as autism. But, in the history of our society, there has never been "an epidemic" of any developmental or genetic disorder. Yet, over the span of thirty years, autism has gone from affecting one in 5,000 children to one in 90, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. So what is this "autism", which has come to affect the lives of so many?

What every parent wants most is for their children to grow into happy, healthy humans, which sounds pretty simple, but the reality is that there’s an epidemic of mental ill-health among adolescents and adults. There is no one perfect way to be a parent, but there are steps that you can put in place to create young people who know how to make the most out of their lives. Dr Tim Sharp, Dr Happy, introduces you to the simple daily habits that will help you create an environment that fosters growth and happiness for you and your kids.

One of the very best scientific predictors for how any child turns out - in terms of happiness, academic success, leadership skills, and meaningful relationships - is whether at least one adult in their life has consistently shown up for them. In an age of scheduling demands and digital distractions, showing up for your child might sound like a tall order. But as best-selling authors Daniel Siegel and Tina Payne Bryson reassuringly explain, it doesn’t take a lot of time, energy, or money. Instead, showing up means offering a quality of presence.

Your precious newborn comes into the world like a bud on the verge of blooming, eager to grasp the rhythm of life. As the developing brain embarks on its journey outside the womb, it instinctively seeks to organize and make sense of this new world, yet it is unable to sculpt the cycles of feed-wake and sleep that it needs to thrive. This is where the parents step in, as caretakers and creators, much like the artisans molding clay, they begin to shape the child's world with gentle precision guided by Babywise Sleep Solutions.

In her extraordinary best seller, Adrian Nicole LeBlanc immerses listeners in the intricacies of the ghetto, revealing the true sagas lurking behind the headlines of gangsta glamour, gold-drenched drug dealers, and street-corner society. Focusing on two romances - Jessica's dizzying infatuation with a hugely successful young heroin dealer, Boy George; and Coco's first love with Jessica's little brother, Cesar - Random Family is the story of young people trying to outrun their destinies.

Fatherhood is one of the toughest jobs and the biggest responsibility you'll ever take on. Advice for Working Dads will teach you how to balance and integrate work and parenthood, how to navigate the common pitfalls at work, and how to find success when you're taking on twice as much - for the good of your family.

Dr. Robert Mendelsohn, renowned pediatrician and author, advises parents on home treatment and diagnosis of colds and flus, childhood illnesses, vision and hearing problems, allergies, and more. Plus, a complete section on picking the right doctor for your child, step-by-step instructions for knowing when to call a doctor, and much more.

In this pioneering, practical book, Daniel J. Siegel, neuropsychiatrist and author of the bestselling Mindsight, and parenting expert Tina Payne Bryson offer a revolutionary approach to child rearing with twelve key strategies that foster healthy brain development, leading to calmer, happier children. The authors explain—and make accessible—the new science of how a child’s brain is wired and how it matures.

Nicole Chung was born premature, placed for adoption by her Korean parents, and raised by a white family in a sheltered Oregon town. From childhood, she heard the story of her adoption as a comforting, prepackaged myth. She believed that her biological parents had made the ultimate sacrifice in the hope of giving her a better life, that forever feeling slightly out of place was her fate as a transracial adoptee. But as Nicole grew up, she wondered if the story she'd been told was the whole truth.

From author and illustrator Sophie Lucido Johnson comes Love Without Sex, a fascinating three-part Audible Original that explores nontraditional relationships and shows how breaking down stereotypes and misconceptions around love can help us all build stronger, healthier connections to one another. In our culture, the rom-com boy-meets-girl romantic set up is by and large the most persistent love story.

Healthy boundaries. We all know we should have them - in order to achieve work/life balance, cope with toxic people, and enjoy rewarding relationships with partners, friends, and family. But what do "healthy boundaries" really mean - and how can we successfully express our needs, say "no", and be assertive without offending others? Licensed counselor, sought-after relationship expert, and one of the most influential therapists on Instagram Nedra Glover Tawwab demystifies this complex topic for today's world.

As a teenager, Kristin Berry had heard all the horror stories surrounding foster care and adoption - abuse, neglect, rejection, anger, and misunderstandings. But instead of closing her heart, God opened it wide. This is Kristin's honest, unvarnished story of some of her experiences as a foster parent of 23 children over the course of nine years. What she learned is that living in a foster home is like living with a revolving door. You never know who will arrive or who you will have to say goodbye to. Leaving the door open means there will be heartache and pain, but also adventure and unexpected joy.

In a time when so many children and young adults seem to be struggling, parents are looking for help in bringing up mentally healthy kids who are equipped to thrive. Finally, evidence-based help is now available for overwhelmed parents who are trying their best but feel like they’re falling short.

In this easy-to-listen-to, science-based book, parents, caregivers, and adults of all kinds discover how discipline affects children’s development, why intervention should reinforce connection not separation, and why the disciplinary strategies that may have been used on us as children are not the ones that children really need. As a practicing child and family psychologist and advisor to the British Columbia ministry of children and families, Dr. Vanessa has seen it all, and she has navigated hundreds of tough situations with families.

Charles Dickens is known not only for his novels, but also for his short stories, particularly "A Christmas Carol." In the latter genre, interestingly, these stories had a powerful commercial impulse, for they were serialized in magazines at the Christmas season.

What happens when you're no longer setting goals and chasing dreams that work for you alone? When the career choices you make have ripple effects on your family? These are some of the questions you ask yourself as you struggle to balance managing your career with managing your family. In Managing Your Career, experts provide answers to the challenges you face as a working parent, from negotiating a flexible schedule to overcoming the parenthood penalty whether you're taking time off, treading water, or reentering the workforce.

There are days in every working parent's life when it feels like you're screaming into the wind. The days when you have to ask your childless boss if you can leave work early - again - for a kid issue. The days your kid tearfully asks why you have to get on an airplane for work when you just got home. But we can have fewer days like that and more productive conversations. We can listen and be heard. In Communicate Better with Everyone, experts provide answers to the challenges you face as a working parent.

Based partly on the author's experience, partly on her in-depth interviews, and partly on a questionnaire she developed with psychologist Holly Barrett to which almost 600 women responded, Father Loss provides the clearest portrait yet of a very special group of women. As a group, they express their insecurities ("Sometimes I wonder if I'll ever be able to love a man totally...because that would mean I didn't love my father anymore." - Leslie).

From a clinical psychologist who served as a clinical supervisor in the Department of Psychology at Yale University, received the CPA’s award for Distinguished Contribution to the Practice of Psychology, and has treated couples and trained therapists for over four decades, this newly updated, award-winning book provides concrete, proven strategies for those who seek to survive their partner’s infidelity and to rebuild the relationship after an affair. This new third edition of After the Affair helps guide both hurt and unfaithful partners through three stages of healing.

The gospel of Jesus Christ—the good news that through Jesus we have been adopted as sons and daughters into God’s family—means that Christians ought to be at the forefront of the adoption of orphans in North America and around the world. Russell D. Moore does not shy away from this call in Adopted for Life, a popular-level, practical manifesto for Christians to adopt children and to help equip other Christian families to do the same.