This year’s diverse crop of parenting resources runs the
gamut from the lowest
tech to the highest, from sleepy-time aids to enhancers of budding intellects.

Among the offerings are items to help parents instill good values and keep their

kids safe, busy and happy.

Though it’s always a challenge to choose among such a
wide variety of books,
videos, CDs and other products, parents can rest assured that the award-winners

featured here will help make parenting easier and more pleasant.

Pregnancy & Childbirth
(Book) Beyond the Blues: A Guide to
Understanding and Treating Prenatal and
Postpartum Depression, by Shoshana S. Bennett, Ph.D., and Pec Indman,
Ed.D., MFT; Moodswings Press, 2003; $14.95; 888-HUG-MOMS,
www.beyond theblues.com. How do you know when your baby blues are
actually something more serious? This book helps new moms (and those who
love them) determine whether professional help is advisable for their sadness,

anxiety, stress and other symptoms. Reading it could save lives.

(Book) Parenting Your Premature Baby and Child:
The Emotional Journey, by
Deborah L. Davis, Ph.D., and Mara Tesler Stein, Psy.D.; Fulcrum Books, 2004;

$24.95; 800-992-2908, www.fulcrum-books.com. Written by a developmental
psychologist and a clinical psychologist, this 900-page tome offers every
possible support to those struggling with the issues that come with delivering
a
child too early. Coping becomes easier with this combination of specific help
and
reassuring anecdotes.

(VHS/DVD) The Real Deal on Breastfeeding, Playgroup
Productions, 2004;
$23.95 VHS, $16.95 DVD; 917-349-0315, www.realdeal videos.com. I would
have had a smoother start to nursing my own babies if I’d had this reassuring
and
helpful visual resource! Expectant or new moms get to watch another mother as

she’s shown how to breastfeed by a certified lactation consultant. Real
women
share their own experiences, and while they don’t make light of the benefits
of
nursing, they do reflect on the occasional humorous moments.
Baby Care

(CD) The Baby Sleep System, Sounds in Silence, 2001;
$19.95;
760-720-3340, www.soundsinsilence.com. Anything that soothes your tyke
without irritating you is worth a try. But this is better than just not irritating:
The Baby
Sleep System CD is truly relaxing to all ages, from tiny infants to adults.

Combining organic sounds (like a mother’s heartbeat) with non-traditional
music
(rather than stimulating melodies), it comes with a warning: don’t listen
in your car. If
you listen to a sample on the Web site, you’ll understand why –
it’s so pleasantly
enjoyable that it makes you want to curl up and spend some blankie time with

your baby!

(Tool) Oxford LullaBag, Cloud b, 2004; $24.46; 310-781-3833,

www.cloudb.com. Soft and simple, this lightweight cotton bag zips up the side

and secures over the infant’s shoulders. Safer than a blanket because
it’s less likely
to cover the nose and mouth, this sleep bag is loose-fitting and breathable.

LullaBags come in two sizes: small (1 to 5 months) and large (5 to 12 months).
(Book) The Safe Baby: A Do-It-Yourself Guide to Home Safety, Sentient
Publications, 2004; $14.95; 303-443-2188, www.sentientpublications.com.
Keeping your tot safe is undoubtedly your No. 1 concern. This practical guide
is a
fresh and empowering approach to the age-old topic, covering safety in every

room of the house and beyond.

Caring for Toddlers
(Tool) Family Life Organizer, Family Facts, 2003;
$25; 914-666-8383,
www.family-facts.com. Busy parents are often attracted to products promising
to
help organize family life. Now, there’s a three-ring binder system that
truly delivers.
Containing a calendar, big pockets, sheet protectors and other handy features,
this
uncomplicated organizer makes a convenient spot to collect all of your school,

camp, babysitter, pet and health information. Refills are available.
(Tool) My NapPak, My NapPak, 2001; $25-$35; 214-357-1PAK, www.
mynappak.com. Oh, to be a little child again, snuggling in a colorful and cozy

all-in-one pillow and comforter with its own attached fleecy blanket. At under
2
pounds, and with its own Velcro® roll-up closures, this is one take-it-with-’em

sleeping bag that any 2- to 4-year-old will delight in curling up in.

Parenting Preschoolers & Kindergartners
(Book) Fun on the Run!, by Cynthia L. Copeland, Workman Publishing,
2004;
$8.95; 212-614-7745, www.workman.com. The author has come up with 324
creative and original things to do with kids. This purse-sized book is conveniently

divided into car games, waiting-room games, standing-in-line games and so on.

Easy to read, no excess words, and lots of by-the-way learning opportunities.

(Book) The Learning Power of Laughter:
Over 300 Playful Games, Activities and
Ideas That Promote Learning with Young Children, by Jackie Silberg, Gryphon

House, 2004; $12.95; 800-638-0928, www.gryphonhouse.com. What a fine gift
to give your kids: the knowledge that humor is both a wonderful coping
mechanism and an effective learning tool. The author has compiled numerous
ways to play with language, silly sounds, imagination and music, as well as
a batch
of amusing active games using no or minimal equipment.

Raising Early Elementary Students
(Book) If Your Child is Bipolar: The Parent-to-Parent
Guide to Living With and
Loving a Bipolar Child, by Cindy Singer and Sheryl Gurrentz, Perspective
Publishing, 2004; $18.95; 818-502-1270, www.familyhelp.com. This
comprehensive volume offers the support you need if you’re beginning to
worry
that your child is demonstrating behavior problems that are more extensive than

those you can handle on your own. Learn how to get the correct diagnosis, what

the treatment options are, and how to adjust to having a bipolar child in the
family.
(Software) Lexia Cross-Trainer: Visual Spatial™, Lexia
Learning Systems Inc.,
2004; $199; 800-435-3942, www.lexialearning. com. This is a software program

designed to help students improve the visual-spatial skills that make it easier
to
learn math and science. It can help a learning disabled or mainstream learner;
it can
help a struggling student or one who just seeks more of a challenge. Experiment

with the program yourself, and you will experience your own improvement.
Encourage your child (ages 6 and older) to spend time with the handy controller,

exploring the many activities, and you can expect improvement in math, science,

thinking, memory and problem-solving abilities. The program offers immediate

feedback and can be used by several children in turn.

Parenting ’Tweens
& Teens
(Tool) Food for Talk, distributed by Seven Locks Publishing, 2004;
$19.95;
714-970-9844, www.foodfortalk. net. “How was your day?” “Mm.”
Weary of that
dull scenario? To improve your family’s mealtime conversations, it helps
to dig a
little deeper. The 200 clever cards in Food for Talk’s handy file box
may open the
doors to deeper talk and greater family bonding. Examples: “What is something

you’d do if you were 20 years older (or younger, for adults)?” or
“Name five things
that make you smile.”
General Parenting Resources

(Book) Hearing Is Believing: How Words Can Make or Break Our Kids,
by Elisa
Medhus, M.D.; New World Library, 2004; $14.95; 415-884-2100,
www.newworldlibrary.com. This is a lovely book about the ways we use _ and
sometimes misuse _ words with our children. You’ll learn to avoid praising
only
perfection or giving generalized praise, and why pleading with your kids is
a
no-no. Ever catch yourself explaining endlessly to a child who rebuts every
word?
Learn how to be direct and effective, while fully respecting your child.

(Book) One Family, Two Family, New Family: Stories
and Advice for
Stepfamilies, by Lisa Cohn and William Merkel, Ph.D.; Riverwood Books, 2004;

$16.95; 1-800-380-8286, www.riverwood books. com. Expectant parents are
often told their lives will change in ways they can’t predict. It’s
also said
that stepfamilies don’t “blend” overnight. Both are vast understatements.
This
warm guide offers a peek deep inside the emotional complications of several

stepfamilies (including the authors’ own) and, at the same time, lets
you see how
you can make yours work better. It almost reads like a novel, and that’s
good.

(Book) Who’s Raising Your Child?: Battling the
Marketers for Your Child’s Heart
and Soul, by Laura J. Buddenberg and Kathleen M. McGee, Boys Town Press,
2004; $12.95; 800-282-6657, www.girlsandboystown.org/btpress. The authors
do a superb job of reminding parents how advertising aims to capture our
children’s loyalty from a shockingly early age. While there’s nothing
intrinsically
wrong with wanting to be “cool” and fit in with one’s peers,
young people are
constantly being urged to believe that they get popular by buying the right
stuff.
These authors argue that we have to teach them it isn’t so.

(Book) Zen Parenting: The Art of Learning What You
Already Know, by Judith
Costello and Jurgen Haver, Robins Lane Press, 2004; $12.95; 800-638-0928,
www.robinslanepress.com. Forget about being a perfect parent. Instead, learn
to
tune in to the everyday beauty of the ordinary world around you, and show your

kids how to do the same. This calming little book will help you be a less distracted,

more attentive and more compassionate parent.

Susan K. Perry, Ph.D., is a social psychologist and author, most recently of

“Loving in Flow: How the Happiest Couples Get & Stay That Way.”
She has
been a NAPPA judge and reviewer of parenting books and resources for many
years.