Books Children Love By Elizabeth Wilson

A Guide to the Best Children's Literature



This would be a great book for a homeschooling family. The author lists title author, publisher etc. as well as a summary of the book. It is helpful how she also lists grade level.

The chapters include:

Animals
Art and Architecture
Bible and Moral Teaching
Biography
Celebration Days and Seasons
Crafts, Hobbies and Domestic Arts
Dance, Drama
Growing Plants Indoor and Outdoor
History and Geography
Humor
Language
Literature levels I, II, and III
Poetry and Rhymes
Mathematics
Misc.
Music
Nature, Science and Technology
Outdoor Activites
PE and Organized games
Reference, Research and Study skills
Special Needs

ISBN:1-58134-198-9

I Hate It When Exercise is the Answer By Emily Watts

As usual, Emily Watts is entertaining as she talks about mother/womanhood issues. This book is designed as a chapter/thought for the day.

Titles include FatBoys: an Exercise in Understanding Men, Motherguilt an Exercise in Letting Go, Late Again an Exercise in Suspending Judgement.

Altogether there are 31 Chapters or "Exercises". Each chapter is just a few pages that can be read in 5-10 minutes.

I like to mark up my books, and this one is no exception. However, if I still lived in Salt Lake County, I would just check it out from the library. Instead I will just pass it along to my friends and read it again down the road.

The Secret of Happy Children

I originally checked this book out from the library. I got to page 58 and couldn't stand it anymore. So I bought a copy off ebay. There was so much good info. I just had to mark it up.
It's an easy read for a parenting book at only 168 pages. It is written by Steve Biddulph an Australian family psychologist.
He reviews some things that I have read a million times, like labeling your children. He calls it Seeds in the mind: You hypnotize your children every single day and you may as well do it properly" or chapter two "It's cheaper than video games and healthier than ice cream". Referring to giving them proper attention.

My favorite chapter was #4 Kids and emotions
"...We are always feeling something-emotions are a symptom of being alive!. There are four basic emotions- anger, fear, sadness,and joy. All other shades of feeling are a mix of these-like colors mixed from the primaries. There are thousands of combinations possible such as jealousy, a mixture of anger and fear or nostalgia, a mixture of joy and sadness.
Anger is what makes us stand up for ourselves
Fear slows us down, forces us to stop, think and avoid danger-even when our conscious brain has not yet fathomed what that danger might be.
Sadness is the emotion that helps us grieve. It literally washes us clean of the distress of losing something or someone from our life.
Joy is what we experience when these needs are fulfilled."

He also talks about being an assertive parent, school, and proper diet/energy.
The appendix is enlightening "How you can help if you are a teacher, politician, grandparent, neighbor or friend"
He told about some situations he has seen in his practice and they are very thought provoking.
I liked this book and it is easy enough to read, that I will read it again and again and not just look at the parts I underlined.

Scream-Free Parenting

I ABSOLUTELY love this book. I purchased it because, I fall off the wagon so easily and with all of the marked pages, I can easily skim through and remember that " Its about me , not them". I ran across a journal entry when reading this book:
For years I have known have been out of hand with my emotions. It all started years ago--when the boys were really little. I started yelling and demanding-just because I felt like I could and it seemed that I got results, so it became more frequent, more loud, more, more,more. Now today werare all negative and controlling and bossy and faultfinding. I am only on page 40 and I have learned SO MUCH.
Parenting isn't about the children, its about the parents and how they react. No one can make you feel or push your buttons unless you let them. It is not your children's responsibility to calm you down. It is not my children's responsibility to be caretakers of my emotional state. It shouldn't be me vs. it should be them vs. consequences (natural consequences). I have to read it a little at a time, to digest it all. It is so great! I have learned that I am not responsible FOR my children, but I am responsible TO my children, I cannot make them mindless robots (which I basically have, when it comes to chores). When children think for themselves--you've raised a rebel. When they do what you have programmed them them to do they "do the right thing"
I am responsible TO my children, husband and family members. I am accountable for how I think, feel and behave toward them. I am responsible To my children for how I behave, regardless of how he or she behaves.
It has been up to my children to manage my reactions, because I have lost the ability to control myself (by yelling). But now, my goal is to influence, not coerce.

And you should read the chapter on SPACE

This is one of the best parenting books I have ever read. I have read many, many,many of them and This One is the BOMB. Highly recommended, even if you aren't a yeller.