Parenting skills and practical advice

My book
Of course, I recommend that you read my book… I believe it to be useful for any parent, not just for dealing for challenging kids:

• Miriam Chachamu, How to Calm a Challenging Child, Foulsham, 2008

General parenting advice

• Stephen R. Coney, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Families, Simon & Schuster Ltd; New Ed edition, 1999
• Adele Faber and Elaine Mazlish, How to Talk So Kids Will Listen and Listen So Kids Will Talk, Piccadilly Press Ltd; New Ed edition (2001)
• Cassandra Jardine, How to Be a Better Parent: No Matter How Badly Your Children Behave or How Busy You Are, Vermillion, 2003
• Mary Sheedy Kurcinka, Raising Your Spirited Child: A Guide for Parents Whose Child Is More Intense, Sensitive, Perceptive, Persistent and Energetic, Harper Perennial, 1992
• Sue Palmer, Detoxing Childhood: What Parents Need to Know to Raise Happy, Successful Children, Orion, 2007

After-school activities

• Cassandra Jardine, Positive not Pushy: How to Make the Most of Your Child’s Potential, Vermilion,2005

Brothers and sisters

• Jan Parker and Jan Stimpson, Sibling Rivalry, Sibling Love: What Every Brother and Sister Needs their Parents to Know, Hodder & Stoughton, 2002

Helping your children to develop a more positive outlook on life

• Martin Seligman E P, The Optimistic Child: A Proven Program to Safeguard Children Against Depression and Build Lifelong Resilience, HarperPerennial 1996

Ideas for fun activities for the whole family

• Conn Iggulden and Hal Iggulden, The Dangerous Book for Boys, HarperCollins, 2006
• Debbie Musselwhite, Teach Yourself Things to Do as a Family, Hodder Education, 2008

Nutritional advice for children

• Patrick Holford and Deborah Colson, Optimum Nutrition for your Child’s Mind, Piatkus Books, 2006
• Joanna Blythman, The Food Our Children Eat: how to get children to like good food, Fourth Estate; New Ed edition, 2000

School and academic work

• Noel Janis-Norton, Could Do Better… How Parents Can Help Their Children Succeed at School, Barrington Stoke, 2005

Single parenting

• Carolyn B. Ellis, The 7 Pitfalls of Single Parenting: What to Avoid to Help Your Children Thrive After Divorce, iUniverse, 2007

Sleep problems

• Tanya Byron and Sacha Baveystock, Little Angels: The Essential Guide to Transforming Your Family Life and Having More Time with Your Children, BBC Active, 2005

How to avoid overacting to your children’s challenging behaviour

• Bonnie Harris, When your Kids Push Your Buttons and What You Can You Do About It, Piatkus, 2003

Dealing with your own emotional issues
If you feel stressed out, angry or depressed over a longer period of time, you may wish to check out at the Human Givens approach to wellbeing. The approach describes our basic emotional needs as the ‘givens’ of human nature, along with innate resources, such as memory, emotion, imagination, that we all have to help us meet these needs. The following books, all by Joe Griffin and Ivan Tyrrell, and published by HG Publishing, introduce the approach and detail how it can be used to help with anger, depression, anxiety or addiction.

• Freedom from Addiction: The Secret Behind Successful Addiction Busting, 2005
• How to Lift Depression … Fast, 2004
• How to Master Anxiety: All You Need to Know to Overcome Stress, Panic Attacks, Trauma, Phobias, Obsessions and More, 2007
• Release from Anger: Practical Help for Controlling Unreasonable rage, 2008