Family Development

Let’s face it: when it comes to mothers and their daughters, things can get a little... complicated. Momplicated, you might say. Whether your relationship with your mom has been wonderful or stressful, redeemed or broken, close or nonexistent, it’s one of your life’s most important and defining connections. Its effects have probably followed you into adulthood. If you have conflicting feelings toward mom - or if you wish you could get past some of the baggage that holds you back - this is your audiobook.

Our culture tells parents there's one best way to raise kids: enroll them in a dozen activities, protect them from trauma, and get them into the most expensive college you can. If you can't do that, don't bother. How is that going? Record rates of anxiety, depression, medication, debts, loneliness and more. In Family Unfriendly, bestselling author and Washington Examiner columnist Timothy P. Carney says it's time to end this failed experiment in overparenting.

In Gay Girl, Good God, author Jackie Hill Perry shares her own story, offering practical tools that helped her in the process of finding wholeness. Jackie grew up fatherless and experienced gender confusion. She embraced masculinity and homosexuality with every fiber of her being. She knew that Christians had a lot to say about all of the above. But was she supposed to change herself? How was she supposed to stop loving women, when homosexuality felt more natural to her than heterosexuality ever could?

"Like most fathers, I'd dreamt of doing all sorts of things with my son. I had so many plans, but when I was told my son was autistic, those plans seemed more like a fantasy. Well, eight years after that dreadful diagnosis, I am writing this book to let every father know that your plans for you and your son can still be a reality. It's just the path that takes you there that has to be altered."

In Keys to the Kingdom, Alison Armstrong takes you on a journey of discovery into the workings of men, women, and relationships. Much of the information acquired during Alison's 15-year study of men is brought to life by the novel's charming and genuine characters. This heartfelt story communicates the type of wisdom taught in Alison's Celebrating Men, Satisfying Women workshops.

Drawing upon her 40-plus years of experience, Ina May Gaskin, the nation's leading midwife, shows the benefits and joys of physiological childbirth by showing women how to trust the ancient wisdom of their bodies for a healthy and fulfilling birthing experience. Ina May's Guide to Childbirth gives expectant mothers comprehensive information on everything from the all-important mind-body connection to how to give birth without technological intervention-as well as how to know when such intervention is necessary.

The essential handbook for all things first-year father is now fully updated and revised. Not only will new dads get a month-by-month guide to their baby’s development, men listening to The New Father will learn how they change, grow, and develop over the first 12 months of fatherhood. In each chapter, Brott focuses on What’s Going On with the Baby; What You’re Going Through; What’s Going On with Your Partner; You and Your Baby; Family Matters; and more.

As parents of twins and multiples know, double the fun can be double the sleep deprivation. Now, in Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Twins, beloved pediatrician and renowned sleep authority Dr. Marc Weissbluth combines specialized advice for parents of twins with his tried-and-true sleep-training methods to show exhausted moms and dads how to get their babies to sleep on their own, stay asleep, and sleep regularly.

Kids are naturally curious, but when it comes to school it seems like their minds are turned off. Why is it that they can remember the smallest details from their favorite television programs, yet miss the most obvious questions on their history test? Cognitive scientist Dan Willingham has focused his acclaimed research on the biological and cognitive basis of learning and has a deep understanding of the daily challenges faced by classroom teachers.

Playing off the themes in the Caldecott Medal-winning children's book Where the Wild Things Are, this informative, practical, and encouraging guide will help parents guide boys down the path to healthy and authentic manhood. Wild Things addresses the physical, emotional, and spiritual parts of a boy, written by two therapists who are currently engaged in clinical work with boys and their parents and who are also fathers raising five sons.

Often, we may encounter unpleasant relatives who drain our energy by bringing negativity and sabotage to our moments of joy, plans, or life perspective. But there is always a reason behind their attitudes which we will dig into here. Plus, you will understand how these relatives affect your life. As you go through this book, you will be able to wisely bring closure, not to those toxic relationships but to your frustration, and give yourself the space to love those family members from a fair distance without disrespect or harmful conflicts.

Rooted in the science of the brain, and integrating cognitive neuroscience and child development, Mindful Parenting is a unique program that speaks directly to today's busy families who make up what Dr. Race calls "Generation Stress." Research has shown that mindfulness practices stimulate the prefrontal cortex of the brain. Regular stimulation of this part of the brain helps us feel happier, healthier, calmer, less anxious, less stressed, and makes it easier for us to concentrate and think clearly - the very behavior we are hoping our children will display.

In How to Raise an Adult, Julie Lythcott-Haims draws on research; on conversations with admissions officers, educators, and employers; and on her own insights as a mother and as a student dean to highlight the ways in which overparenting harms children, their stressed-out parents, and society at large.

Best-selling author and New York Times family columnist Bruce Feiler found himself squeezed between caring for aging parents and raising his children. So he set out on a three-year journey to find the smartest solutions and the most cutting-edge research about families. Instead of the usual family "experts", he sought out the most creative minds - from Silicon Valley to the set of Modern Family, from the country's top negotiators to the Green Berets - and asked them what team-building exercises and problem-solving techniques they use with their families.

From every side - the internet, social media, interactions with friends, in both their public and private lives - teens are persuaded to follow the world's way over God's every day. Culture's mantra "live for today" has become the slogan of this generation! But, one thing remains true - mom and dad are still the greatest influence in the life of their child. Based on timeless biblical truths, Raising Successful Teens equips parents with positive, encouraging, and practical advice.

What makes love last? Why does one couple stay together forever, while another falls apart? And most importantly, is there a scientific formula for love? Drs. John Gottman and Julie Schwartz Gottman are the world’s leading relationship scientists. For the past forty years, they have been studying love. They’ve gathered data on over three thousand couples, looking at everything from their body language to the way they converse to their stress hormone levels. Their goal: to identify the building blocks of love.

Drawn from more than 30 years of research, talks, and wisdom of the world-renowned parenting, marriage, and educational expert Rabbi Shimon Russell, this rich repository of foundational parenting psychology and practical, down-to-earth guidance will help set you on the way to create loving and enduring bonds with your children.

Are you trying to co-parent with a narcissist? Stuck in a high-conflict custody battle with your narcissistic ex? You are not alone. There are problems and issues that are common with someone disordered and disorderly. Learn Grace's Super-Smart Strategies for navigating the narcissist in Family Court. It all comes down to creating solid strategies.

With the compassion and insight of a fellow foster parent, Jamie C. Finn helps you see your struggles through the lens of the gospel, bringing biblical truths to bear on your unique everyday realities. In these short, accessible chapters, you'll find honest, personal stories and practical lessons that provide encouragement and direction from God's word as you walk the journey of foster parenting.

Are you a parent who’s been cut off, ghosted, or vilified by your adult child—and left wondering what went wrong? You’re not alone. And you are not the villain. In today’s culture of pop psychology, social media echo chambers, and therapy-speak gone rogue, more parents than ever are facing the heartbreak of family estrangement—often without warning or explanation.