Did you know that over the last two years we have been developing a special collection of books, CDs and videos just for you? As part of a grant, Early Learning with Families (ELF), that we received from the California State Library, we have been able to purchase the most current information about parenting for you to check out. Do you have questions about immunizations or concerns about breastfeeding? Are you curious to learn about the latest findings about infant brain development or are you looking for fun activities for your preschooler? Come and check out the Family Collection, located by the Picture Book Room in the Youth Area.

I have recently been reading two books from the Family Collection that caught my eye with their striking titles. The first is Food Fights: Winning the Nutritional Challenges of Parenthood Armed with Insight, Humor, and a Bottle of Ketchup written by two pediatricians, Laura A. Jana and Jennifer Shu who are also mothers with young children. The book is full of helpful ideas to deal with the behavioral issues surrounding food, covering topics from picky eaters to making healthy choices in restaurants and child-care centers. Written with a light touch, it contains practical and reassuring advice.   

The second book is called Honey, I Wrecked the Kids: When Yelling, Screaming, Threats, Bribes, Time-Outs, Sticker Charts and Removing Privileges All Don’t Work. It is written by psychotherapist Alison Schafer. She writes about the “discipline-resistant child” and parents who would like to be respectful of their children but find they default to punitive measures or bribes when more kindly methods fail. Her solution is a new kind of discipline called, Democratic Parenting, which she says, “leads to truly co-operative families that thrive together and support one another.” Best of all, her book is full of real-life tactics to help you pull it off.