As School Starts Again...Some Great Books for Parents

As school starts again, here are some great books for parents. All are available from online sellers, through local retailers, and at discount (code FF25 for 25% discount) from the MSI Press webstore.

Want to read some excerpts first? Here you go:

365 Teacher Secrets for Parents (McKinley & Trombly):

#11 Thinking Out Loud   Enthusiasm is contagious. Start an epidemic.  ~Unknown

Did you know that talking to yourself not only helps you organize your thoughts but also helps your child? When you are working through a problem, make it a point to say what you are thinking out loud. Look for opportunities to do this. For example:

"I need to make 100 cupcakes for the bake sale. If each muffin tin makes 12 cupcakes and I have 2 muffin tins I can make 24 at a time. So, let’s see… how many batches will I need to bake? I will divide 100 by 24…."

Your child will realize that adults, like children, must go through a series of steps to conquer a problem. If you're enthusiastic about learning and are willing to take the time to really think something through, then chances are, your child will be, too!


How to Be a Good Mommy When You're Sick (Graves)

They say that the unexamined life is not worth living, but at what point does self-reflection and refinement turn into constant self-critique and a powerful negative force in your life? Without a foundation, the very self-reflection needed to manage chronic illness can become a fierce enemy. I used to consider myself a very reflective person. As a classroom teacher in a low-income school, I found reflection invaluable to my ability to help my students achieve their best while often dealing with difficult home lives. When I went on to earn my Master’s and then Ph.D., reflection became a way of life as I poured every ounce of my energy into the quantitative and qualitative examination of education administration and curriculum.

I tend to be an all-or-nothing person, and I am afraid that there have been many times throughout the last three years that I have allowed reflection to become self-criticism and sent myself right into depression. Ironically, family, friends, and medical personnel often praise me for “taking this so well” or “handling being sick amazingly well.” I smile. I am always happy to hear that I am keeping a cool exterior, but privately I confide to my husband that while I may seem fine on the outside, on the inside, I often feel I am drowning and am a Titanic shipwreck. What I have come to realize is that these feelings are often the result of my own self-criticism, so the needs to manage both my body and my mind have made the development of a strong foundation, what I call The Foundational Five, essential. Below I share this foundation with you. This foundation is then repeated throughout the book as we examine different tips and methods that I hope will help you be the best mommy you can be.

No matter how long you are sick, you will always have good and bad days with chronic illness. Having a new baby is hard enough, but having a baby on the roller coaster of life with a chronic illness can really open you up to feeling inadequate or angry with yourself. The foundational five are five rules that I try to follow although I do not always succeed. It seems, though, that when I do manage to follow my own rules, I am a better wife and mom and generally a happier person. 

Understanding the Challenge of "No" for Children with Autism (McNeil):

No Thank You

No. Uh-uhh. Nah. Nope. No way. Ewe, not me! While there are many ways to refuse an offer, there is a common phrase taught which is considered polite.  “No, thank you,” is the universally acceptable response for cordially rejecting something offered.  While slang is acceptable during informal interactions, the courteous approach is best in mixed company and formal settings. For children with autism the variability of slang language makes their experience of the world much more confusing.  Teaching one consistent expression that will be correct and appropriate regardless of the social context better supports children with autism.