Mom’s Survival Guide and Giveaway

A few weeks ago, I came home to find Redbook magazine’s Mom’s Survival Guide on my doorstep.   I’d been having “one of those days” as a mom and the Mom’s Survival Guide seemed like it could be the answer to my prayers.  Below are a few of my favorite segments from the book:

• on bullying
• “Maybe you have a pet theory as to how this woman [mom of a bully] has managed to raise that big bully of hers.  Forget all that.   “If you go into the conversation with a negative opinion of her–and the attitude that you’re a better parent than she is–she’ll smell it a and won’t want to help you,” cautions Rosalind Wiseman, author of Queen Bee Moms and Kingpin Dads: Dealing with Difficult Parents in Your Child’s Life . . . Try, “I’ve got a problem that I hope you can help me with . . . I’m a little uncomfortable talking to you like this, but I feel it’s important.”  When you describe the situation, leave out words like “bullying and “mean.” Thank her for her time and add, “I hope you’ll tell me if my child ever does something you think I’d want to know about.”  This conveys a feeling of goodwill and makes her kid less of a villain by acknowledging that all children need adult guidance at times.

• on healthy eating for kids
• It’s no secret that a healthy diet helps kids grow strong and improves their mood and brain function.  But how do you actually get kids to eat well?  Think small.  ”You can make little changes to how, what, and when your child eats for big nutritional payoffs, ” says pediatric dietician Marilyn Tanner-Balsiar, a spokesperson for the American Dietetic Association.
• and “Real Advice from Real Moms”:
• “Everyone at our table gets at least 5 minutes to talk about their day.  The kids know they will have this chance, and they wait for it anxiously without getting up, in our family, once conversation gets started, it’s hard to stop it!”

• on learning to let go
• We all want to keep our children safe from harm–it’s arguably our number one job as parents.  But it’s easy to go overboard because those precoius bundles are so vulnerable.  After 9/11, Sue Donas was convinced that someone was going to pipe bomb her daughter’s day care near Hillsdale, NJ, because it was housed in a Jewish Community Center.  She used to circle the building looking for suspicious characters.  Once she even had an abandoned car towed away  . . . “You can raise your child in a bubble but you can get reassurance that she’s in responsible, protective hands.”  For example, instead of patrolling the day care grounds, Donas could inquire about the school’s security policy–and it might just set her mind at ease.

• on helping your child deal with fears
• Don’t brush off your child’s emotions.  ”I often hear parents say, ‘Why is my child acting so afraid? It doesn’t make sense,’ says Fred Penzel, PhD . . . “They try to minimize the situation by telling the child that his fear is nothing to worry about. That strategy usually backfires,”  he says.  But do use a matter-of-fact tone.  ”Acknowledging fear is important, but ‘you don’t want to go in the opposite direction and excessively reassure your child . . . That sends the message that there is something to be afraid of.”

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Redbook magazine’s Mom’s Survival Guide is jam pack full of information that could benefit all kinds of moms on topics ranging from behavior and emotional health to education and getting involved in enrichment and community programs.  Written in a style quite similar to Redbook magazine with many experts in fields of child development, diet and nutrition, psychology, and more, including quotes and advice from real parents, the book is a quick read and great for reading from topic to topic as opposed to cover to cover.  As with any parenting book, I found that some advice resonated with my intuitive parenting style while other tidbits did not.  That said, over all, I found it to be a pretty helpful book especially since everyday I am facing parenting challenges where I know that I do not have the answers.

I am giving away a copy of Redbook magazine’s Mom’s Survival Guide.  Simply leave a comment on this post sharing why you think this book could help you and your family.  I’ll put the book in the mail, though I will ask that the winner cover postage costs.

So, what kinds of parenting issues have you been dealing with lately?