Positive Discipline for Preschoolers: For Their Early Years--Raising Children Who are Responsible, Respectful, and Resourceful

Positive Discipline for Preschoolers: For Their Early Years--Raising Children Who are Responsible, Respectful, and Resourceful by Jane Nelsen

Positive Discipline for Preschoolers was the first PD book I read. I'd just finished reading about the 1-2-3 method and had been giving that a go for a few weeks with no real success and, frankly, a whole lot of mixed feelings about the process. So when I read the back of the PD for Preschoolers book, I was excited and yet a bit dubious....it sounded too good to be true and therefore it probably was. But I bought it anyway. That was several months ago and we haven't looked back since.

I LOVE the positive discipline method. I am living and breathing proof that it does work. The day after I finished reading the book, we completely stopped all punitive time outs and any other punitive measures we'd been (unsuccessfully) using on our almost three-year old daughter. And we began applying the PD techniques found in the book. Honestly, it felt like a huge weight had been lifted off of our family and we actually began to enjoy spending time with our daughter again. My daughter's behaviour literally improved overnight. And my husband and I felt we'd finally found a disciplinary method we could happily stick with for the foreseeable future.

Bottom line, PD works. It'll make you feel better and more competent in your role as a parent and it'll go a long way towards ensuring you have a positive, stable relationship with your child.

Speed Cleaning 101: Cut Your Cleaning Time in Half!

Speed Cleaning 101: Cut Your Cleaning Time in Half! by Laura Dellutri

I was a bit dissapointed with this book. It's not organized well and Ms Dellutri constantly does not give enough information. I found it extremely anoying that she would make statments like: (I'm paraphrasing) "You should use a kitchen spray cleaner that is antibacterial and kills germs in the least amount of time. I found one that kills germs on countertops in 45 seconds." BUT, then she doesn't tell us the brand or where to buy, so I guess she wants us to go off on a scavenger hunt for these products! She makes suggestions like this throughout the book. I've read other books on this subject and other authors suggest brands and products. Even Jeff Campbell (Speed Cleaning) who sells his own rather pricey products on the inernet recommends other brands in his book and suggests alternative products. This is very helpful for the reader. Ms. Dellutri doesn't give detailed instructions either, so someone just starting out is not given details as to the correct method, correct tools, to remove dirt, grime or whatever from surfaces at home. The book lacks methodology, product/brand recommendations, and organization.

The Purse-driven Life: It Really Is All About Me

The Purse-driven Life: It Really Is All About Me by Anita Renfroe

Anita is my kind of gal: Life is short, buy the shoes. This book is full of wit and wisdom from one of the most authentic and funny women I've ever met (in an elevator yet). My favorite chapter: Hook a sistah up! All about girlfriends and how we love to think out loud. "They give me gravity," she writes, "because they know my faults, weaknesses, my issues, my stubbornness, and my wierdness." The truest test of friendship is "historical shorthand," how much you don't have to say in order to get an idea across. So true. She reminds us how much we need our gal pals.

My only complaint: I'm not one of her Beach Girls. We all need Beach Therapy Weekends where we can be real with each other. It's an essential.

This book is all about real life. It's not about your "stuff," or your past, or your fears, not what you've done or not done. It's about being real with Jesus, no matter what. With him we having nothing to prove, nothing to hide. That's real freedom.

You'll read this book over and over.

What Every Child Needs

What Every Child Needs by Elisa Morgan and Carol Kuykendall

I found this book to be very helpful. I would recommend it for any Mom with young children.

This book gives your practical tools for meeting your child's 5 basic needs of love. I found it easy to read with great examples and ideas to use with my own children.

A Great Read!