“You never listen to anything I say!” Yesterday, your child was a sweet, well-adjusted eight-year-old. Today, a moody, disrespectful twelve-year-old. What happened? And more important, how do you handle it? How you respond to these whirlwind changes will not only affect your child's behavior now but will determine how he or she turns out later. Julie A. Ross, executive director of Parenting Horizons, shows you exactly what's going on with your child and provides all the tools you need to correctly handle even the prickliest tween porcupine. Find out how other parents survived nightmarish tween behavior--and still raised great kids Break the “nagging cycle,” give your kids responsibilities, and get results Talk about sex, drugs, and alcohol so your kid will listen Discover the secret that will help your child to disregard peer pressure and make smart choices--for life "This excellent book lets parents peek into the underlying, confusing thoughts and perplexing decisions that young tweens are constantly facing." --Ralph I. López, M.D., Clinical Professor or Pediatrics, Cornell University, and author of The Teen Health Book

Innovative and refreshing strategies for how to love, understand, and communicate with difficult people—at home, at work, and in your community Most of us know someone who, for whatever reason, always seems to cause problems, irritate others, or incite conflict. Often, these people are a part of our daily lives. The truth is that these troublemakers haven’t necessarily asked to be this way. Sometimes we need to learn new approaches to deal with people who are harder to get along with or love. How to Hug a Porcupine explains that making peace with others isn’t as tough or terrible as we think it is—especially when you can use an adorable animal analogy and apply it to real-life problems. Whether you want to calm the quills of parents, children, siblings, or strangers, How to Hug a Porcupine provides useful tips for your encounters with “prickly” people, such as: • Three easy ways to end an argument • How to spot the porcupine in others • How to spot the porcupine in ourselves With a foreword by noted psychotherapist Dr. Debbie Ellis, widow of Dr. Albert Ellis, How to Hug a Porcupine is a truly special book.

A child figures out the best way to hug a porcupine as he watches his friends hug other animals.

Are you concerned or frustrated with the choices your child makes when it comes to their peer groups, study habits, and use of social media? Do you feel your child is pushing you away and your connection is weakening? Are you unsure of the next steps you should take to help your child succeed? A whole new set of parenting concerns arise during tween and teenhood that can be overwhelming for any parent. The Ultimate Guide to Raising Teens and Tweens offers a step-by-step plan for raising your adolescent through this tumultuous time. Douglas Haddad provides specific, proven tools for you to help your child become a problem solver and grow to be smart, successful, and self-disciplined. In The Ultimate Guide to Raising Teens and Tweens, you will: Discover the secrets of effective communication with your child Learn the techniques to stop behavior problems right in their tracks when they happen Know the strategies to best motivate your child and unlock their potential Find out how to set appropriate limits and hold your child accountable for their actions Understand today’s “child-limiting challenges” and the solutions for handling them with your child Every parent wants the best for their child, and these years can be fraught with challenges: bullying, violence, gambling, sex, smoking, alcohol, substance use, eating disorders, depression, suicide, unhealthy eating, lack of physical activity, etc. Making sense of these challenges, this book offers exercises for incorporating the ten child unlimited tools into your parenting style and anecdotes to illustrate strategies and techniques. Supported by current research, the tools found in these pages will serve as a guide for any family with tweens or teens.

Sensitive and encouraging, Puberty Survival Guide for Girls is an easy-to-read resource for young girls who are anticipating the many physical and emotional changes that accompany puberty. Author and practicing gynecologist Dr. Eve Ashby, offers practical and reassuring answers to the many questions that a girl will have as she enters this often confusing and tumultuous time of her life. A veritable "owners manual" for the young female body, Puberty Survival Guide for Girls deals with the issues of self-image and hygiene in a tactful and supportive manner. In a question-and-answer format, Dr. Ashby approaches a variety of topics, including: Acne Menstruation Height and weight spurts Female anatomy Diet and exercise Interspersed with quotes and questions from girls Dr. Ashby has met through her medical practice, Puberty Survival Guide for Girls gives voice to the uncertainties faced by adolescent girls. With clear explanations of sensitive and sometimes embarrassing issues, Puberty Survival Guide is an excellent educational tool that will help any young woman gain a better understanding of the changes she will encounter during puberty.

In this clear and compassionate guide, an expert counselor offers help for parents dealing with the misbehavior of good kids. Here are step-by-step solutions for handling just about every explosive situation, plus advice on how parents can preserve their sanity.

This inspiring memoir of one woman's experience in the field is an exotic adventure story, a surprise journey of self-discovery, and a deeply personal appreciation of a place that's unlike any other. At age twenty-five, graduate student Keriann McGoogan traveled into the wilds of Madagascar to study lemurs in their natural habitat and to set up a permanent field site in the remote northwest--a site to which she could later return to do research for her PhD in biological anthropology. Despite careful planning, the trip spiraled out of control. Food poisoning, harrowing backcountry roads, grueling hikes, challenging local politics, malaria, and an emergency evacuation would turn a simple reconnaissance into an epic adventure. In an engaging narrative, the author vividly describes the challenges of life in an isolated forest region while also bringing to life the wonders of Madagascar's incredible biodiversity, especially its many varieties of lemurs. Sadly, these rare animals are the most endangered group of primates in the world. At first accompanied by her thesis advisor, McGoogan is soon left alone when her mentor must return home. She carries on as the lone woman amid a small band of local male assistants, diligently conducting research on the lemur population around the camp. But when her right-hand man becomes delirious with malaria, she is forced to lead her team on a desperate three-day trek to safety. This fascinating memoir is equal parts a journey of self-discovery, an adventure story, and a heartfelt appreciation of a wonderful island country teaming with unique species and peopled by the warm and welcoming Malagasies with their intriguing indigenous culture.