DIY Parenting

Okay, you might not be a general contractor. But for basic fix-it jobs, a hammer’s all it takes. Maybe a screwdriver. Got a nail? You’re away to the races.

It’s the same with parenting. You’re far too busy being a mom to run out and get a psych degree to see if you’re doing it right. Fortunately, two Vancouver authors have published books that are the equivalent to the toolkit in our kitchen drawer. Got a problem that needs fixing? Thanks to their easy-to-read design, you can dip into these DIY books and emerge with just the right info to help with some of motherhood’s basic challenges.

Parenting educator Fran Kammermayer’s It’s Not a Plot to Drive You Crazy! is laid out in short, easy-to-access sections that deal with common frustrations. Does your child need your attention desperately as soon as you’re in the middle of a phone call? See Section 49, “The Phone,” and soon you’ll be giving both your children and your callers the attention they deserve.

Does daycare or preschool pickup pose a problem? Section 21 will remind us that “children are constantly subjected to the invisible timing and scheduling imposed by their parents”. The suggestions that follow will have your homecoming routine smoothed over in no time.

Kammermayer’s book tackles topics that apply from toddler time up through teenagehood, touching on manners, allowances, TV/computer time, mealtimes, tattling, saying ‘sorry,’ and many more. Unlike other parenting books, though, Kammermayer’s is a quick and easy read that leaves you time for what most moms really need—sleep.

Available through the BC Council for Families or Vancouver Kidsbooks

Have you heard of Barry MacDonald, author of Boy Smarts? If not, chances are you will soon. This local educator and counsellor is speaking to sell-out crowds of parents and teachers who are thrilled to hear from someone who can tell us exactly what it is that makes boys tick.

MacDonald’s book is laid out in a series of guidelines that help us to understand why our sons—and husbands!—respond to the world the way they do. Did you know, for example, that males only listen—literally—with half their brain, while females listen with both hemispheres? Or that boys use movement to kick-start the information pathways in their brain?

This book is filled with practical, boy-friendly tips to help our sons succeed in school and in life.

Available through MentoringBoys.com or Vancouver Kidsbooks

Just like your hammer, these books can’t fix everything but they are great additions to the parenting tool box.

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