Whether it’s standing up to the monsters under the bed, or learning how to be stronger today than we were the day before, both parents and children have to learn how to overcome their biggest fears. In a month that is known for spooky celebrations and ghost stories galore, we’ve decided to focus on overcoming our fears, and learning how to live more bravely and courageously.
Our recommendation list features a few seasonal favorites for children, as well as some tried and true titles for parents. And as a special treat, we’ve invited authors Mark Brown and Amy Morin to join us on The Parent Pod this month, so be sure to look for our updates for the podcast release dates.
Recommendations for Children
Zen Pig : Feelings are Clouds
By Mark Brown and Anastasia Khmelevska
In the 6th book from Mark Brown’s “Zen Pig” series, Zen Pig helps his niece understand, accept and welcome her feelings. This story is the perfect tool to help teach your older toddler or preschooler how to manage overwhelming emotions or feelings of uncertainty.
Eek Halloween!
By Sandra Boynton
Uh-oh – the chickens are nervous! Strange things are happening! Babies and toddlers love Sandra Boynton board books, and they’ll love discovering what’s gotten these chickens so riled up! Relax, silly chickens – it’s only Halloween!
Go Away, Big Green Monster
By Ed Emberley
Babies, toddlers and even older children will get a kick out of this cleverly illustrated book. With each turn of the page, we see another feature added to the Big Green Monster. But once we’re ready to show this monster who’s boss, we can turn the pages to make him disappear! Toddlers and older children will love helping you turn the pages to face their fears, while babies will love the colorful visual experience.
Boo Bunny
By Kathryn O Galbraith
Your toddler will love the rhythmic rhyming text in this adorable Halloween-themes book. Halloween night can be spooky… especially for a timid little bunny! But when one bunny meets another, they join together to face their fears and celebrate the best Halloween ever!
The Dark
By Lemony Snicket & Jon Klassen
Like many preschoolers, Lazlo is afraid of the dark. The dark usually spends most of its time in the basement, where Lazlo visits it once in a while. But one night, the dark makes its way to Lazlo’s room. After spending some time with the dark, Lazlo discovers it may not be so bad after all. Help your preschooler feel more comfortable in the dark with this poetic and empowering story.
Recommendations for Parents
13 Things Mentally Strong Parents Don’t Do
by Amy Morin
As a foster parent, psychotherapist, and expert in family and teen therapy, Amy has witnessed first-hand what works. When children have the skills they need to deal with challenges in their everyday lives, they can flourish socially, emotionally, behaviorally, and academically. With appropriate support, encouragement, and guidance from adults, kids grow stronger and become better. Drawing on her experiences and insight, 13 Things Mentally Strong Parents Don’t Do combines case studies, practical tips, specific strategies, and concrete and proven exercises to help children of all ages—from preschoolers to teenagers—build mental muscle and develop into healthy, strong adults.
The Conscious Parent
by Dr. Shefali Tsabary
Instead of being merely the receiver of the parents’ psychological and spiritual legacy, children function as ushers of the parents’ development. Parents unwittingly pass on an inheritance of psychological pain and emotional shallowness. To handle the behavior that results, traditional books on parenting abound with clever techniques for control and quick fixes for dysfunction. In Dr. Shefali Tsabary’s conscious approach to parenting, however, children serve as mirrors of their parents’ forgotten self. Those willing to look in the mirror have an opportunity to establish a relationship with their own inner state of wholeness.
Raising Good Humans
by Hunter Clarke-Fields MSAE and Carla Naumburg PhD
With this book, you’ll find powerful mindfulness skills for calming your own stress response when difficult emotions arise. You’ll also discover strategies for cultivating respectful communication, effective conflict resolution, and reflective listening. In the process, you’ll learn to examine your own unhelpful patterns and ingrained reactions that reflect the generational habits shaped by your parents, so you can break the cycle and respond to your children in more skillful ways.
The 5 Love Languages of Children
by Gary Chapman and Ross Campbell
Discover how to speak your child’s love language in a way that he or she understands. Dr. Gary Chapman and Dr. Ross Campbell help you:
- Discover your child’s love language
- Assist your child in successful learning
- Use the love languages to correct and discipline more effectively
- Build a foundation of unconditional love for your child
Discover your child’s primary language—then speak it—and you will be well on your way to a stronger relationship with your flourishing child.
The Self-Driven Child
by William Stixrud PhD and Ned Johnson
The Self-Driven Child offers a combination of cutting-edge brain science, the latest discoveries in behavioral therapy, and case studies drawn from the thousands of kids and teens Bill and Ned have helped over the years to teach you how to set your child on the real road to success. As parents, we can only drive our kids so far. At some point, they will have to take the wheel and map out their own path. But there is a lot you can do before then to help them tackle the road ahead with resilience and imagination.
