October 2023 MBR The Parenting Shelf

The Parenting Shelf

Things Have Changed
David Magee
Matt Holt Books
c/o BenBella Books
www.benbellabooks.com
9781637743966, $22.00, PB, 256pp

https://www.amazon.com/Things-Have-Changed-Educator-Substance/dp/1637743963

Synopsis: Raising a child in today's world can be a daunting responsibility for parents. Anxiety, depression, addiction, eating disorders, loneliness, social media; the list goes on. With the publication of "Things Have Changed: What Every Parent (and Educator) Should Know About the Student Mental Health and Substance Misuse Crisis ", author, student wellbeing activist, and creator of The William Magee Institute for Student Wellbeing at the University of Mississippi, David Magee offers guidance on raising teens amid increasingly common challenges.

Magee shares research-backed insights on how to: Have conversations about mental health and drug and alcohol abuse; Empower your child to ask for help when they need it; Decide when and if treatment is needed; Encourage your child to invest in healthy relationships; Be intentional about social media use and interactions; Foster your child's desire to engage with your family; Create and maintain healthy boundaries; Advocate for your child's wellbeing at school and with family.

Now, more than ever, parents and educators need better information about the challenges facing their children, what sorts of issues to expect and when, and the warning signs to look for. You'll find the guidance you need to feel prepared and tackle obstacles to your child's wellbeing in the pages of "Things Have Changed".

Critique: Thoroughly 'parent friendly' in style, organization, and presentation, "Things Have Changed: What Every Parent (and Educator) Should Know About the Student Mental Health and Substance Misuse Crisis" must be considered essential reading for the parents (and teachers) of children growing up in the age of Social Media, cyber-bullying, misinformation, economic inequality, racial prejudice, substance addiction, gun crimes, and all the ordinary 'slings and arrows of outrageous fortune' that are a part of modern life today. While available for personal reading lists in a digital book format (Kindle, $11.99), "Things Have Changed: What Every Parent (and Educator) Should Know About the Student Mental Health and Substance Misuse Crisis" is unreservedly recommended for family, community, and academic library Parenting Teens & Young Adult collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists.

Editorial Note: David Magee (https://www.daviddmagee.com) is the author of Dear William: A Father's Memoir of Addiction, Recovery, Love and Loss and other non-fiction books. A changemaker in student and family mental health and substance misuse, he is the creator and director of operations of The William Magee Institute for Student Wellbeing at the University of Mississippi and a frequent K-12 and university educational and motivational speaker, helping students find and keep their joy.

The Organized Home for New Parents
Ria Safford
Blue Star Press
https://www.bluestarpress.com
9781958803042,$27.95, HC, 252pp

https://www.amazon.com/Organized-Home-New-Parents-Routine-Ready/dp/1958803049

Synopsis: As a new or expecting parent, you are bombarded with seemingly endless advice ranging from how to nurse or feed your child, to how to sleep and potty train them. But conventional guidance misses a crucial aspect of the early years of parenting: how to organize your home for life with your little one.

From dirty dishes piling up to heaps of new toys and clothes in every corner of your home, life with young kids can be, well, a lot. Thankfully, with the publication of "The Organized Home for New Parents: Create Routine-Ready Spaces for Your Baby's First Years", celebrity organizing expert and mom of three Ria Safford is here to help. After learning and mastering her own systems of home organization, she has made a career out of helping parents create functional, routine-ready spaces to make more time for what matters most.

In "The Organized Home for New Parents: Create Routine-Ready Spaces for Your Baby's First Years" you will learn how to: Prioritize the newborn necessities you'll need using easy checklists and charts; Organize your nursery, stroller, and diaper bag; Make breastfeeding, pumping, and solid food prep more manageable; Set up diaper-changing and feeding stations throughout the home; Cycle clothes, toys, and other items out of the home as your child grows; Arrange your spaces to easily reset them when messes take over; Tackle the every growing pile of laundry; Prepare for travel and life on the go with babies and toddlers.

"The Organized Home for New Parents: Create Routine-Ready Spaces for Your Baby's First Years" is enhanced throughout with gorgeous illustrations and photos from inside real families' homes, making this practical guide for new parents the perfect baby shower present or gift for new parents. With equal parts humor, candor, and insight, "The Organized Home for New Parents: Create Routine-Ready Spaces for Your Baby's First Years" will be your lifeline through this hectic, unpredictable season of life and empower you to create a safe, organized, and comfortable home for your growing family.

Critique: Exceptionally well written, organized and presented, "The Organized Home for New Parents: Create Routine-Ready Spaces for Your Baby's First Years" by Ria Safford is essential, invaluable, practical, and informative for expecting parents and even experienced parents with a new addition to their other children -- making it especially and unreservedly recommended for personal and community library Parenting collections. It should be noted that "The Organized Home for New Parents: Create Routine-Ready Spaces for Your Baby's First Years" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $16.99).

Editorial Note: Ria Safford (https://www.instagram.com/riorganize) is a Cuban-American mom of three. She is the founder and CEO of RiOrganize, a company offering full-service organization, design, and space planning to families across the United States. Ria has organized spaces for A-list clients like Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Ciara, and Jen Atkin and for everyday families who are desperate for more streamlined systems in their homes. Ria's own organization journey began when she became a new mom and felt overwhelmed by all the mess accumulating in her house. She set out to calm the chaos and help families everywhere reduce stress and create routine-ready spaces that would make managing life with little ones easier. In 2022, Ria partnered with U Brands for a product line at Target that was featured on endcaps in 820 stores. She has also partnered with dozens of other companies including Michaels, Ziploc, iDesign, Apartments.com, and more.

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