Primers for navigating the tortuous terrain of parenthood

REVIEWS BY KATHERINE WYRICK

Parenthood is a wilderness, and when one enters the wild, one needs a guide, or two or three—and possibly an interpreter, and maybe a tracker, and a friend to laugh with when things get tough. This array of parenting books offers help for the journey. They range from funny to fact-filled, heavy to light.

Teenage Waistland, written by Abby Ellin, addresses the timely subject of childhood obesity. There's been a slew of books on this topic recently, but this one stands out from the pack. Subtitled A Former Fat Kid Weighs in on Living Large, Losing Weight, and How Parents Can (and can't) Help, Teenage Waistland is written by a journalist and former fat-camp participant/counselor who has a unique, empathetic perspective on this issue. Ellin, whose work has appeared in The New York Times, Time, Cosmopolitan and other major publications, writes with compassion and humor about the trials of overweight kids and what parents can do to help. Anyone who's ever dealt with a weight problem will benefit from her insights.

"Signs, signs, everywhere are signs . . . " Trying to understand the wants and needs of babies and toddlers can often feel like attempting communication with alien life forms. Many parents find that using sign language for their hearing children is an effective way to bridge the gap, and it's catching on faster than you can sign "more." Signing Smart with Babies and Toddlers: A Parent's Strategy and Activity Guide is a comprehensive manual for those interested in this latest trend in parenting. Along with American Sign Language (ASL) signs, the authors, both developmental psychologists, include fun, educational activities aimed at deepening the closeness between parent and child. They also include photos throughout as visual aids.

Signing is great, but whining, that's another story. Everyone knows the sound; it's the one thing that can make the most patient of parents loose their cool. If whining, fighting and generally misbehaving are the problems, here is the answer. For straightforward, no-nonsense advice, just dial Nanny 911: Expert Advice for All Your Parenting Emergencies. Written by star TV-nannies Deborah Carroll and Stella Reid, Nanny 911 comes to the rescue with simple solutions. Their plan: rules, boundaries, structures, order. They offer a no-frills map for those temporarily lost in the aforementioned wilderness. The nannies' House Rules and their belief that communication is key to successful parenting ring true. If you've ever felt like you're trapped in an episode of Mutual of Omaha's Wild Kingdom, keep this practical guide handy.

The American family as we know it is changing. Nontraditional families now make up a large part of the population, with almost 10 million single mothers in the U.S. alone. This demographic will certainly be interested in Raising Boys Without Men, a fascinating study that makes a potentially controversial assertion: that households headed by a female, or females, may actually be better for boys than households with men. Dr. Peggy F. Drexler, a research psychologist and former gender scholar at Stanford, embarked on a long-term study comparing female-headed households with those that had a father present. The results—that boys from female-headed households have a strong masculine identity but are emotionally stronger and better at expressing their feelings—are surprising and heartening for single moms. From a sociological standpoint, this well-researched book makes interesting reading for single and married parents alike.

Saving the best for last, the newest additions to The Brazelton Way series are Understanding Sibling Rivalry and Mastering Anger and Aggression (ISBN 0738210064) by "America's Pediatrician" T. Berry Brazelton, M.D., and Joshua D. Sparrow, M.D. These two slim, accessible volumes are perfect for a parent dealing with these issues, and, frankly, who isn't? In Understanding Sibling Rivalry, these doctors take on topics such as squabbling and tattling, the effects of birth order and even how to introduce your new child into the family after birth. Mastering Anger and Aggression not only addresses biting, kicking and teasing, but gets to the source of a child's anger. The doctors show parents how to help children handle anger in healthy ways and even how to channel it into something positive. These are indispensable guides that should be part of every parent's library.

When navigating the sometimes challenging terrain of life with children, these books should be kept within easy reach.


Katherine Wyrick lives in Little Rock and is the mother of two small children.

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