Chicken Soup for the Soul: Campus Chronicles (Giveaway)

If you have a child heading off to college in the fall, you’re probably starting to realize about now just how short the summers are. Very soon, you’ll be purchasing new items, packing up, and shedding tears as you say good-bye to your child, whether he or she is heading off to college for the first time or the fourth. Now would be a good time to get a copy of Chicken Soup for the Soul: Campus Chronicles for advice and support.

Chicken Soup for the Soul: Campus Chronicles is divided into chapters such as “Overcoming Fear,” “Trying New Things,” “Good Friends… and Not,” “Professors and Mentors,” “Family Bonds,” “Love and Dating,” and “Personal Growth.” The stories in this book about acclimating to college life, resolving roommate squabbles, and surviving difficult classes are great conversation-starters for parents to talk with their teens about being away from home and experiencing college life. A few of the stories you’ll read about include:

- Finding closure in a college romance gone bad
- Dealing with a problematic roommate’s unwanted guests
- Studying abroad
- One student’s struggle to figure out her major
- An unusual spring break trip spent in service to others

You can find Chicken Soup for the Soul: Campus Chronicles on the Chicken Soup website, on Amazon, and at your local bookstore.

I also have a copy of Chicken Soup for the Soul: Campus Chronicles to give away to one lucky winner! To enter to win, just leave a comment below explaining why you would like to win a copy of this book. As always, additional entries can be earned if you:

- Put a button for Susan Heim on Parenting on your blog. (The code is in the upper right-hand column of this site.) Post a comment with your blog’s URL.

- Follow me on Twitter (@ParentingAuthor) and tweet this giveaway. Leave a comment with the URL to your tweet.

- Post this giveaway on your blog with a link to this page. Leave a comment with a link to the post.

- Subscribe to Susan Heim on Parenting via email, RSS or as a Follower on Blogger. Leave a comment with your subscription method.

One winner will be randomly selected from the qualified entries received by midnight on Friday, July 17, 2009. Be sure to leave an email address if you don’t have it posted on your Blogger page. The winner will be emailed and must respond within 72 hours or a new winner will be selected.

Books That Help Children Feel Good About Themselves (Book Giveaway!)

I love how so many books today help children to feel loved and valuable. So often, we focus on the things that our kids do wrong and forget to say the things that we appreciate about them. Following are three children’s books I’ve read lately that you and your children will love:

Archibald’s Swiss Cheese Mountain (Giveaway!)
By Sylvia Lieberman
Illustrated by Jeremy Wendell



Archibald Mouse is ready for his first trip beyond his home behind the wall to seek his own food. He sneaks into a grocery store, but after the owner closes up for the night, it’s kind of dark and scary in there. And after eating a bunch of food, he gets stuck in the mouse hole when he tries to return home! But then he has the clever idea to oil up his tummy with his greasy paws, which are covered with butter and cheese. That does the trick! On his next trip to the grocery store, Archibald climbs inside a glass case holding a huge piece of cheese. But, of course, he gets stuck again! Will he be able to escape this time? I won’t give away the rest of the story, but it’s safe to say that Archibald learns a valuable lesson about self-sufficiency and ingenuity!

BONUS: Read to the end of this post to find out how you can win an autographed copy of Archibald’s Swiss Cheese Mountain!

Along Came You
By Karona Drummond
Illustrated by Estelle Corke



Along Came You is a beautiful book in which a mother tells her daughter how her life has changed since she became a mother. For instance, she tells her, “Before you, my house was decorated in style. After you, my home is decorated in love.” The picture shows the mother taping her daughter’s artwork to the refrigerator as her daughter paints in the kitchen. The book continues in that vein, with the mother comparing her life before and after her daughter arrived. It sends a wonderful message to children about the joys and wonders they bring to their parents’ lives. And I love the colorful and sweet illustrations in this book.

Dudley’s Solo
By Tiffany Alexander
Illustrated by Jeremiah Carstarphen



Dudley is a little boy who cannot hear or speak, but he wants to be in the children’s choir at his church. All of the children are excited for an upcoming concert, except for Dudley. He wants to do a solo, but can’t figure out how that’s possible. Then the other kids come up with a plan. When the night of the concert arrives, the other children do their solos. But then it’s Dudley’s turn. How will he do it? You’ll have to read the book to find out! This wonderful story teaches children about people with disabilities and how they have their own gifts to offer the world. Visit www.ChildrensBand.com to learn about more books planned for this series.

GIVEAWAY!

And now it’s giveaway time! If you’d like to win a copy of Archibald’s Swiss Cheese Mountain, visit www.archibaldmousebooks.com and leave a comment on this post telling me the name of one of the other characters in the book (besides Archibald). You must do this to enter. For optional additional entries, you may:

- Put a button for Susan Heim on Parenting on your blog. (The code is in the upper right-hand column of this site.) Post a comment with your blog’s URL.

- Follow me on Twitter (@ParentingAuthor) and tweet this giveaway. Leave a comment with the URL to your tweet.

- Post this giveaway on your blog with a link to this page. Leave a comment with a link to the post.

- Subscribe to Susan Heim on Parenting via email, RSS or as a Follower on Blogger. Leave a comment with your subscription method.

- Sign the guestbook at Archibald’s Clubhouse at http://www.archibaldmousebooks.com/clubhouse.html. Leave a comment that you did this.

One winner will be randomly selected from the qualified entries received by midnight on Wednesday, July 15, 2009. Be sure to leave an email address if you don’t have it posted on your Blogger page. The winner will be emailed and must respond within 72 hours or a new winner will be selected.

Wild Things: The Art of Nurturing Boys (Book Review)

I said an immediate “yes” when Tyndale’s publicist asked me to review the book, Wild Things: The Art of Nurturing Boys, by Stephen James, M.S., and David Thomas, M.S.S.W. The authors are therapists who regularly work with boys and their parents. And they’re also fathers, with five sons between them. As a mother of four sons, I couldn’t imagine a book that would be more appropriate for me!

This is a terrific book to help parents, educators and caregivers better understand boys and their behavior. As a parent, it gave me great comfort in knowing that my five-year-old twins’ “wildness” is completely normal, and that my teenager’s argumentativeness is typical for his age.

In the first part of Wild Things, the authors describe the five stages of a boy’s life. He’s an Explorer from ages 2-4, a Lover from ages 5-8, an Individual from ages 9-12, a Wanderer from ages 13-17, and a Warrior from ages 18-22. My twins are 5, but seem to be straddling the line between the Explorer and Lover stages. My 16-year-old is a typical Wanderer, and my 19-year-old is a Warrior! Each of these chapters gave me great insight into why my sons behave the way they do.

In part 2, the authors really delve into boys’ brains, learning styles, and school behavior. I wish that every teacher could read this book so they’d have an explanation for why boys tend to be more unruly and less cooperative in class. We all know that boys and girls are wired differently, but most classrooms are run in ways that work best for girls, not for boys. Thus, boys often tend to be labeled as troublemakers more often. This book could be a great help to educators in designing a curriculum that helps a boy to learn while meeting his needs for activity, visual stimulation, and experiential learning.

The last part of Wild Things tells us how to nurture a boy’s heart. It also speaks specifically about a boy’s relationship with his mother and with his father. And it emphasizes the need for celebrating “rites of passage” in a boy’s life to help him transition between phases.

The appendix of the book briefly touches on specific topics such as spanking, television time, talking with boys about sex and dating, pornography, homosexuality, ADD and ADHD, and much more.

After reading Wild Things, I really feel that I have a better understanding of my sons. As frustrating as their (mis)behavior is sometimes, I know that it’s an essential part of their journey to manhood. The authors provided very specific tips throughout the book for navigating each stage of a boy’s life, and offered much-needed reassurance for parents like me who are raising “wild things”!

Visit Tyndale’s website for more information about Wild Things and to download the first chapter.

WIN! “I Got Two Dogs” Hardcover Book and CD by John Lithgow

I’ve always been a big fan of John Lithgow. He’s done it all, from theater to television to the big screen. And, of course, parents know him as a bestselling children’s author! I wrote recently about John Lithgow’s hosting of Turner Classic Movie’s ESSENTIALS, JR. summer movie showcase. To further celebrate this terrific series, TCM is giving away copies of Mr. Lithgow’s most recent children’s book, I Got Two Dogs. Fortunately, I was able to snag some copies for two lucky winners! These books are amazing. They’re beautiful hardcover books with jackets, and they come with a CD on which John Lithgow sings the words from the book in a fun and frolicking song!

I Got Two Dogs is the tale (or should I say “tail”?) of two dogs (of course) named Fanny and Blue. On the surface, they don’t seem to have much in common. Fanny’s coat is white, and she’s a girl. Blue’s coat is gray, and he’s a boy. They’re ten years apart in age. But, despite their differences, they get along famously. They’re not the smartest of dogs, and they don’t know any tricks. But they never run away, and they love to be petted! This book is a loving tribute to “the best darn dogs” ever! I also love the colorful and eye-catching illustrations by Robert Neubecker. Watch this brief video to see John Lithgow sing part of the song:



I’ll say it again: I love John Lithgow! And be sure to watch his summer movie series on Turner Classic Movies, ESSENTIALS JR., which runs every Sunday evening throughout the summer.

To enter to win one of two copies of I Got Two Dogs (hardcover book with CD), visit John Lithgow’s author page at http://authors.simonandschuster.com/John-Lithgow/1664402 and leave a comment on this page with the name of another book by John Lithgow (besides I Got Two Dogs). As always, you can earn additional entries if you:

- Put a button for Susan Heim on Parenting on your blog. (The code is in the upper right-hand column of this site.) Post a comment with your blog’s URL.

- Follow me on Twitter (@ParentingAuthor) and tweet this giveaway. Leave a comment with the URL to your tweet.

- Post this giveaway on your blog with a link to this page. Leave a comment with a link to the post.

- Subscribe to Susan Heim on Parenting via email, RSS or as a Follower on Blogger. Leave a comment with your subscription method.

Two winners will be randomly selected from the qualified entries received by midnight on Sunday, July 12, 2009. Be sure to leave an email address if you don’t have it posted on your Blogger page. The winner will be emailed and must respond within 72 hours or a new winner will be selected. Thanks to Turner Classic Movies for this great giveaway!



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Why Business Travel Can Be Good for You and Your Kids!

NOTE FROM SUSAN: A few weeks ago, I mentioned that Phaedra Cucina, author of My Mommy’s on a Business Trip, would be a guest blogger very soon. Well, today’s the day! Phaedra's column addresses the issue of “mommy guilt,” especially when you need to take a trip away from the children. She explains why traveling without the kids is actually good, both for you and your kids. She is also very interested in hearing what you have to say on this subject. So, I strongly encourage you to leave your comments or questions on this post, and Phaedra will personally answer them!

Business trips, or any trips without the kids, are a touchy issue in most homes and offices. Often trips to the airport start with tearful goodbyes from the children, and the nightly calls don’t always go so well either. Kids can certainly tug at your heartstrings and heap extra helpings of worry onto your already guilty conscious. To make matters worse, those few moms who don’t feel guilty about their time away often tell me they feel guilty about not feeling guilty! Let’s put a stop to this self-inflicted nonsense!

Traveling on business is GOOD for your kids - and for you! Here are just a few reasons why:

At Home:

• Kids and the grown-up taking care of them get special bonding time together that simply isn’t possible when you’re at home

• Kids learn to be more self-reliant and gain self-confidence (This does require a certain degree of proper preparation, which we can talk about in another post.)

• The grown-up in charge gains a special appreciation for everything you do while you’re home, and vice versa

On the Road:

• You get a rare, uninterrupted night’s sleep!

• You get to walk through the airport with only your own bags to worry about, stroller-free, nicely dressed, with perhaps even a hot latte in hand!

• You get to catch up on your reading!

• You get to be so thankful that the crying kid on the plane is not yours!

• You get grown-up conversation over dinner, hopefully with your girlfriends living in whatever part of the country/world you’re visiting!

• You get to give yourself a mani and pedi in the hotel room!

• You get to watch a movie – of your own choice!

• You can get your inbox under control while on the plane/train!

• You can call a long lost friend or family member!

• You can organize your computer files, playlists, and photos!

• You can work out!

• You can REST!

The choice is always yours – you can sit in your hotel room, worried about what’s going on at home and the office, or enjoy this special opportunity to treat yourself to whatever simple pleasure strikes you in the moment.

What’s one of your favorite things about business, or kid-free, travel? What do you can do to make your next trip more rewarding?

Posted by working mom, Phaedra Cucina, author of the children’s book, My Mommy’s on a Business Trip.

Tucks Brand Medicated Pads: Review and Giveaway!

I’m lucky to be a Mom Central blogger because they are great about hooking me up with some wonderful products for moms and families. When they asked me to write about Tucks brand medicated products, I didn’t hesitate to say yes, even though the subject of hemorrhoids makes me uncomfortable just thinking about it! But, let’s face it, if you’ve been pregnant, being sore “down there” is just what happens, whether it’s from the effects of pregnancy or vaginal birth.

I’ve given birth to four children, and let me tell you, I was so relieved to have Tucks after I had my kids! I had big babies (my firstborn weighed almost ten pounds, and my last two babies were full-term twins), so my body got a real workout. The only relief I found was through sitz baths and Tucks pads. They contain witch hazel, an astringent that helps relieve irritation and burning due to hemorrhoids.

If you suffer from hemorrhoids or soreness due to pregnancy or childbirth, visit www.tucksbrand.com to view the products they offer to make you more comfortable. They even have convenient Tucks Take Alongs, which are individually packed towelettes that you can slip in your diaper bag or purse without making a mess. And they’re hypo-allergenic, dye-free and pH balanced.

Of course, with any sort of vaginal or rectal discomfort or soreness, always check with your physician before using any sort of treatment. If you get the okay, pick up some Tucks brand medicated products right away. Your sore tushie will thank you!

You can also enter to win a box of Tucks Take Alongs, which contains 12 individually packed medicated towelettes, just by leaving a comment below. Even if you’re not feeling the effects of pregnancy or childbirth, this would make a welcome gift for a pregnant friend. As always, you can earn additional entries if you:

- Put a button for Susan Heim on Parenting on your blog. (The code is in the upper right-hand column of this site.) Post a comment with your blog’s URL.

- Follow me on Twitter (@ParentingAuthor) and tweet this giveaway. Leave a comment with the URL to your tweet.

- Post this giveaway on your blog with a link to this page. Leave a comment with a link to the post.

- Subscribe to Susan Heim on Parenting via email, RSS or as a Follower on Blogger. Leave a comment with your subscription method.

One winner will be randomly selected from the qualified entries received by midnight on Sunday, July 5, 2009. Be sure to leave an email address if you don’t have it posted on your Blogger page. The winner will be emailed and must respond within 72 hours or a new winner will be selected.


CONTEST CLOSED. Congratulations to the winner, Lia!



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Make This a Summer to Remember: Teens and Volunteerism

My 16-year-old son hasn’t been able to get a job this summer, despite putting in numerous applications. But that doesn’t mean that he hasn’t been busy. He’s taking a junior lifeguard course at the beach and is on the city’s swim team. And he’s also been spending his time doing volunteer work. This week, he’s helping out with our church’s vacation bible school. And in July he’ll be heading to Costa Rica with his youth group for a mission trip.

My older son, now 19, says that one of the most amazing experiences of his life was the trip he took to Costa Rica in the summer of 2005. He spent almost the entire ten days of the trip building houses for local residents. It was hard, dirty work. The conditions were primitive (no hot showers or air conditioning!), and the days were long. I never thought that my typical teen—who balks at having to mow the lawn—would be willing to climb up on a hot roof every day, but he loved every minute of it! The feeling of camaraderie with his fellow workers, and the eternal and loving gratitude of the people he was helping, made this an unforgettable experience.

Encouraging teens to do volunteer work is one of the most important things you can do for them as a parent. And the amazing thing is, once they get a taste of it, teenagers love to volunteer! My son grumbled when he signed up to help out at vacation bible school, but he’s been having a ball. He and his friend do the morning skit and then they make the snacks for the day. He comes home in a great mood after hanging out with other people and having a good time.

Fortunately, my sons are in good company. In 2004, 55 percent of American teenagers volunteered—almost twice the rate of adults, according to the Corporation for National and Community Service. And students who do volunteer work actually do better in school than those who don't volunteer. Albert Schweitzer once said, “The only ones among you who will be truly happy will be those who have sought and found how to serve.” In fact, volunteering provides many benefits for teens, including increased self-esteem, a feeling of being valued, the opportunity to meet new people, the acquisition of valuable new skills, and a lifetime of wonderful memories and experiences.

Volunteer opportunities for adolescents aren’t difficult to find. Some organizations may have age restrictions if the job involves a certain amount of risk, but opportunities abound for all ages! One of the best places to start is with your local church, synagogue, mosque or other place of worship. Other places to look are the Parks and Recreation Department, summer camp programs, hospitals, nature centers, libraries, children’s museums, community and teen centers, and just through word of mouth. One of my sons had a great time as a volunteer at a boat show, which raised funds for charity. My boys have volunteered at Battle of the Bands programs, pet shows, bike races, holiday festivals, and much more. Don’t be afraid to ask around. Most people jump at the chance to put a volunteer to work!

When teenagers learn to serve others, they become empowered. They grow up knowing that they can make a difference in the world. Just imagine what this kind of attitude can accomplish when our adolescents are soon the leaders of society! Making the world a better place starts by showing our kids how they can be part of impacting the future through volunteering.



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