Imagine...walking into your baby's nursery; looking in your toddler's toy chest; rummaging through your child's backpack; or moving the pile of clothes on your teenager's bedroom floor and discovering your very own, personalized instruction manual on how to raise your child Imagine...a parenting handbook created just for you. In it are the keys to increasing your confidence as a parent; creating a parenting plan you and your co-parent can agree upon; discovering your child's unique personality, talents and gifts; developing tools that will help you know yourself better and assist your child in the process of self-discovery; establishing skills to develop a strong, loving, and respectful relationship with your child. Can you imagine the benefits such a book would bring to you, your child, and your family? Children may never be born with instructions, but this book is the next best thing The chapters and exercises included in it are designed to help you create a parenting handbook that can guide you through the parenting process, no matter what stage you're in. Jan Cloninger & Rosemary Strembicki, LCSW have joined efforts to create this easy-to-understand and easy-to-use workbook that will be an invaluable tool for moms, dads, aunts, uncles, grandparents, and anyone else who is actively (or thinking about becoming) a parent. Being a parent is one of the toughest and most important jobs we do Each family is a unique blend of beliefs, values, culture tradition and histories. What works for one family may not work for another. But as parents, it's up to each of us to explore and discover the parenting path that works best for us. More often than not, you instinctively know what's best for you and your child. But with all the conflicting studies, opinions posted on the web, well meaning input from family and friends, and your children trying to convince you that they know better (especially as they move into adolescence ) - it's easy to have your confidence shaken. It takes courage to parent - courage to look inside yourself; courage to honor and accept your children for what they are; courage to change and grow as a person and a parent; and on some days, the courage to do what you know is right, even when your child isn't happy about it. www.thecouragetoparent.com