Most Popular Books by Ann Douglas

This modern classic by one of our leading scholars seeks to explain the values prevalent in today''s mass culture by tracing them back to their roots in the Victorian era. As religion lost its hold on the public mind, clergymen and educated women, powerless and insignificant in the society of the time, together exerted a profound effect on the only areas open to their influence: the arts and literature. Women wrote books that idealized the very qualities that kept them powerless: timidity, piety, and a disdain for competition. Sentimental values that permeated popular literature continue to influence modern culture, preoccupied as it is with glamour, banal melodrama, and mindless consumption. This new paperback edition, with a new Preface, will reach yet more readers with its persuasive and provocative theory. Richard Bernstein of "The New York Times "said: "Her remarkable scholarship is going to set the standard for a long time to come."

The ultimate guide to conception, birth, and everything in between Unlike those other bossy, tell-you-what-to-do pregnancy books, this funny, entertaining guide presents expectant parents with all the facts they need to know about conception, birth, and everything in between. Celebrating the 10th anniversary of this favorite guide to pregnancy and birth, this new edition is easier-to-use, fully updated, and has a fresh and appealing new design. The Mother of All Pregnancy Books features a friendly, fresh, and fun approach to the greatest adventure life has to offer. Based on the best advice from over 100 parents and a panel of experts, it is packed with tons of nuts-and-bolts information and presents expectant parents with all the facts on such perennial hot topics as pain relief during labor, episiotomy, and circumcision, and empowering expectant parents to make informed personal choices. A complete guide to how it may feel—both physically and emotionally - to be pregnant "The Pregnancy Roadmap:" a week-by-week; month-by-month; and trimester-by-trimester overview of the key pregnancy milestones Pregnancy Q&As Baby Gear 101 Your postpartum body The truth about "pregnancy brain" If you''re looking for the inside scoop on what it''s really like to have a baby, you''ve come to the right place.

Roughly 68 million North American women currently grapple with the challenges of midlife, faced with a culture that tells them their “best-before date” has long passed. In Navigating the Messy Middle, Ann Douglas pushes back against this toxic narrative, providing a fierce and unapologetic book for and about midlife women. In this deeply validating and encouraging book, Douglas interviews well over one hundred women of different backgrounds and identities, sharing their diverse conversations about the complex and intertwined issues that women must grapple with at midlife: from family responsibilities to career pivots, health concerns to building community. Readers will find a book that offers practical, evidence-based strategies for thriving at midlife, coupled with compelling first-person stories. Offering purpose and meaning in a life stage that can otherwise feel out of control, Douglas pushes back against the message that women at midlife are no longer relevant and needed, highlighting the far-reaching economic, political and social impacts of these messages and providing a refreshing counter-narrative that maps out a path forward for women at midlife. Both a midlife love letter and a lament, Navigating the Messy Middle both celebrates the beauty and rages at the many injustices of this life stage and provides readers with the tools to chart their own course.

Raising a child or teenager with a psychological condition is a "perfect storm" of stress, sadness, and uncertainty. How can you find the best treatments and help your child overcome emotional, behavioral, and academic challenges--while keeping yourself and your family strong? As a parent, you may feel isolated and alone, but the reality is that a lot of families are in the same boat. Ann Douglas knows firsthand just how daunting it can be. In this compassionate and empowering guide, she combines the vital lessons she has learned with vivid stories from other parents and advice from leading psychologists. Several record-keeping forms can be downloaded and printed for repeated use. The book cuts through the often-confusing clinical jargon and speaks from the heart about what matters most: the well-being of your child.

The demand for child-care spaces is huge. According to the National Center for Education Statistics, approximately 13 million children under the age of six spend some or all of their day being cared for by someone other than their parents. The child-care shortage is everyone''s problem – for parents (whether you work outside the home or not), employers, and the children. The prospect of choosing the right childcare can be overwhelming. Put your mind at ease with Choosing Childcare For Dummies. This reference guide is brimming with practical advice to help you find high-quality childcare for the child in your life – whether he or she is a biological child, stepchild, grandchild, foster child, or the child of your significant other. From figuring out affordability to knowing what to do if you suspect neglect or abuse, Choosing Childcare For Dummies covers it all. Inside the book you''ll find out how to Weigh the pros and cons of your various child-care options Determine high quality childcare Evaluate out-of-home childcare Hire a nanny or a relative for in-home care Get guidance on the legal issues of being an employer Conduct a reference check Determine if you need a "nanny cam" Recognize the ten signs that your child-care arrangement is in trouble Ease your child into a new child-care arrangement Find back-up childcare Because the United States has no countrywide child-care “system” in place, we’ve ended up with a patchwork quilt of regulations that don’t quite mesh the way they should. This is why so many child-care programs are exempt from the child-care legislation that’s intended to protect children. The bottom line? You can’t count on anyone else to guarantee your child’s health, safety, and well-being in a particular child-care setting. Like it or not, the buck stops with you. That’s why you owe it to yourself and your child to read books like this one that show you how to be a savvy day-care consumer.

Finally, a no-worry, no-guilt guide to feeding your baby, toddler and preschooler. Featuring real world solutions, this reassuring and wisdom-packed guide gives you the lowdown on: getting your child off to a healthy start nutrition-wise introducing first foods the step-by-step, no-worry way making nutritious, great tasting baby food serving up toddler- and preschooler-friendly meals and snacks feeding vegetarian kids dining in and dining out: mom-proven mealtime strategies geared to each age and stage coping with picky eaters and nourishing sick kids nutrition tips, allergy alerts and other essential health and safety information setting the stage for happy mealtimes and how you can help your child to develop a healthy relationship with food Includes: timesaving cooking tips and recipes from kitchen-savvy moms nutrition charts to ensure you''ve got your baby''s nutritional bases covered meal planners and shopping lists — even a convenient food label decoder organizations, websites and books every parent should know about

YOUR CHILD''S GROWING UP! From preschool to the preteens, raising your boy or girl is an exhilarating, challenging time. The Mother of All Parenting Books is a comforting instruction manual for the day-to-day adventures that await you. Packed with practical strategies, handy checklists, and parent-tested advice, this comprehensive, down-to-earth guide is a breath of fresh air for moms and dads, empowering you to choose a parenting that works best for you and your children. Warm and entertaining, The Mother of All Parenting Books provides an authoritative yet non-bossy approach to everything from discipline and sibling rivalry to teaching values, encouraging academic success, and promoting effective communication. Inside you''ll find the straight facts about difficult subjects, such as spanking, bullying, raising children with special needs, and parent burnout. You also get a first-aid guide, a directory of key parenting organizations, and the answers to all your medical questions, vetted by a panel of health authorities. Plus, this book features nitty-gritty, from-the-trenches wisdom from other parents-the only ones w ho truly understand what it''s like to be in your shoes! Concise, dependable, and wonderfully reassuring, The Mother of All Parenting Books will help you guide your child through these roller coaster years-and raise a happy, healthy family! Advance Praise for The Mother of All Parenting Books ""This book has all the answers that are missing from other parenting books! It''s honest, complete, well-researched . . . and not preachy."" -Dr. Cathryn Tobin, author of The Parent''s Problem Solver

Your baby''s growing up! The joys and challenges of parenting a toddler are many, and you may be wondering how best to prepare for this exciting time. The Mother of All Toddler Books provides the skinny on what it''s really like to raise a toddler, giving you expert guidance in everything from discipline and nutritional needs to sleep problems and behavioral issues. Packed with parent-tested advice, money-saving tips, and medically reviewed answers to all your toddler health questions, this comprehensive, entertaining guide is a must-have for surviving and enjoying this exciting time in your child''s life. Warm and down-to-earth, The Mother of All Toddler Books covers the good, the bad, and the ugly sides of parenting a toddler, offering a hefty dose of reassurance for everything from toddler-proofing your home to toilet training without stress to administering first aid. Inside, you''ll find proven strategies for coping with whining, dawdling, and tantrums, as well as handy growth charts, immunization schedules, safety checklists, a directory of key parenting and pediatric health organizations, and a listing of Internet resources. Concise, authoritative, and fun to read, The Mother of All Toddler Books has everything you need to raise a happy, healthy child! Praise for The Mother of All series The Mother of All Pregnancy Books "The must-read pregnancy book! Ann Douglas has created the most comprehensive guide to pregnancy we''ve ever seen." -Denise & Alan Fields, authors of Baby Bargains The Mother of All Baby Books "With humor, sensitivity, an easy, no-jargon style, and a million ''extras'' that the leading baby books on the shelves don''t cover, Ann Douglas holds nothing back. Finally a baby book written for women of my generation!" -M. Sara Rosenthal, author of The Breastfeeding Sourcebook

Whether you''re an expectant parent or you''re just thinking about it, this comprehensive guide features a non-bossy, fresh and fun approach to the greatest adventure life has to offer. Based on the best advice from over one hundred Canadian parents, this information is served up with a uniquely Canadian spin. Never one to shy away from the tough topics, Ann Douglas addresses the concerns that all would-be parents have when facing pregnancy. With over 225,000 "Mother of All" books sold in Canada alone, Ann serves the inside scoop on what it''s really like to have a baby--the straight goods on preparing your body for pregnacy; practical advice on how to increase your chances of conceiving quickly; the top ten worries for each trimester--with a hefty dose of reassurance. With a glossary of pregnancy- and birth-related terms and a sneak-peek at life after Baby, this is the manual for those looking for real-world advice to help them from conception to birth, and all that goes between!

"Follow the development of young children from infancy to first steps. Bright photos and lighthearted text enhance this informative introduction to babies" Cf. Our choice, 1999-2000

The Mother of All Baby Books is the instruction manual that Mother Nature forgot to include with the new arrival — a hands-on guide to coping with the joys and challenges of caring for your new baby. It''s a totally comprehensive guide that features a non-bossy, fresh, and fun approach to Baby''s exciting first year. Based on the best advice from over 100 Canadian parents, The Mother of All Baby Books is the ultimate guide to bringing up Baby in the Great White North. The Mother of All Baby Books offers: the straight goods on what it''s really like to become a parent a frank discussion of the top ten worries of new parents, presented with a hefty dose of reassurance the facts you need to make up your mind about breastfeeding, circumcision, immunization and other important issues comprehensive answers to all of your baby-related questions — including the ones that have you pacing the floor at 3:00 a.m.! medically reviewed, practical advice on coping with colic, diaper rash, nursing strikes, and other common first-year challenges insider secrets on shopping for baby without going broke a helpful glossary of baby-related terms a directory of Canadian organizations for new parents a list of Internet resources of interest to Canadian parents immunization schedules, baby growth charts, and more

Finally, a no-worry, no-guilt guide to sleep. There''s no such thing as a one-size-fits-all sleep solution. That''s why Sleep Solutions for Your Baby, Toddler, and Preschooler provides you with the tools you need to come up with a customized sleep solution that takes into account your child''s temperament, your parenting philosophies, and the rest of your life. You''ll also get the lowdown on: the physical, emotional and relationship fallout of sleep deprivation — along with an action plan for minimizing these effects what the world''s leading sleep researchers have identified as the best-odds sleep promotion strategies for babies, toddlers, and preschoolers the science behind each of the major sleep training methods — along with the inside scoop on the major pros and cons, according to parents who''ve tried them co-sleeping, partners in exile (in the spare bedroom), and other hot-button topics in the world of sleep sleep transitions: from co-sleeping to solo sleeping; from crib to bed; from napping to no more naps nightmares, night terrors, bedtime refusal, and too-early risers Includes checklists, charts, and sleep tools, including a handy sleep log sleep books, websites, and organizations that every parent should know about

The perfect companion to the bestselling The Mother of All Pregnancy Books For the four million American women who give birth every year, staying on topof doctor''s visits, ultrasound tests, Lamaze classes, baby supplies, birth announcements, and all the other day-to-day realities of pregnancy can seem a little overwhelming. This handy organizer makes it easy. Laminated for durability, wire-bound to lie flat, and featuring section dividers for easy access and rounded corners to reduce wear and tear, it includes helpful checklists, handy reminders about key events and milestones, space to record important details every week, guidance on every prenatal healthcare visit--and, of course, Ann Douglas''s inimitable tips and advice on all aspects of pregnancy.

The Mother of All... series is now firmly established in the hearts and minds of tens of thousands of Canadian parents. Never one to shy away from the tough topics, Ann Douglas addresses the concerns that all parents consider when facing pregnancy and raising young children. The Mother of All Pregnancy Books, 2nd Edition provides the straight goods on preparing your body for pregnancy, including practical advice on how to increase your chances for conceiving quickly; the top ten worries for each trimester—along with a hefty dose of reassurance; a glossary of pregnancy and birth-related terms; and a sneak peek of life after baby. The Mother of All Baby Books: An All-Canadian Guide to Your Baby''s First Year, 2nd Edition is the instruction manual that Mother Nature forgot to include with your new arrival—a hands-on guide to coping with the joys and challenges of caring for your new baby. It’s a totally comprehensive guide that features a non-bossy, fresh, and fun approach to baby’s exciting first year. The Mother of All Toddler Books picks up where Mother of All Baby Books left off. The toddler years are busy and challenging as child development and behavioural and discipline issues take centre stage.