Denise Schipani shares her secret to being a 'Mean Mom,' and why it's better for your kids–and for you–in the long run." —Jen Singer, author You're a Good Mom (and Your Kids Aren't So Bad Either) "'Mean' moms make kids learn to do things for themselves from making breakfast to finding inner peace. I'm hoping I'm a little meaner myself after reading this book." —Lenore Skenazy, founder of the book and blog Free–Range Kids "I've chosen to be the kind of mother I feel is best, and that kind of mother is mean." MEAN MOMS SAY NO. MEAN MOMS ARE CONSISTENT. MEAN MOMS TRUST THEMSELVES. MEAN MOMS DON'T CARE WHAT EVERYONE ELSE IS DOING. MEAN MOMS TEACH KIDS THE LIFE SKILLS THEY NEED TO KNOW. MEAN MOMS SLOW IT DOWN. MEAN MOMS FAIL THEIR KIDS A LITTLE BIT EVERY DAY. And mean moms prepare their kids for the world, not the world for their kids, raising children into adults who know how to make themselves happy. Mean Moms Rule. And their kids benefit Denise Schipani writes about all things mean and motherly at www.confessionsofameanmommy.com

Denise Schipani argues that being a mean mom, saying no, and being consistent creates the best kids who will grow to be independent adults.

"Maribel Broomstick" is the story of a little girl with impossibly curly hair. She really wants straight smooth hair, but along the way -- thanks to her friends -- she learns that being different sometimes means being special. It's a simple story with a strong message. If you have curly hair (or know someone who does), you get it.

In this unique, profoundly inspirational memoir, Divorce Court star Judge Lynn Toler shares her mother’s wisdom for learning to conquer anger and become immune to insult. Toler credits her mother’s “rules” for life – a life that saw her grow up the daughter of a poor teen mother and endure a husband who suffered mental illness and alcoholism – with providing the grounding for her own success and happiness. Toler shows how the mindset of “a black woman who knew how to make things work” taught her the power of knowing how to manage one’s emotional business—lessons that this book offers in wrenching stories written in spare and graceful prose. My Mother’s Rules is an unforgettable book that will captivate readers with its illustrations of how to rise above the most difficult circumstances and find peace and success in life.

With the help of your own rule, you can get control of your household, grow closer to God, come to love your husband more, and raise up good Christian children.

While it is universally understood that being a mother takes superhuman patience, strength, and fortitude, even these everyday superheroes need a helping hand every once in a while. Mom Rules is a quick go-to guide of essential rules to help mothers know what to expect, what to say, and what to do in those difficult moments when they are at their wits end.

Parenting can be such an overwhelming job that it’s easy to lose track of where you stand on some of the more controversial subjects at the playground (What if my kid likes to rough house—isn’t this ok as long as no one gets hurt? And what if my kid just doesn’t feel like sharing?). In this inspiring and enlightening book, Heather Shumaker describes her quest to nail down “the rules” to raising smart, sensitive, and self-sufficient kids. Drawing on her own experiences as the mother of two small children, as well as on the work of child psychologists, pediatricians, educators and so on, in this book Shumaker gets to the heart of the matter on a host of important questions. Hint: many of the rules aren’t what you think they are! The “rules” in this book focus on the toddler and preschool years—an important time for laying the foundation for competent and compassionate older kids and then adults. Here are a few of the rules: • It’s OK if it’s not hurting people or property • Bombs, guns and bad guys allowed. • Boys can wear tutus. • Pictures don’t have to be pretty. • Paint off the paper! • Sex ed starts in preschool • Kids don’t have to say “Sorry.” • Love your kid’s lies. IT’S OK NOT TO SHARE is an essential resource for any parent hoping to avoid PLAYDATEGATE (i.e. your child’s behavior in a social interaction with another child clearly doesn’t meet with another parent’s approval)!