The Thin Blue Line Foundation is committed to law enforcement families. Our goal is to provide helpful resources to strengthen your family. Being a great parent isn't easy. We hope you find these resources helpful.
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Recommended Parenting Books and Websites
The Secrets of Happy Families, Bruce Feiler
A new approach to family dynamics, inspired by cutting-edge techniques gathered from experts in the disciplines of science, business, sports, and the military. The result is a funny and thought-provoking playbook for contemporary families, with more than 200 useful strategies. More info here.
How To Really Love Your Child, Dr. Ross Campbell
In Dr. Ross Campbell’s explains the emotional needs of a child and provides you with skills that will help your child feel truly loved and accepted. Using eye contact, affirmation, and spiritual nurturing, you’ll learn to really love your child no matter what the circumstances. The practical applications in How to Really Love Your Child have already helped over 2 million parents around the world show love to their children in a way that can be received and returned, again and again. More info here.
Five Conversations You Must Have with Your Son, Vicki Courtney
For parents with boys newborn to eighteen, 5 Conversations You Must Have with Your Son will be as much a part of the boyhood journey as those Legos you're still finding under the sofa cushions and the garage full of sports equipment. Award-winning youth culture commentator Vicki Courtney helps moms and dads pinpoint and prepare the discussions that should be ongoing in a boy's formative years. More info here.
Five Conversations You Must Have with Your Daughter, Vicki Courtney
From the cradle to college, tell your daughters the truth about life before they believe the culture’s lies. For mothers with girls newborn to eighteen, Five Conversations You Must Have with Your Daughter is simply a must-have book. Youth culture commentator Vicki Courtney helps moms pinpoint and prepare the discussions that should be ongoing in their daughters' formative years. More info here.
Family First, Dr. Phil McGraw
Dr. Phil offers a new classic on family life—and gives parents real answers and a plan for being the most positive and effective parents possible. Starting right now, you can begin to make realistic choices and take day-to-day actions that can make your family phenomenal. You must decide that you will lead your family with strength and love and that peace and joy are not just for the people next door or on TV. They're for your family. More info here.
Raising Confident Boys, Elizebeth Hartley-Brewer
Boys need to be noticed, admired, understood, and accepted to feel good about themselves. Boys who lack appropriate emotional support from the adults close to them are at risk of believing they don't fit in and are likely to act accordingly, engaging in risky behaviors-including at worst using drugs and acting out violently. Raising Confident Boys teaches readers what makes boys prone to low self-esteem and provides practical, effective tips for managing these situations as they arise. More info here.
Bringing Up Boys, Dr. James Dobson
With so much confusion about the role of men in our society, it’s no wonder so many parents and teachers are asking questions about how to bring up boys. Why are so many boys in crisis? What qualities should we be trying to instill in young males? More info here.
How To Make The Best of Sibling Rivalry, Charles Fay Ph.D.
This book will teach you practical skills that allow you to save your own energy and teaches your kids how to get along with others. You will learn simple and practical skills for: * Setting limits without waging war * Staying calm when your kids aren't * Helping your kids learn to take responsibility for resolving their own issues * Putting an end to arguing and manipulation The techniques presented in this book are built on decades of experience using the Love and Logic approach. More info here.
Creative Correction, Lisa Whelchel
Drawing from her own family's experiences and from interaction with other parents, Lisa Whelchel offers creative solutions for parents who are out of ideas and desperate for new, proven approaches to discipline. In addition to advice on topics such as sibling conflict and lying, Whelchel offers a biblical perspective and down-to-earth encouragement to parents who are feeling overwhelmed. More info here.
Suddenly They're 13, David Arp
Trusted family life educators and seminar leaders David and Claudia Arp help frustrated parents discover the secrets of communicating with their teenage "cactus." Through the "four Rs" of regrouping, releasing, relating, and relaxing, the Arps help parents launch their almost-thirteen into the teen years, using the "Teenage Challenge" and yearly "Birthday Boxes."
The 5 Love Languages of Teenagers, Dr. Gary Chapman
Socially, mentally, and spiritually, teenagers face a variety of pressures and stresses each day. Despite these pressures, it is still parents who can influence teens the most, and The 5 Love Languages of Teenagers equips parents to make the most of that opportunity. Dr. Gary Chapman explores the world in which teenagers live, explains their developmental changes, and gives tools to help you identify and appropriately communicate in your teen's love language. More info here.
How to Talk So Kids Will Listen & Listen So Kids Will Talk, Adele Faber
Internationally acclaimed experts on communication between parents and children, Adele Faber and Elaine Mazlish “are doing for parenting today what Dr. Spock did for our generation” (ParentMagazine). Now, this bestselling classic includes fresh insights and suggestions as well as the author’s time-tested methods to solve common problems and build foundations for lasting relationships. More info here.
Raising Grateful Kids in an Entitled World, Kristen Welch
“But everyone else has it.” “If you loved me, you’d get it for me!” When you hear these comments from your kids, it can be tough not to cave. You love your children―don’t you want them to be happy and to fit in? Kristen Welch knows firsthand it’s not that easy. In fact, she’s found out that when you say yes too often, it’s not only hard on your peace of mind and your wallet―it actually puts your kids at long-term risk. In Raising Grateful Kids in an Entitled World, Kristen shares the ups and downs in her own family’s journey of discovering why it’s healthiest not to give their kids everything. Teaching them the difference between “want” and “need” is the first step in the right direction. More info here.
Anchor Man, Steve Farrar
If you thought your parenting responsibilities ended after eighteen years per child, you thought wrong. Instead, it's your privilege to lead your family-and influence succeeding generations-for a century...or more. Anchor Man presents the high calling of fatherhood, the traits of a Christian father, the adventures that await him as he interacts with his children, and the significance of his role as a good family man. Steve Farrar presents these roles and responsibilities in a way any man wanting to increase his understanding of his place in the family, and our society, can put into action every day. More info here.
Raising a Modern Day Knight, Robert Lewis
What does it mean to be a man? Moreover, how do you as a father instill that reality in your son? By Raising a Modern-Day Knight, you can confidently guide your son to the kind of authentic, biblical manhood that can change out world. Complete with ceremony ideas to celebrate accomplishments and ingrain them in the mind of a knight-in-training, this resource is as insightful as it is practical in raising a boy to be a chivalrous, godly man. More info here.
The Read Aloud Handbook, Jim Trelease
Recommended by "Dear Abby" upon its first publication in 1982, millions of parents and educators have turned to Jim Trelease’s beloved classic for more than three decades to help countless children become avid readers through awakening their imaginations and improving their language skills. It has also been a staple in schools of education for new teachers. More info here.
Your Two Year Old: Terrible or Tender, Louise Bates Ames
Are two-year-olds really so terrible, or does the world have a slightly skewed view of this sometimes difficult, sometimes adorable lot? Drs. Ames and Ilg, recognized worldwide as authorities on child behavior and development, offer parents practical advice and enlightening psychological insights on children this age. What are two-year-old girls and boys thinking and feeling? How do they see others around them? More info here.
Your Three Year Old: Friend or Enemy, Louise Bates Ames
A three-year-old is a real puzzle to parents, sometimes anxious to please and befriend, sometimes strong-willed and difficult to get along with. At the heart of the three-year-old’s personality is often an emotional insecurity—and this causes a host of problems for parents! Drs. Ames and Ilg, recognized authorities on child behavior and development, help parents understand what’s going on inside that three-year-old head, what problems children have, and how to cope with the toddler who is sometimes friend, sometimes enemy. More info here.
Your Four Year Old: Wild and Wonderful, Louise Bates Ames
What is it about four-year-olds that makes them so lovable? What problems do four-year-olds have? What can they do now that they couldn't do at three? Drs. Ames and Ilg, recognized authorities on child behavior and development, discuss these and scores of other questions unique to four-year-old girls and boys, and they offer parents practical advice and enlightening psychological insights. More info here.
Baby Wise, Giving Your Infant the Gift of Nighttime Sleep, Robert Bucknam, M.D. and Gary Ezzo, M.A.
Distinguished pediatrician Dr Robert Bucknam, M.D. and co-author Gary Ezzo are two of the world's leading experts on infant management concepts. For over 20 years, On Becoming Babywise has been the de facto newborn parenting manual for naturally synchronizing your baby's feeding time, waketime and nighttime sleep cycles, so the whole family can sleep through the night. More info here.
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Family First is a non-profit organization focused on parenting, marriage and relational truth that helps people love their family well and provide greater hope for the future.