Book Review: Raising the Challenging Child by Karen Doyle Buckwalter, Debbie Reed, Wendy Lyons Sunshine

Rating: 📚📚📚📚📚

Raising the Challenging Child: How to Minimize Meltdowns, Reduce Conflict, and Increase Cooperation by Karen Doyle Buckwalter, Debbie Reed, Wendy Lyons Sunshine

“The best way to teach the children a habit is to adopt it ourselves.” — Abhijit Naskar, The Gospel of Technology

My daughter, who is now six years old, has been going through behavioral issues since head-start. When she got to pre-K, she got kicked out after six months. Last school year, she got suspended from school, and by the end of that school year, she got kicked out of her daycare for good. She is brilliant, and she is a sweet kid but has behavioral issues, attention-seeking.

I got to thinking about how I could break her out of her bad habits when I can't even cut my own. I have a troubled past and childhood that has left me a little angry (a lot ). I have a terrible temper ( which has improved, in my opinion ) and slight anger issues. I don't always make the best decisions when I am a little rattled. I have never shown it towards my kids ( I don't want them to experience what I did), which led me to be a little more than lenient in my discipline. However, they have seen me, and mom got at it, seen me get upset with others, and handle situations in an unfitting way. I take full responsibility for how my kids deal with certain circumstances because even though I try and teach them the correct way, most kids go by what they see.

 That is why I was happy when I received this book in the mail. Raising the Challenging Child is excellent for parents who lack the knowledge on how to properly communicate with their child or the best way to get through to them. All lessons stem from real situations and alternatives on how to handle it better next time. The authors offer tips throughout the book. Here are some of my favorites tips:

• Find ways to give your child more simple choices (red or blue, now or after breakfast) throughout the day. Choices=deposits. (pg. 21)

• Avoid questions that can be answered with a no. (pg. 64)

• Don't flood your child with consequences.

• Help your child feel valued. Emotional safety is just as important as physical safety. (pg. 82)

Raising the Challenging child has helped me with communicating with my kids better and getting through to my sweet little trouble maker. I highly recommend this book.

As many of you may know, I love books. Reading was always my first love, and it was a thing between my father and I. He would always take me to a bookstore and let me get as many books as my heart desired. Fun Fact: He introduced me to Harry Potter by buying me the Sorcerer’s Stone VHS thinking I would like it, I loved it. My point is he is the reason I love to read. As many of you may know, I love books. Reading was always my first love, and it was a thing between my father and I. He would always take me to a bookstore and let me get as many books as my heart desired. Fun Fact: He introduced me to Harry Potter by buying me the Sorcerer’s Stone VHS thinking I would like it, I loved it. My point is he is the reason I love to read.

I mostly enjoy books that will help me develop my career or master a hobby of mine. I love digital marketing and I love to write. I have three books along those lines that I will review on my blog within the next week or two. I love contemporary YA/NA, which brings me to this ARC I am about to introduce. I mostly enjoy books that will help me develop my career or master a hobby of mine. I love digital marketing and I love to write. I have three books along those lines that I will review on my blog within the next week or two. I love contemporary YA/NA, which brings me to this ARC I am about to introduce.

There is nothing on Earth I love more (other than my kids) than book mail. Book mail is the best mail you can receive. Lately I have been receiving ARCs in the form of e-books, which is great, but I am old school I love me physical copies. I got Maya Hughes’ “The Second We Met” book in the mail and I could not be more excited. I opened the package and squealed like a little kid, hell, I even smelled the pages. The pages smelled delightful in case you were wondering. There is nothing on Earth I love more (other than my kids) than book mail. Book mail is the best mail you can receive. Lately I have been receiving ARCs in the form of e-books, which is great, but I am old school I love me physical copies. I got Maya Hughes’ “The Second We Met” book in the mail and I could not be more excited. I opened the package and squealed like a little kid, hell, I even smelled the pages. The pages smelled delightful in case you were wondering.

This is book two in the Fulton University series, with "The Perfect First" being book one. I cannot wait to dive in and start reading this book, after I am done with my other three. Just know a review is coming soon.

Gorgeous isn’t he

Title: The Second We Met
Series: Fulton U #2
Author: Maya Hughes
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Cover Design: Najla Qamber Designs
Photo: Wander Aguiar
Release Date: October 17, 2019
 
BLURB

Dear Jerk Across the Street, sorry for accidentally walking in on you and catching an eyeful of your—equipment. And hard pass on the open invitation to join you in the shower “anytime”, A-hole. 

That’s the note I should’ve written. Instead, I sent a pleasant and apologetic version.
Had I known Phoenix “Nix” Russo would’ve been the neighbor from hell, I’d have told him right where he could shove my words.
Nix is the big man on campus with everyone lined up at his games to make sure he knows it. Sure, he’s got piercing green eyes, abs that don’t quit and a smile that could set fire to a set of panties from a hundred yards away, but he’s also the biggest pain in my ass.
 

 

Dear Pink-Haired Menace, learn how to take a joke and stop being such a kill-joy…

Elle Masterson called the cops on one of my parties—again. My sweet talking usually gets me out of trouble, but this time it got me into a nice pair of silver handcuffs. Now I’m on a reputation rehab tour with a stop at a spring break community service project.
Guess who’s my new boss?
Now we’re shoulder to shoulder, sweaty, tired and… she’s not anything like I expected. There might just be a heart under that hardass exterior. She’s invading my dreams and I can’t shake the feeling she’s the key to unlocking a piece of me that I’ve hidden away.
It’s only a matter of time until she finds out why I’m really here.
Maybe I can break through her walls and into her heart before that happens… one screw at a time

What Would You Do If You Could Do It "Again, But Better"- Inspired by a Christine Riccio Novel

I am reading “Again, But Better” by Christine Riccio and it has inspired me to write this blog post. What would you do if you had a second chance? What would you do if you could do it again, but better?

I have read the first chapter of the book and oddly enough, as simple as it was, it was also powerful. The message was clear. We go through life wasting precious moments, taking moments for granted, screwing up, not screwing up enough, living too much, not living enough, or whatever the case may be. We spend life worrying why we aren’t as ahead as those in our age range or why someone older hasn’t got life figured out yet. We hide behind our insecurities, our fears, and our anxieties. Here I am trying to figure out what I hid behind or what would I do again, but better?

The answer for me is simple, college. I would do college again, but better. I would go to the physical school instead of attending an online institution. I would get out and meet people, go to class, join clubs, and just live a life a normal twenty-something should live. I then may have finished my B.S. degree instead of my school losing its accreditation and I get stuck with 97 credits that don‘t count anymore. Maybe then I would not be sitting here thinking what does this mean for me now and where do I go from here. Yes, I would definitely do college again, but better.

Another thing I would do again, but better would be my first job. I always say if I knew then what I knew now, I‘d be rich. I got my first job at fifteen and the job paid weekly for the first three years, every Wednesday. I lived in a college town and most of the people who worked there were college age. So when the summer rolled around either they went home or didn’t want to work, but party instead. I picked up shifts, double shifts, and even open-to-close shifts almost every summer and winter break. My checks would be between $500-600 a week and I blew every single penny. I spent my money on junk, junk, and more junk. What I would do again, but better would be to put two of the four checks I got a month into a savings account. I could have been sitting on $36K (well definitely more since this thirteen years ago) in my bank account.

We all have things we would do again, but better and I would love to here some of yours. Here is the link to the book if you would like to read it.

Amazon: Again, But Better by Christine Riccio

Coming Soon The Highly Anticipated, Spring Release By Meagan Brandy, Trouble At Brayshaw High

Blurb:

“You don’t belong.”

No words whispered in anger have ever rung more true.

They’re the Kings of Brayshaw with the world at their feet, destined for greatness and in need of control.

I’m the girl from the ghetto with nothing to offer and as defiant as they come.

They say it doesn’t matter, that I’m one of them now, and nothing could ever change that. Not even me, should I dare try.

But they’re wrong.

They have no idea how far I’ll go to protect them.

Trouble is coming...and they have no idea.

OMG!!! I am so excited about the release of this book. May 28th cannot get here fast enough. If you have not read book one, I highly recommend that you go and download Amazon Kindle: Boys of Brayshaw High by Meagan Brandy. The book leaves off on a cliffhanger and I am dying to find out what happens next. I have a full review of book one here on my blog. Please read this book, I promise you won't be disappointed. 

Title: Trouble at Brayshaw High

Release date: May 28

Cover Design: Jay Aheer at Simply Defined Art

Links:

Pre-order NOW (live on Amazon on release day):

iBooks: http://bit.ly/ibooksb2

Nook: http://bit.ly/NookTABH

Kobo: http://bit.ly/Kobob2