8 Free Parenting Books: Cooking, Advice, Special Needs & More

Broaden your parenting horizons by reading what some experts have to say. Most of these books are based on real-life experiences with the authors' own families. As of the time of this posting, all of these books are also free. Please note that prices can change at any time, so always verify the "Buy" price prior to your purchase.

cooking....

51 Quick & Easy Family Dinners Under $10
All of the recipes in this book have been tested on the author's own family. Each recipe costs less than $10, takes 30 minutes or less to cook, and can feed a family of 5. Try Texas Style Chicken Enchiladas, Swiss Style Meatballs, Grilled or Panini Style Apple and Chicken Sandwiches, and more.

Get your Kindle copy here.

parent to parent....

Livin' La Vida Papa


Louis Mack thought he was done raising kids. His daughter was 16 when all of a sudden, surprise! There's a new baby in the house! This stay-at-home dad has a new perspective on life with a baby. Share in his ups and downs with his new family.

Get your Kindle copy here.

Oh Look, There's Two of Them!

This is one look at the double joys and double trouble of having twins. Author Alan Roy Hocking has fraternal twin girls, but is sure that any parent of twins will relate to his adventures!

Get your Kindle copy here.

babies and toddlers....

Growing Bodies: All About Babies and Toddlers

The focus of this book is about the growth and development of babies and toddlers. Author Wilma Rodgerson also delves into some parenting advice for those first-time parents - what is normal behavior and what should raise a red flag.

Get your Kindle copy here.

special needs....

Dreams Change

This book is a raw look at a mother's journey as she finds out that her unborn baby has Down Syndrome and then living in the NICU. She candidly talks about how your dreams for your child change, when life throws you a curveball.

Get your Kindle copy here.

discipline....

Raising Kids With Love & Limits

The most effective discipline is consistent and firm. Learn how to stand your ground while showing your kids you still love them. Stop analyzing every little detail and communicate effectively.

Get your Kindle copy here.

family fun....

Grow Your Own Tree-Hugger: 101 activities to teach your child how to live green

101 science, food and craft activities teach children ages 4-10 how to be self-sustainable while having fun. Eliminate pesticides by naturally releasing ladybugs into the garden. Create fun t-shirts and and bags from recycled materials, or make your own solar oven that really works!

Get your Kindle copy here.

Doing Fun Stuff With Little Kids

Over 150 activities for any adult caregiver to do with young children can be done in any kind of weather and for little to no cost.

Get your Kindle copy here.

Free Books With St. Patrick's Day Activities

St. Patrick's Day is next weekend. As parents and teachers prepare to celebrate with children, they may feel at a loss for something new to try. Today Amazon has two free books that parents and teachers can use to inspire activities for the holiday.

While these books are free as of the time of this posting, they cannot be guaranteed to stay at that price. Check the price next to "Buy" instead of "Prime" when ascertaining their cost.

Don't have a Kindle? No worries! Check out these free Kindle apps for your smartphone, computer or tablet by clicking here. Purchase your own Kindle, Kindle Touch or Kindle Fire to enjoy e-books on the go.

Easy St. Patrick's Day Crafts to Make With Young Children
\ Easy St. Patrick's Day Crafts to Make With Young Children by Michelle Buvala is a part of the Simple Crafting With Children series. This book includes 10 simple crafts that children from preschool through elementary school will enjoy. Most of the materials are readily available around the house or can be cheaply purchased at discount or dollar stores. Fill your home with shamrocks and pots o' gold as you spend some quality time together making crafts.

Get your Kindle copy here.

St. Patrick's Day Recipes Sampler
The St. Patrick's Day Recipes Sampler by by Shannon Farrell and Erin Kennedy is a part of the Holiday Entertaining series. Irish authors provide 12 authentic Irish recipes, as well as a bit of the history and tradition of the holiday. While children cannot make their own Irish cream, they can help make some of the other recipes, such as Irish Soda Bread.

Get your Kindle copy here.

I have taken advantage of these two titles being free and downloaded them for my Kindle apps. I will look at them more thoroughly later. Please let me know what you think of them!

4 Free Kindle Books for Special Needs: Autism & ADHD

On occasion, there are free books available on the Kindle for special needs education and parenting. Sometimes these are preview chapters of full books. Some are always free. And others are free only for a limited time. Here are some books that are free as of the time of this posting. If you choose to purchase one, look at the price under "Buy" instead of "Prime" to verify its current price.

Don't have a Kindle? No worries! You can download a free app for your smartphone, tablet or computer by clicking here. Or, you can finally give in and purchase a Kindle, a Kindle Touch, or the new full-color Kindle Fire.

The Special Needs Parent Handbook - SPECIAL EDITION (abridged version)


The Special Needs Parent Handbook by Jonathan L. Singer that is currently free on the Kindle is an abridged version of the full-price version available in paperback. It advises parents and caregivers how to provide the best care for the child with special needs, as well as how to take care of oneself while doing so. Learn how to continue to care for the rest of the family while also being the best advocate for your child.

The author has a child with a rare genetic disorder that causes autistic tendencies. He hopes to reach other families with autistic children, cerebral palsy, etc. The organization Advocacy for All is also providing free copies of the paperback to libraries around the United States, so that all have easy access to it.

The full version of the book is currently available for Kindle for $9.99. Proceeds from the sale of this book go to Advocacy for All.

Purchase the abridged version for Kindle here.

Saving Deets!: A Family's Journey with Autism


Saving Deets! by Zack Gonzalez is the story of loving and helping a young boy with autism, known as Deets. It is written by Deets' teenage brother, providing a unique point-of-view not often covered in the current market. The honesty shared within the book will resonate with caregivers and families alike, as Zack says what is on everyone else's minds about all kinds of situations. He also shares how his family works to heal his brother.

Portions of the proceeds from the paperback version of the first edition are being donated toward autism research. Purchase a paperback version here.

Purchase the Kindle version here.


ADHD Life: Survive & Thrive: How to Cope With ADHD Life


ADHD Life: Survive & Thrive: How to Cope With ADHD Life by Molly Logan is a look at how adults can cope with their ADHD lives. It is part of a full series of mini-books on living with ADHD, whether yours or someone else in your family. It is written by a mom who personally has ADHD. She also is an expert in the subject, organizing many ADHD conferences and founding Parent Support Groups.





Get your Kindle copy here.


Calm Your Hyperactive Child (52 Brilliant Ideas)


Calm Your Hyperactive Child (52 Brilliant Ideas) by Dr. Sabina Dosani shares 52 different techniques for parents to use to help their child with ADHD. Try a new one each week of the year to see some gradual changes. Tips include modifying the child's diet, watching for warning signs of a hyper breakout, how to use cause and effect, and how to change your own reactions to the behavior.





Get your own Kindle copy here.
While I have not yet read nor reviewed any of these books, I have downloaded them to my Kindle readers. I figure I may as well grab them when they are free and I can read them later. You can also do the same! When I get a chance to read through them, I will post reviews on this blog. Please also share your opinions. Happy reading!

Piggy Banks to Paychecks

Angie Mohr is a writer friend of mine, with whom I have interacted for a few years now. She has always been a beacon of information for myself and my fellow writers when it comes to managing our income. She is unselfish with her detailed answers in how to navigate various financial situations. Because she is so well versed in the finance world, I had faith that her latest project, Piggy Banks to Paychecks: Helping Kids to Understand the Value of a Dollar, would be just as clear and concise as the advice I have read from her over the years.




Piggy Banks to Paychecks is written to parents about how to teach their children about money. At the same time, parents are getting a crash course in financial matters. While I have no children of my own, I thought my high school and college courses in math and economics had provided me a solid foundation. Reading through this book, I realize I still have an awful lot to learn. Many parents who read this book will probably feel the same way. In order to teach, you must first have an understanding of the concept yourself. When that teaching is effective, you are demonstrating some mastery of it for yourself. In fact, Angie challenges you to take a hard look at your own financial habits prior to diving in with your children.

Each chapter focuses on a different aspect of being financially savvy with your children. Learn how to effectively teach about earning, spending, saving and the differences between using cash and credit. Each concept is demonstrated through clear definitions and anecdotes from Angie and other parents. She even relates money situations to others that seem to be unrelated. For example, a child wants to buy two different luxury items, but can only afford one. How he makes his decision in that situation is related to making the decision between getting tutored to avoid failing math and fulfilling his dream of being a musician with his current garage band. Analogies such as these speak to those who do not necessarily think of themselves as "money-minded."

Parents should not worry about burdening their children with money matters. Angie explains how much information is developmentally appropriate and how to share it. She also provides many activities that can be done in the home or in the classroom to help teach children about money. As a Montessorian, I appreciate the concreteness of her activities, such as using Monopoly money and cookies to demonstrate the problems with simply printing more money. I also appreciate how the lessons are implemented right in daily life, such as starting at the grocery store.

Common questions from children about banking practices has answers for both American and Canadian banking systems. Parents can bring their children to this book to look up the answers and read them together as a part of a joint learning process. You can also go through the section on creating your own small business for kids together.

The end of the book also has links to more resources in both the United States and in Canada, as well as a glossary of terms. Find more information and more activities on Angie's website for Piggy Banks to Paychecks. Share your feedback with her, as well!

While I did receive a free uncorrected proof of Piggy Banks to Paychecks for the purpose of reviewing, all opinions in this review are my own and unbiased. This truly is a book that I would recommend all parents and educators to read. It provides beneficial lessons to both adults and children.

An Excerpt from Piggy Banks to Paychecks

Parents have the responsibility of teaching their children how to carefully manage their money. This can easily start at a young age. Model being frugal and budgeting. Demonstrate a positive attitude about money. Involve the children in your decisions.

Though it seems easier said than done, it is actually quite simple for parents to include their children in financial matters, without overwhelming them. In her upcoming book Piggy Banks to Paychecks, author Angie Mohr instructs parents how to raise money smart kids, starting at a very young age.

Here is an excerpt from Chapter 2:

The Language of Money

How we talk about money- the words, the phrases, the attitudes- is just as important as what we say about money. It’s the same with food. If you talk about food like it’s a reward for good behavior or a comfort for a stressful day, those attitudes will color what you do with food and how much you eat. The words you use about food, such as “You deserve a big bowl of ice cream”, will shape how your children view and talk about food. Just as bad food habits can be carried over from generation to generation, so can bad money habits.

Money is nothing but a facilitator of commerce. It does not have any magical properties that will make people happier, more positive, healthier, or wiser. While having enough wealth to live a fulfilling and satisfying life is a fantastic goal, it’s not the money itself that gets us there. It’s what we do with our money and how to handle it.

For the next week, listen consciously to the words you use when you talk about money every day. Do you talk about it as if it’s something that just appears and disappears outside of your control? Do you discuss how you will reward yourself with a shopping trip after a hard work week or “splurge” on an expensive dinner out? Do you talk about your retirement account with comments like, “I’m not even going to look at it- the markets are so bad right now”? The words we use define how in control we feel about money.

Remember that children are sponges. They listen to us when we think they’re doing other things. They absorb our attitudes about wealth, budgeting, and financial security. Controlling the way you talk about money is the first step in teaching your children positive financial lessons. Money is not the end goal and it is something that we can harness and control. We are not helpless in our financial journey. Everyone has the ability to take the reigns and direct our financial situation in the right direction.

Here are some money phrases that are a great start to talking about money more positively:

“Our budget gives us $100 this month to plan our entertainment.”

“Because we saved $50 on our groceries this month, we can take $25 of it and go to the amusement park.”

“The housing market is significantly down right now, but we’re not buying or selling and can ride it out just fine.”

“Let’s go through next year’s budget again and see if we can find some savings so that we can go to Mexico in the winter.”

“Mary, you did a great job managing the bake sale and it showed in the amount of money you made.”

“The car is still in good running order, so we’ll keep it for at least another year.”

“We received more back on our income tax returns than we expected. Let’s work the extra into the budget.”

“You saved up for that CD player all on your own and then researched and found a better price than you were expecting. Great job saving money!”

Note that all of these phrases denote that you are in control of your money. You know where it came from and where it’s going. You have your money on a leash, not the other way around.


Watch your thoughts for they become words.
Watch your words for they become actions.
Watch your actions for they become habits.
Watch your habits for they become your character.
Watch your character for it becomes your destiny.

~Ralph Waldo Emerson

© Angie Mohr 2012

Learn more by visiting Angie Mohr's website for Piggy Banks to Paychecks.