parenting books

[mummy2t]

hi can anyone recommend any good parenting books? i am a mum of 3, 1 yr old, 3yr old and 7yr old.will tell u the jist of the problems! ( think i may need afew diff books) first of all i feel as though i am not a happy mum anymore, each day runs into the next and i just feel like a am missing the fun happy side to been a mum! :-(
the next issue is food! havent got fussy eaters but i struggle finding quick healthy different meals all the time!
the last issue is having a toddler that doesnt listen to a word i say and a 7 year old that also doesnt listen but also is answering back allllll the time. i find am always shouting just to make myself heard! dont want to carry on like this, need to nip it in the bud now. has anyone found any books to be useful in these areas?
thanks

"How to talk so kids will listen and listen so kids will talk" by Faber and Mazlish.

• on the issues of them not listening, obviously!
• also their "Siblings without rivalry" is really good.

I'm afraid that on healthy meals I'll be watching the advice you get! :)

How to Talk so Kids will Listen.

Playful Parenting for the fun

Unconditional Parenting for a different perspective on 'answering back'

For the food, look on the food topic here, there are loads of ideas for quick healthy meals.

HTH

"How to Behave So Your Children Will" Dr Sal Severe (nice name )
For meal ideas, I did use Annabel Karmel's Superfoods when DS was being weaned and after but I mainly use the Good Food website, River Cottage Everyday, and my Good Housekeeping big cookbook. I also sometimes use an old veggie one called Cheap & Easy, rather like myself .

There is a Baby-Led Weaning Cookbook with loads of nice recipes for stuff that all of you, inc the little one, can eat.

Toddler taming and Beyond toddlerdom
How to talk so kids will listen
Toxic childhood
www.amazon.co.uk/Recipes-Babies-Toddlers-Children-Healthy/dp/1844830365/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&qid=1298584695&sr=8-6 for the food; Nigella's Feast for more "special" recipes

I´d read Unconditional Parenting before reading Toddler Taming as a tip! I read it the other way round - with years in between. Some of Christopher Green´s "techniques" seemed to me a little extreme in the first place (the "rope trick" where you tie your child´s bedroom door up with a rope so he can´t get out - in which he admits that his son managed to get it open just enough to get his head stuck and SCREAMED...). But after reading Unconditional Parenting, I felt reassured that I wasn´t alone or mad in feeling that it just "wasn´t me" when I tried using most of his techniques.
Christopher Green has a fantastic writing style ... it´s a lovely funny book. But I REALLY REALLY don´t want to use about half of his suggestions...

Well no, i didn't want to do half the things in toddler taming either. But ALL paenting books need to be taken with large pinches of salt and a goddly portion of their advice ignored. Some useful tips can be garnered tho'