Books Co-Authored by Dr. Atkins

Teaching Your Children Good Manners

with Lauri Berkenkamp (Nomad Press, 2001);
Winner of the 2002 Parents’ Choice Award

For parents everywhere who have had lovely family dinners ruined by misbehaving children, help is at hand. This guide provides a humorous, hands-on, parent-friendly approach to teaching children of all ages good manners in a wide variety of social situations, from accepting gifts graciously to which foods are OK to eat with fingers. Each chapter tackles a different situation, gives a brief outline of what manners are appropriate for it, and offers advice on how to teach and reinforce them to children of different ages. There is also a “What to Expect” chart broken down by age, and a Q & A section devoted to questions concerning children and manners.

Talking to Your Kids About Sex

with Lauri Berkenkamp (Nomad Press, August 2002)
Winner of the Best Parenting Book for 2003, Independent Publishers

This commonsense, practical guide to talking to children about sex provides ways to launch conversations following some of the most common kid comments and questions: What’s That Thing? I’m Going to Marry Mommy. Sex Is When You Kiss. I Don’t Want to Talk About It. From teaching toddlers about body parts to important discussions with adolescents, this resource encourages parents to understand what children of particular ages and developmental levels are ready to know, what they should know, and how to tell them. Real-life questions and answers encourage parents to prepare for their talks and make discussions easier. Moreover, ideas for discussing this sensitive subject with a sense of humor help take away some of the awkwardness-for both children and parents.

Because I Said So! Dealing With Family Squabbles

with Lauri Berkenkamp (Nomad Press, July 2003)

For parents everywhere whose kids complain about helping around the house, stall over homework, and bicker with one other, help is at hand. With compassion and humor, this book takes on the most common points of kid-induced friction-those altercations and annoying behaviors that drive parents most nuts-and offers quick, practical how-to advice for how to handle them. It explains to parents how to navigate everyday challenges, from helping kids learn responsibility for their possessions to getting them to stop tattling, whining, and using disrespectful language. Complete with solutions, helpful hints, and interesting bits of information, this indispensable guide offers exasperated parents the emotional support and reassurance they need to reduce friction and increase communication in the household.