Befriending Your Ex After Divorce: Making Life Better for You, Your Kids, and, Yes, Your Ex. Judith Ruskay Rabinor, $19.95

The negative effect that divorce has on kids is most often not the result of the divorce itself, but the negative, hostile, and combative nature of the parents’ relationship. Not all divorces need to follow this unhappy script, but all too many do. BEFRIENDING YOUR EX AFTER DIVORCE is the guide divorced parents really need to develop a healthy post-divorce relationship with their ex-spouses. It features effective techniques for making peace with an ex-spouse for the sake of the entire family.

This book shows readers that it’s both possible and desirable to have a positive, platonic relationship with an ex-spouse long over the dissolution of a marriage. This type of post-divorce relationship is becoming more and more common and benefits everyone involved. The parents are able to cooperate in raising children, and both parents are able to offer each other support in the wake of divorce. The true stories and practical suggestions in this book show how ex-spouses can become supportive allies and partners through the ups and downs of parenting.

Between Two Worlds: the Inner Lives of Children of Divorce. Elizabeth Marquardt, $18.95

When a family breaks in two, children who stay in touch with both parents must travel between two worlds, trying alone to reconcile their parents’ often strikingly different beliefs, values, and ways of living. Authoritative, beautifully written, and alive with the voices of men and women whose lives were changed by divorce, Between Two Worlds is essential reading for anyone who grew up “between two worlds.”

Children Come First: Mediation, Not Litigation, When Marriage Ends. Howard Irving, $24.99

Calling on his vast experience mediating more than 2,000 cases, Irving has written Children Come First directly for couples contemplating or undergoing divorce. In this book the author takes a tripartite approach that points out:

• the dangers of the adversarial approach to divorce,
• the benefits of divorce mediation, and
• how parents can put their children first during and after their divorce.

Children Come First is written in a reader-friendly style with case studies, charts, and diagrams, as well as illustrations from the author's renowned practice. Ultimately, this book takes parents through the process of building a shared parenting plan that places their children's interests uppermost while still addressing the parents' unique situations and needs.

CoParenting after Divorce: a GPS for Healthy Kids. Debra Carter, $30.95

Using a GPS analogy, CoParenting after Divorce presents a road map to making changes in the new family system, either with or without the help of a parenting coordinator. The whole family will benefit from this dynamic, scientifically-supported information. It will help parents understand the benefits parenting coordination; how to track factors important for children’s development; how and when to adjust the parenting plan; and how to handle bumps in the road and avoid common mistakes.

Co-Parenting from the Inside Out: Voices of Moms and Dads. Karen Kristjanson, $19.99

Effective co-parenting, or sharing significant parenting time with an ex-spouse, is one of the best gifts separated parents can give to their children. The interviews in Co-Parenting from the Inside Out are with real moms and dads in diverse circumstances — including families of children with special needs, same-sex parents, parents with mental illness, parental alienation and high-conflict relations, and more.

Their stories offer insights into wise decision-making, showing them making choices, sometimes struggling, and often growing, as well as practical strategies that strengthen families. Parents can see that they are not alone as they navigate their feelings and build a future. While pain exists in most stories, there is also hope. Co-parents often feel that they have become more confident and compassionate, and parent better than before. The effects of their personal growth and their children’s are the silver lining in the dark pain of divorce.

Karen Kristjanson has brought together real life co-parenting stories that inspire separated parents and help them understand co-parenting better, offering practical tips and tools that directly benefit diverse families.

The Co-Parenting Handbook: Raising Well-Adjusted and Resilient Kids from Little Ones to Young Adults through Divorce or Separation. Karen Bonnell, $19.95

The Co-Parenting Handbook helps parents confidently take on the challenges of guiding children through divorce or separation and raising them skillfully in two homes. Addressing parents’ questions about the emotional impact of separation, conflict, grief, and recovery, the authors provide a road map for all family members to safely navigate through separation/divorce and beyond. Through tested and reassuring guidance, parents will discover how to move from angry, hurt partners to constructive, successful co-parents who are able to put their children’s needs first. Chock-full of strategies to help resolve day-to-day issues, create boundaries, and establish guidelines, this handbook will help ensure kids and co-parents thrive.

Co-Parenting 101: Helping Your Kids Thrive in Two Households after Divorce. Deesha Philyaw & Michael Thomas, $25.50

A successful co-parenting relationship is as vital to your child's well-being and health as nutritious food or proper exercise. Research, anecdotal evidence, and plain common sense all point to the fact that children are happier, healthier, and better adjusted when both of their parents play an active role in their lives. Studies also show that the trauma children experience in the wake of a divorce or separation can be lessened when they see their parents getting along. Kids whose parents successfully co-parent feel more secure than those who have limited or no connection to one of their parents post divorce.

Co-Parenting 101 is based on the premise that co-parenting is a must, not an option. The involvement of both parents — not just the primary guardian — is the cornerstone of successful co-parenting.

Authors Deesha Philyaw and Michael Thomas share their own experiences raising their children together, practical tips, and expert parental strategies for being fully present and engaged with the children. By learning to put their animosity aside, parents can focus on putting their kids first.

Co-Parenting with a Toxic Ex: What to Do When Your Ex-Spouse Tries to Turn the Kids Against You. Amy Baker & Paul Fine, $22.95

There's no question about it: your children are the most important thing in your life. But if you have gone through a messy divorce, your relationship with your children may become strained if you have to deal with a toxic ex. In Co-parenting with a Toxic Ex, a nationally recognized parenting expert offers you a positive parenting approach to dealing with a hostile ex-spouse. You'll learn to avoid the most common mistakes of co-parenting, how to avoid “parental alienation syndrome,” and effective techniques for talking to your children in a way that fosters open and honest response. In addition, you'll learn how to protect your children from painful loyalty conflicts between you and your ex-spouse.

Divorce is often painful, especially if your ex habitually tries to undermine your relationship with your children. But with the right tools you can protect your kids and make your relationship with them stronger than ever. This book can show you how.

Divorce Poison: How to Protect Your Family from Bad-mouthing and Brainwashing, 2nd Edition. Richard Warshak, $18.99

Divorce Poison offers specific advice to protect children from the results of their parents' animosity. In it, you will learn how to:

• respond when your children join forces with your ex
• react if your children refuse to see you answer rude and hateful behavior
• insulate children from the harmful effects of bad-mouthing
• identify and correct your own contributions to parent-child conflicts
• defend against false accusations of brainwashing
• choose the best therapist and lawyer
• reconcile with children after years of estrangement

Divorce and the Special Needs Child: a Guide for Parents. Margaret "Pegi" Price, $39.95

Going through a divorce is always tough, but when a child with special needs is involved it can be especially challenging. This book takes a clear and comprehensive look at every aspect of the legal divorce process, and addresses all of the legal issues that divorcing parents of children with special needs face. From agreeing upon child custody arrangements that meet the particular needs of the child, to making provision for child support payments, gathering together the documentation needed to prove a case, and dealing with financial issues such as debts and property distribution, no aspect of divorce is left uncovered. A set of checklists is included to ensure that parents consider everything they need to, and the book concludes with a useful list of further resources.

Written by an experienced family lawyer and divorced mother of a child with autism, this book offers much-needed guidance to divorcing parents of children with a variety of special needs.

The Divorce Talk: How to Tell the Kids — a Parent's Guide to Breaking the News Without Breaking Their Hearts. Vikki Stark, $25.95

Divorce: How to Tell the Kids is the definitive guide to help parents break the news of an upcoming separation to their kids with the least risk of damage. Written by an internationally known divorce recovery professional, the book is based on interviews with over one hundred children whose parents divorced. Readers will learn, step-by-step, how to manage their own emotions, to understand the meaning of divorce to children, what to say to the kids, and how to deal with the children's reaction to the news. The book is practical and offers solutions that are designed to help parents limit the risk of trauma in the most important conversation of their children's lives.

An indispensable guide for parents and professionals who treat divorced families. Growing Up with Divorce looks at how age and gender, as well as cognitive, emotional and social development, affect children’s responses to divorce.

The Guide for Separated Parents: Putting Your Children First. Karen & Nick Woodall, $18.99

Children from separated families fare best when they have close relationships with both of their parents, and when their parents communicate and co operate. In this practical and reassuring guide, Karen and Nick Woodall draw on years of experience of helping separated parents resolve conflict over children that can arise during and after separation. They provide strategies and tools to help you communicate with your ex partner about every aspect of your children's lives. Packed with case studies, The Guide for Separated Parents illustrates how separations affect families in different ways and shows you that, what you are going through, you are not alone.

Healing a Child’s Heart After Divorce: 100 Practical Ideas for Families, Friends and Caregivers. Alan Wolfelt & Raelynn Maloney, $12.95

Children whose parents are separating or divorcing need adults who will witness and honor their emotions, and be honest and compassionate with them. Healing a Child’s Heart After Divorce offers practical ideas for helping children understand and express their many thoughts and feelings — whatever they might be.

Helping Your Kids Cope with Divorce the Sandcastles Way.  M. Gary Neuman, $29.00

Divorce is painful and confusing. Perhaps now more than ever, you want to give your child all the love, support, and guidance he or she needs, but everything seems harder and more complicated. Helping Your Kids Cope with Divorce the Sandcastles Way can help. More than a hundred pieces of artwork from children of divorce will help you appreciate how kids perceive the experience. Dozens of special activities and fun exercises will help you communicate and get closer to your child. This guide shows you that divorce need not be an inevitable blot on children's lives, but an opportunity for them to grow and strengthen the bonds with their parents.

The High-Conflict Custody Battle: Protect Yourself & Your Kids from a Toxic Divorce, False Accusations & Parental Alienation. Amy Baker, J. Michael Bone & Brian Ludmer, $21.95

In The High-Conflict Custody Battle, a team of legal and psychology experts present a practical guidebook for people who are engaged in a high-conflict custody battle. If you are dealing with an overtly hostile, inflammatory, deceitful, or manipulative ex-spouse, you will learn how to find and work with an attorney and prepare for a custody evaluation. The book also provides helpful tips you can use to defend yourself against false accusations, and gives a realistic portrayal of what to expect during a legal fight.

Going through a divorce is hard, but going through a custody battle can feel like war. Don't go in unprepared. With this book as your guide, you will be able to navigate this difficult process and learn powerful skills that will help you maintain a healthy relationship with your kids, fight unfair accusations, and uphold your rights as a parent.

How to Be a Good Divorced Dad: Being the Best Parent You Can Be Before, During and After the Break-Up. Jeffrey Leving, $21.95

HOW TO BE A GOOD DIVORCED DAD is practical and down-to-earth and offers dozens of real life examples of dads who have discovered the importance of staying involved in their children's lives. This upbeat book offers good news for divorced dads and counters many of the myths that paint divorcing fathers as alienated, irresponsible, or absent.

How to Be a Great Divorced Dad. Simon Baker, $19.95

Written by a divorced dad for divorced and separated fathers, this book teaches you how to move on after divorce, create a home for your children when they are with you, ensure babies through to teenagers have a routine and discipline. It will help you to keep your children healthy, get involved in their education, organize play dates, deal with your ex in a business-like way and cook healthy meals for your kids. Divorce and separation may change your life, but author/father Simon Baker gives you the tools to make your time with your children positive, pro-active and fun with practical tips lots of advice from someone who knows.

In Spite of Everything: a Memoir. Susan Gregory Thomas, $30.00

IN SPITE OF EVERYTHING is a brilliantly told account of a mother's fight to protect her children's world and make sense of her own troubles past — and the culture of divorce in which she and Generation X were raised. Interwoven with insights on divorce and parenthood, Thomas' eye-opening, gut-wrenching, ultimately optimistic story holds up a mirror to a whole generation.

Joint Custody with a Jerk: Raising a Child with an Uncooperative Ex, 2nd Edition. Julie Ross & Judy Corcoran, $18.99

A hands-on, practical guide to communicating with a difficult ex-spouse.

Kids Grieve Too! A Handbook for Parents. Tom Easthope, $20.95

When faced with great loss, parents instinctively want to protect their children as much as possible from the ensuing grief. Yet in doing so, they may deny their children what they need most — honesty, knowledge and security — as they travel through uncharted emotional terrain.

Kids Grieve Too addresses the many important issues that accompany divorce; a serious and life-threatening illness in the family; a child’s own terminal illness; the death of a loved-one and suicide. The easy-to-use question and answer format helps parents and caring adults to do what is best for their children in times of need.

Mom's House, Dad's House: Making Shared Custody Work. Isolina Ricci, $19.99

The ground-breaking classic, Mom’s House, Dad’s House, has become the standard for two generations of divorcing parents, and includes examples, self-tests, checklists, tools, and guidelines to help separated moms and dads with the legal, emotional, and financial issues they will encounter as they work to create happy and stable homes. This comprehensive guide looks anew at the needs of all family members with creative options and common-sense advice. With Mom’s House, Dad’s House, parents will learn how to help their children heal and find a sense of continuity, security, and stability throughout the divorce process and in any custody situation.

Parent Deleted: a Mother's Fight for Her Right to Parent. Michelle Darné, $22.50

Michelle Darné was an acclaimed spokesperson for equality at the helm of And Baby, a pioneer magazine, radio show, and TV series on alternative parenting, who found herself at once callously erased from the lives of her children and silenced by the law.

Parent Deleted is a gripping tale of one non-biological, lesbian mother's fight for her children — an intimate, infuriating, and infectious story of perseverance, sacrifice, and hope in the face of debilitating adversity. And it is a courageous, disturbing, and necessary expos of a likely emergent social justice frontier: the rights of all children to be with their parents, whether they are biologically linked, straight, gay, prepared or knocked up, perfect spouses or fallible ones.

Parenting after Divorce:  a Guide to Resolving Conflicts and Meeting Your Children's Needs.  Philip Stahl, $25.50

"Your divorce doesn’t have to damage your children," author Philip Stahl assures, "... especially if you limit your children’s exposure to your conflicts." He knows parents are not perfect, and he uses that knowledge to show imperfect parents how to settle their differences in the best interests of the children.

This revised and updated edition features ideas from the latest research, more information on long-distance parenting, dealing with the courts, and working with a difficult co-parent. A realistic perspective on divorce and its effects on children, Parenting after Divorce features knowledgeable advice from an expert custody evaluator. Packed with real-world ex­amples, this book avoids idealistic assumptions, and offers practical help for divorcing parents, custody evaluators, family court counselors, marriage and family therapists and others inter­ested in the best interests of the children.

Parenting Apart: How Separated and Divorced Parents Can Raise Happy and Secure Kids. Christina McGhee, $17.00

This comprehensive and empowering guide is filled with practical, effective ways to minimize the effects of divorce on children, and offers immediate solutions to the most critical parenting problems divorce brings. Christina McGhee offers advice on explaining things to every age group-from toddlers to teenagers-in plain, consistent, and age-appropriate terms. Parenting Apart also offers practical suggestions for parents to help them maintain their own sense of stability and take care of their own well-being while taking care of their kids.

When families are facing crisis, parents struggle with how to best nurture and support their children. Parenting through Crisis offers practical guidance through difficult situations and shows caring adults what they can do to help children facing trauma or loss. Barbara Coloroso's deep love and respect for children once again shine in her compassionate look at parenting during times of chaos and uncertainty.

Parenting through Divorce: Helping Your Children Thrive During and After the Split. Lisa René Reynolds, $24.95

Divorce has devastating effects on children. Yet for divorcing parents who carefully consider and manage the intricacies associated with this difficult time, both parents, as seen from the child’s perspective, can remain as loving and supportive as they ever were.

Parenting through Divorce concisely lays out the specific emotions and reactions parents need to anticipate from their children while going through separation, divorce, and its after-math. Rather than weighing parents down with complicated plans, confusing information, and legal terminology, this book takes a common-sense approach, providing readers in a state of emotional distress with the practical, down-to-earth advice they need to sensibly and comfortingly guide their children through this often painful process. Covering the most common mistakes divorcing parents tend to make, as well as addressing special issues that come up for kids of different age groups, this book helps you retain a strong, healthy, and loving environment for your child, even in the midst of change. This is a much-needed repository of wisdom and practical counsel for any family going through a time of heightened feelings and fragile relationships.

Putting Children First: a Guide for Parents Breaking Up. Hanna McDonough & Christina Bartha, $26.95

Divorcing parents are often deeply worried about their children and the effects of separation on their lives. Putting Children First is a compassionate guide which addresses parents' concerns and needs with wisdom and practical strategies.

Putting Children First: Proven Parenting Strategies for Helping Children Thrive through Divorce. JoAnne Pedro-Carroll $18.00

The breakup of a family can have an enduring impact on children. But as Dr. JoAnne Pedro-Carroll explains with clarity and compassion in this powerful book, parents can positively alter the immediate and long-term effects of divorce on their children. The key is proven, emotionally intelligent parenting strategies that promote children's emotional health, resilience, and ability to lead satisfying lives. Filled with the voices and drawings of children and the stories of families, Putting Children First delivers a positive vision for a future of hope and healing.

Reconcilable Differences: Marriages End — Families Don’t. Cate Cochran, $19.95

Separation and divorce can be grueling and cruel. Spouses who once loved one another can be swept up in an adversarial system where they forget all that was good between them, and the needs of the children often get lost in the shuffle. In her engaging and compassionate book, Reconcilable Differences, Cate Cochran tells the stories of ten “successfully failed” marriages and the new families that emerged.

School Days & the Divorce Maze. Renae Lapin, $17.50

A complete guide for joint custody parents in managing your child’s successful school career.

Splitopia: Dispatches from Today's Good Divorce and How to Part Well. Wendy Paris, $22.00

Engaging and revolutionary, filled with wit, searing honesty, and intimate interviews, Splitopia is a call for a saner, more civil kind of divorce. As Paris reveals, divorce has improved dramatically in recent decades due to changes in laws and family structures, advances in psychology and child development, and a new understanding of the importance of the father. Positive psychology expert and author of Happier, Tal Ben-Shahar, writes that Paris’s “personal insights, stories, and research” create “a smart and interesting guide that can be extremely helpful for those going through divorce.”

Reading this book can be the difference between an expensive, ugly battle and a decent divorce, between children sucked under by conflict or happy, healthy kids.

Stay Close: 40 Clever Ways to Connect with Kids When You’re Apart. Tenessa Gemelke, $10.95

How do you keep up with your son’s interests when you’re a hundred miles away? What can you do to express your love to a granddaughter you rarely see? How can you make sure a young person grows up happy and healthy even when you’re not physically there? When you’re away from a young person you love, concerns like these can make the distance seem insurmountable. Stay Close: 40 Clever Ways to Connect with Kids When You’re Apart offers adults fun and creative solutions for nurturing long-distance relationships with kids. This new resource uses activities, real-life anecdotes, and helpful tips to show adults how easy it is to bridge the physical (and generational) gap. Whether you’re 200 or 2000 miles apart, Stay Close will keep your young person just a heartbeat away.

Surviving Parental Alienation: a Journey of Hope and Healing. Amy Baker & Paul Fine, $42.50

Half of all marriages end, and, when they do, most parents hope to achieve a “good divorce” in which they can amicably raise their children with their former spouse. Unfortunately, about 20% of divorces are high-conflict, involving frequent visits to court, allegations of abuse, and chronic disagreements regarding parenting schedules. In response to this conflict, some children become aligned with one parent against the other — even a parent who has done nothing to warrant the hostile rejection of their formerly loving children. These parents are on a painful journey with an uncertain outcome. 

Surviving Parental Alienation fills the tremendous need for concrete help for these parents. Surviving Parental Alienation provides true stories and information about parents who have reconnected with their lost and stolen children, and offers better insight and understanding into what exactly parental alienation is and how to handle it.

The Truth about Children and Divorce: Dealing with the Emotions So You and Your Children Can Thrive. Robert Emery, $17.50

Robert Emery applies his twenty-five years of experience as a researcher, therapist, and mediator to offer parents a new road map to divorce. Dr. Emery shows how our powerful emotions and the way we handle them shape how we divorce and whether our children suffer or thrive in the long run. His message is hopeful, yet realistic — divorce is invariably painful, but parents can help promote their children’s resilience. With compassion and authority, Dr. Emery explains:

• Why it is so hard to really make divorce work
• How anger and fighting can keep people from really separating
• Why legal matters should be one of the last tasks
• Why parental love and limit setting can be the best “therapy” for kids
• How to talk to children, create workable parenting schedules, and more

When Parents Part: How Mothers and Fathers Can Help Their Children Deal with Separation and Divorce. Penelope Leach, $22.00

Drawing on the latest scientific findings, as well as on her many years of professional and personal work with children, Penelope Leach describes how parents can minimize the impact of separation and divorce on children through the six stages of a child’s life, from infancy to adulthood. She helps parents find ways to continue being fathers and mothers when they are no longer partners. She explains recent studies that overturn numerous common assumptions, revealing, for example, that many standard custody arrangements can undermine young children’s attachment to parents and in the case of infants even negatively affect their brain development; that unless infants and toddlers are already closely attached to both parents, regular overnights with the noncustodial parent may be damaging; and that dividing a child’s time equally between the parents may be “fair” to them but seldom is best for the child. And, throughout, Leach grounds her approach with anecdotal evidence presented in the voices of children and parents themselves.

Leach’s child-centered advice, profoundly thoughtful and thorough, tackles the issues from every angle — emotional, scientific, psychological, practical, legal — covering everything from access, custody, and financial considerations to managing separate sets of technology in two houses. Above all she is insistent that for the sake of their future development, the needs of children must be put first. She is persuasively clear that mutual parenting, while seldom easy, is the best way forward for both the parents and the children.

"Why Did You Have to Get a Divorce... and When Can I Get a Hamster?" A Guide to Parenting through Divorce. Anthony Wolf, $19.00

Divorce, argues Anthony Wolf, does not have to do long-term damage to a child. In his groundbreaking new book, he shows parents how to steer children through the pain and the complex feelings engendered by divorce, feelings that, if not resolved, can create continuing problems for a child. Wolf also explains how to deal with the difficult issues that so frequently accompany a divorce. How do you tell your child about the divorce? How do you keep your children from being caught between you and your ex-partner? What do you do if that other parent gradually fades out of their lives? Or, how do you maintain strong ties with your children if you are not the primary custodial parent? How do you help them cope with new living arrangements, as well as stepparents or stepsiblings?

"Why Did You Have to Get a Divorce?" is filled with stories that parents will recognize with relief. Positive, at times even funny, and, above all, effective, this guide will speak directly to divorcing and divorced parents.