RESOURCES
We’ve gathered a selection of helpful resources for blended families, parents, and those navigating separation or divorce, as well as professionals supporting them. This list is just a starting point — if you’re searching for something specific, please reach out. We’re always glad to help point you in the right direction.
Book List for Parents
- 21 Steps to Positive Parenting, Wendy Tomlinson, self-published, 2013
- Blended Family Advice: A Step-by-Step Guide to Help Blended and Step Families Become Strong and Successful, Shirley Cress Dudley, Xlibris, 2009
- Co-Parenting 101: Helping Your Kids Thrive in Two Households After Divorce, Deesha Philyaw & Michael Thomas, New Harbinger Publications, 2013
- Co-Parenting Works!: Helping Your Children Thrive After Divorce, Tammy Daughtry, Zondervan, 2011
- Divorce Poison: How to Protect Your Family from Bad-Mouthing and Brainwashing, Richard Warshak, William Morrow Paperbacks, 2010
- Divorce Poison: Protecting the Parent-Child Bond from a Vindictive Ex, Richard Warshak, Harper Paperbacks, 2003
- Divorcing with Children: Expert Answers to Tough Questions from Parents and Children, Jessica Lippman & Paddy Greenwall Lewis, Praeger, 2008
- Ex-Etiquette for Parents: Good Behavior After a Divorce or Separation, Jann Blackstone & Sharyl Jupe, Chicago Review Press, 2004
- Happily Remarried: Making Decisions Together, Blending Families Successfully, Building a Love that Will Last, David & Lisa Frisbie, Harvest House Publishers, 2005
- How to Talk So Kids Will Listen & Listen So Kids Will Talk, Adele Faber & Elaine Mazlish, Scribner, 2012
- I Do, Part 2: How to Survive Divorce, Co-Parent Your Kids, and Blend Your Families Without Losing Your Mind, Karen Buscemi, Norlight Press, 2011
- Juggling Act: Handling Divorce Without Dropping the Ball: A Survival Kit for Parents and Kids, Roberta Beyer & Kent Winchester, Free Spirit Publishing, 2001
- Keeping Kids Out of the Middle: Child-Centered Parenting in the Midst of Conflict, Separation, and Divorce, Benjamin Garber, HCI, 2008
- Keys to Successful Stepfathering, Carl Pickhardt, Barron’s Educational Series, 2010
- Love Him, Love His Kids: The Stepmother’s Guide to Surviving and Thriving in a Blended Family, Stan Wenck & Connie Hansen, Adams Media, 2009
- Parenting a Teen Girl: A Crash Course on Conflict, Communication and Connection with Your Teenage Daughter, Lucie Hemmen, New Harbinger Publications, 2012
- Parenting Apart: How Separated and Divorced Parents Can Raise Happy and Secure Kids, Christina McGhee, Berkley Trade, 2010
- Parenting Boys: Advice on Raising Boys from Brain Development and Physical Growth to Sex Talk, Puberty, and Role Models, Jacqueline Kinsey, self-published, 2013
- Parenting from the Inside Out, Daniel Siegel & Mary Hartzell, Tarcher, 2004
- Parenting Teenagers 101: Parenting Tips to Discipline Your Teens, Jennifer Simmons, self-published, 2013
- Parenting Without Power Struggles: Raising Joyful, Resilient Kids While Staying Cool, Calm, and Connected, Susan Stiffelman, Atria Books, 2012
- Parents Are Forever: A Step-by-Step Guide to Becoming Successful Coparents After Divorce, Shirley Thomas, Springboard Publications, 2004
- Peaceful Parent, Happy Kids: How to Stop Yelling and Start Connecting, Laura Markham, Perigee Trade, 2012
- Positive Discipline, Jane Nelsen, Ballantine Books, 2006
- Putting Children First: Proven Parenting Strategies for Helping Children Thrive Through Divorce, JoAnne Pedro-Carroll, Avery Trade, 2010
- Raising Children in Blended Families: Helpful Insights, Expert Opinions, and True Stories, Maxine Marsolini, Kregel Publications, 2006
- Screamfree Parenting: The Revolutionary Approach to Raising Your Kids by Keeping Your Cool, Hal Runkel, Three Rivers Press, 2008
- Stepmonster: A New Look at Why Real Stepmothers Think, Feel, and Act the Way We Do, Wednesday Martin, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2009
- Stepcoupling: Creating and Sustaining a Strong Marriage in Today’s Blended Family, Susan Wisdom & Jennifer Green, Three Rivers Press, 2002
- Strong Fathers, Strong Daughters: 10 Secrets Every Father Should Know, Meg Meeker, Ballantine Books, 2007
- The 7 Fatal Mistakes Divorced and Separated Parents Make: Strategies for Raising Healthy Children of Divorce and Conflict, Shannon Rios, LifeThreads Books, 2009
- The Everything Guide to Stepparenting: Practical, Reassuring Advice for Creating Healthy, Long-Lasting Relationships, Erin Munroe & Irene Levine, Adams Media, 2009
- The Happy Stepmother: Stay Sane, Empower Yourself, Thrive in Your New Family, Rachelle Katz, Harlequin, 2010
- The Secrets of Happy Families: Improve Your Mornings, Rethink Family Dinner, Fight Smarter, Go Out and Play, and Much More, Bruce Feiler, William Morrow, 2013
- The Secrets of Stepfamily Success, Gloria Lintermans, Llumina Press, 2011
- The Smart Stepdad: Steps to Help You Succeed, Ron Deal, Bethany House Publishing, 2011
- The Smart Stepfamily: Seven Steps to a Healthy Family, Ron Deal, Bethany House Publishers, 2006
- The Smart Stepmom: Practical Steps to Help You Thrive, Ron Deal & Laura Petherbridge, Bethany House Publishing, 2009
- Wild Things: The Art of Nurturing Boys, Stephen James & David Thomas, Tyndale House Publishers, 2009
- Wisdom on Step-Parenting: How to Succeed Where Others Fail, Diana Weiss-Wisdom, CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform, 2012
- Wonderful Ways to Be a Stepparent, Judy Ford & Anna Chase, Red Wheel/Weiser, 2009
- Yours, Mine, and Ours: Relationship Skills for Blended Families, John Penton & Shona Welsh, BookSurge Publishing, 2007
Book List for Kids + Teens
- A Smart Girl’s Guide to Her Parents’ Divorce: How to Land on Your Feet When Your World Turns Upside Down, Nancy Holyoke, American Girl, 2009
- Chelsea’s Tree: A Story for Stepchildren and Stepfamilies, Marcy McCann, Inspiration Publications, 2001
- Diary of a Stepkid: A Guided Journal for Tweens and Teens, Wendy Lipscomb Deppe, CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform, 2010
- Dinosaurs Divorce, Laurie Krasny Brown & Marc Brown, Little, Brown Young Readers, 1988
- Divorce Is Not the End of the World: Zoe’s and Evan’s Coping Guide for Kids, Zoe Stern & Evan Stern, Tricycle Press, 2008
- Divorce Survival Guide for Kids, Alexa Smith & Samantha Smith, self-published, 2012
- Do You Sing Twinkle?: A Story About Remarriage and New Family, Sandra Levins, Magination Press, 2009
- Don’t Be a Menace on Sundays!: The Children’s Anti-Violence Book, Adolph Moser, Landmark Editions, 1996
- Don’t Despair on Thursdays!, Adolph Moser, Landmark Editions, 1996
- Don’t Fall Apart on Saturdays!: The Children’s Divorce-Survival Book, Adolph Moser, Landmark Editions, 2000
- Don’t Feed the Monster on Tuesdays!, Adolph Moser, Landmark Editions, 1996
- Don’t Pop Your Cork on Mondays!, Adolph Moser, Landmark Editions, 1996
- Don’t Rant and Rave on Wednesdays!, Adolph Moser, Landmark Editions, 1996
- Don’t Tell a Whopper on Fridays!: The Children’s Truth Control Book, Adolph Moser, Landmark Editions, 1999
- I Just Don’t Like the Sound of No! My Story About Accepting No for an Answer and Disagreeing the Right Way!, Julia Cook, Boys Town Press, 2011
- Jessica’s Two Families: Helping Children Learn to Cope with Blended Households, Lynn Hugo, New Horizon Press, 2005
- Mom’s House, Dad’s House for Kids: Feeling at Home in One House or Two, Isolina Ricci, Touchstone, 2006
- My Bonus Mom: Taking the Step Out of Stepmom, Tami Butcher, Little Five Star, 2011
- My Mommy’s Getting Married, Pamela Chambers, Infinity Publishing, 2008
- My Parents Are Divorced Too: A Book for Kids by Kids, Melanie Ford, Magination Press, 2006
- Now What Do I Do?: A Guide to Help Teenagers with Their Parents’ Separation or Divorce, Lynn Cassella-Kapusinski, ACTA Publications, 2006
- Overcoming Your Parent’s Divorce: 5 Steps to a Happy Relationship, Elisabeth Joy LaMotte, New Horizon Press, 2008
- Sorry, I Forgot to Ask!: My Story About Asking Permission and Making an Apology, Julia Cook, Boys Town Press, 2012
- Stand in My Shoes: Kids Learning About Empathy, Bob Sornson, Love and Logic Press, 2013
- Stepliving for Teens: Getting Along with Stepparents, Parents, and Siblings, Joel D. Block, Susan S. Bartell & Jennifer Frantz, Price Stern Sloan, 2001
- Siblings: You’re Stuck with Each Other, So Stick Together, James Crist & Elizabeth Verdick, Free Spirit Publishing, 2010
- Teamwork Isn’t My Thing, and I Don’t Like to Share!, Julia Cook, Boys Town Press, 2012
- The Bright Side: Surviving Your Parents’ Divorce, Max Sindell, HCI, 2007
- The Divorce Helpbook for Teens, Cynthia MacGregor, Impact Publishers, 2004
- The Step-Tween Survival Guide: How to Deal with Life in a Stepfamily, Lisa Cohn & Debbie Glasser, Free Spirit Publishing, 2008
- The Way They Were: Dealing with Your Parents’ Divorce After a Lifetime of Marriage, Brook Lea Foster, Three Rivers Press, 2006
- Two Homes, Claire Masurel, Candlewick Press, 2003
- Was It the Chocolate Pudding?: A Story for Little Kids about Divorce, Sandra Levins, American Psychological Association, 2006
- What If Everybody Did That?, Ellen Javernick, Two Lions, 2010
- What to Do When You’re Scared and Worried: A Guide for Kids, James Crist, Free Spirit Publishing, 2004
Downloads
Online Resources
Publications & Guides
Charting the Challenging Path Toward Establishment of Parenting Coordination’s Efficacy, Carter, Debra. K. & Lally, S. (2014)
Parenting Coordination in Post-Separation Disputes: A Comprehensive Guide for Practitioners, APA. Washington, DC, Higuchi, S. & Lally, S. (Eds.) AZ: HCI Press.
“This is the first book to address the contemporary scope of the field. It brings together leading figures in PC practice, training, publication, and research.”
– American Psychological Association
Parenting Coordination: A Practical Guide for Family Law Professionals, Carter, D. K.
Parenting Coordination is a child-centered process for conflicted, divorced, and divorcing parents. The Parenting Coordinator (PC) makes decisions to help high-conflict parents who cannot agree to parenting decisions on their own. This professional text serves as a training manual for use in all states and provinces which utilize Parenting Coordination, addressing the intervention process and the science that supports it. The text offers up-to-date research, a practical guide for training, service provision, and references to relevant research for quality parenting coordination practice.
Divorced Fathers and Their Families: Legal, Economic, and Emotional Dilemmas, Carter, D. K. (2013) Parenting Coordination, in Kaslow, F. W., New York: Springer Science, 171-182.
“It took me a while to open this book. Hearing about such pain as divorced fathers feel and the epithets thrown at them by their wives and society in general is an invitation easy to put aside. But once I did begin reading, I was very pleasantly surprised and pulled into a literary voyage that was as illuminating as any personal story could be and as educational as a graduate degree with this title as the subject matter. Divorced Fathers does two things quite well: It gets the reader into the personal and emotional details that read like the best fiction, and it also reveals how the judicial system fails so consistently in the treatment of the male half of the divorce process.”
–David Ryback, EQ Associates International
Coparenting: A Conceptual and Clinical Examination of Family Systems
James P. McHale (Editor), Kristin M. Lindahl (Editor)
The Evaluation of Child Sexual Abuse Allegations: A Comprehensive Guide to Assessment and Testimony
Kathryn Kuehnle (Author), Mary Connell (Author)
Dr. Janet Johnston PhD, Dr. Vivienne Roseby PhD and Dr. Kathryn Kuehnle PhD (Apr 6, 2009)
- Perspectives of mothers, fathers, and Parenting Coordinators concerning the process and impact of Parenting Coordination, McHale, J. Carter, D., Miller, M. & Fieldstone, L. (2020), Family Court Review, 58(1), 211-226.
- Parenting Coordination and Confidentiality: A (Not-so) Delicate Balance, Carter, Debra K. & Frenkel, D. (2020),Family Court Review, 58(1), 68-82.
- Through the Eyes of the Child: An Advanced Parenting Coordination Intervention for High Conflict Post-Divorce Families, McHale, J.P. & Carter, D.K. (2019), Anuario de Psicología/The UB Journal of Psychology acaba de publicar su último número, Vol. 49, Núm. 3., Monográfico sobre coordinación de (co)parentalidad, 156-163.
- Ten Tips for Parenting Coordinators Toward Targeting and Strengthening Coparenting and Benefitting Children, Carter, Debra K. & McHale, James P. (2017), in AFCC News, Vol. 36, No. 3.
- Examining Parenting Coordination Ethics: Looking for Black Lines, Carter, Debra K. (2014), in Shades of Grey, ACResolution, Spring, 18-23.
- New Rules, Forms, and Standards for the Practice of Parenting Coordination in FL, Carter, Debra K. & Johnes Riva, D. (2014) in Impact on Practitioners and Families, The Commentator, Milan, Italy: Franco Angeli Publishing
- Parenting Coordination, Carter, Debra K. (2013), in Kaslow, F. W,New York: Springer Science, 171-182.
- Coordinamento Genitori: Una guida pratica per il diritto di famiglia professionisti, Carter, Debra K. (2014), Milan, Italy: Franco Angeli Publishing