Bobby At Home Cookbook Giveaway & Crispy Coconut-Scallion Rice Recipe

And just like that, the holidays are here…

Tori and I have been experimenting and tying new recipes for our upcoming holiday feast, and the Bobby at Home Cookbook arrived in the mail just in time. We were ecstatic about trying some of his famous dishes. The kids and I were salivating while we looked through the images in this new cookbook.

I asked Tori what she wanted to make, and she chose the Crispy Coconut-Scallion Rice. (page 105) We agreed that this flavorful side dish would be a great compliment to our international holiday feast that will include turkey, ham, and maybe even tamales. Yes, our holiday menu is not so traditional, but we love tasty food and hey why not?

This recipe is very easy to make, and I have included a recipe card to share with you!

Enter the Rafflecopter below for a chance to win a Bobby at Home Cookbook and a $50 dollar Kirkland’s gift card to help you get cozy this winter.

Disclosure: Clarkson Potter sent me a copy and is partnering with me for a giveaway!

If there is one single dish that is responsible for me winning on Beat Bobby Flay, it is this one. Not served on its own, obviously, but alongside braises and Asian-inspired dishes. If the judges were tied on their decision, this coconut rice, with its crispy bottom, was the deciding factor. It should come as no surprise that it is just as popular when I serve it at home. If you can make the rice the night before or use leftover rice from Chinese takeout, all the better. The rice really needs to be cool and separated to get really crispy—it will not work with warm rice

Crispy Coconut-Scallion Rice Recipe

Crispy Coconut-Scallion Rice

Course Side Dish
Prep Time 1 day
Servings 4 people

Ingredients

  • 1 cup Unsweetened full-fat canned coconut milk
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 2 cups Carolina long-grain rice
  • 1/2 cup Thinly sliced scallions, plus more for garnish
  • 1/4 cup Canola oil

Instructions

  1. Combine the coconut milk, 2 teaspoons salt, ¼ teaspoon pepper, and 1 cup water in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil over high heat. Stir in the rice and bring back to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover, and cook until the liquid has been absorbed and the rice is tender, about 18 minutes.

  2. Remove the pan from the heat and let sit, covered, for 5 minutes. Remove the lid and fluff the rice with a fork. Spread the rice in an even layer over a large baking sheet and let cool completely, about 30 minutes. The rice can be made up to 24 hours in advance; store it on the baking sheet, covered with plastic wrap, in the refrigerator.

  3. Combine the rice and scallions in a large bowl. Heat the oil in a large cast-iron or nonstick pan over high heat until it begins to shimmer. Add the rice and, using a heavy-duty metal spatula, immediately press the rice down into the pan until the top is flat. Cook, without stirring, until the bottom becomes golden brown and crispy, about 5 minutes (start checking at 4 minutes, making sure not to burn it). Turn the rice over and press down firmly on the top again. Cook until the bottom is golden brown and crispy, about 5 minutes more. Transfer to a platter, sprinkle with more scallions, and serve

About Bobby at Home

With 165+ recipes, Bobby Flay opens up his home and shares his bold, approachable style of cooking for family and friends, along with his no-nonsense, essential advice for home cooks.

Expect crowd-pleasing classics taken to the next level with exciting flavors, such as Spanish-style shrimp and grits, pumpkin pancakes with apple cider syrup, and sticky-savory-sweet Korean BBQ chicken. Riff on go-to dishes just as Bobby does with his master recipes for essentials, along with creative variations that take the base recipe in a range of directions to suit your mood, such as crispy bacon glazed with pomegranate molasses, deviled eggs topped with fried oysters, and mussels steamed in a heady green curry broth. With Bobby by your side, cooking at home just got a lot more exciting.

About the Author

Bobby Flayis one of the country’s most celebrated chefs, restaurateurs, media personalities, and authors. He is a James Beard Award winner, the author of 13 cookbooks, and has starred in 14 Food Network programs. In 2015, he became the first chef to be awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

What’s on your holiday menu this year?

Enter the Rafflecopter below for a chance to win a Bobby at Home Cookbook and a $50 dollar Kirkland’s gift card to help you get cozy this winter.

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Giveaway: The Kids’ Book of Paper Love & Michaels Gift Card #FlowBook

Do your kids like paper DIY projects? If so, I have the perfect book for your kiddos!

My son and I are creating a mini scrap book for our family travel adventures, and we will be using The Kid’s Book of Paper Love to create it. My youngest is grow so fast, and I feel this book is perfect to help us create and bond together. I enjoy his company because he always tells me about his day at school, and the friendships he is creating. This fun little book has glitter stickers, colorful paper, metallic paper, and cut outs, and hundreds of other paper goodies!

There are many wonderful reasons to create with your children. Above it all, it opens the lines of communication. (so important) For example, art activities create a sense of achievement inside kids, In addition, it helps them a boost to their self esteem. Helping your child to create something tells them that they are in control and this helps build immense confidence in them!

Celebrate your budding artist! Enter the Rafflecopter below for a chance to win The Kids’ Book of Paper Love and a $50 gift card to Michaels!

Disclosure: Thank you Workman Publishing for sponsoring this post. All opinions are my own.

A surprise on every page!

Brimming from cover to cover with projects and other paper surprises, The Kids’ Book of Paper Love, from the bestselling editors of Flow magazine and books, is a bounty of a book that begs to be folded, cut up, collaged, doodled on, and shared.

“Dare to Dream” How cute is this banner? There is just so much fun on every page!

Loop paper strips into a paper chain. Snip out bookmarks. Fold a paper house. Make photo booth props—a silly mustache, a crown—to pose with friends. Bind up a DIY storybook and use it to sketch out adventures and dreams. Construct a paper flower bouquet, a paper terrarium, a fortune-teller with prompts like Lend someone a book and tell them why you recommend it.

The Kids’ Book of Paper Love

From the editors of Flow magazine

Irene Smit & Astrid Van Der Hulst

Release October 15th, 2019

Recommend ages 7-14

My girls just loved these photo booth props!

Pick up your copy of The Kids’ Book of Paper Love today!

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Follow Flow Magazine on InstagramTwitter and Facebook

Enter the Rafflecopter below by November 8, 2019, for a chance to win The Kids’ Book of Paper Love & $50 Michaels Gift Card

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Giveaway: The Fire Keeper Book and Visa Gift Card

Disclosure: Thank you Disney Book Group for sponsoring this giveaway.

Last night we went to Andrew’s Back to School night, and his teacher reiterated the importance of reading at home. I am always looking for books that he will be interested in and enjoy. I want him to love reading as much as his older sisters do!

The Fire Keeper, is the exciting sequel to last year’s middle-grade bestsellerThe Storm Runner, by J.C. Cervantes.

Here are some excellent reasons why it is so very important for your children to read:

  • Children who read often and widely get better at it
  • Reading exercises their brain
  • Reading improves concentration
  • Reading teaches children about the world around them
  • Reading improves vocabulary and language skills
  • Reading develops a child’s imagination
  • Reading helps children to develop empathy
  • Reading is a fun

GET FIRED UP!

Ease back into the school year with a good book! Enter the Rafflecopter below for your chance to win:

  • a copy of The Fire Keeper
  • branded baseball cap & bumper sticker
  • plus a $50 Visa gift card to stock up on a fresh wardrobe

About The Series

A contemporary adventure based on Maya mythology from Rick Riordan Presents! In Book 1, The Storm Runner, a lonely boy in New Mexico has a physical disability that makes middle school feel even more like everyone is watching him. But as he soon learns, his physical differences are merely the first clue to a family history that connects him to the Maya gods—and puts him in mortal danger.

About The Fire Keeper

Zane Obispo’s new life on a beautiful secluded tropical island, complete with his family and closest friends, should be perfect. But he can’t control his newfound fire skills yet (inherited from his father, the Maya god Hurakan); there’s a painful rift between him and his dog ever since she became a hell hound; and he doesn’t know what to do with his feelings for Brooks.

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Recipe: Percy Jackson- Inspired Summer Punch

Disclosure: Thank you Disney Book Group for sponsoring this post.

How are you keeping cool this summer?

Summertime heat has peaked, and we are trying our best to keep cool!

My son is taking the Percy Jackson summer reading challenge and he just finished reading the third book, “The Titan’s Curse.” In this book, Percy faces one of his biggest and most dangerous challenges yet! Andrew can’t wait to read “The Battle of the Labyrinth” next! 

Andrew was excited when he described the book as adventurous and action packed.  “Percy Jackson is an awesome book mom. Oh… and there is romance too. His powers and battling skills are killer, and he Percy is hilarious!”  Andrew loves Greek mythology (just like his mama), so this was the perfect summer series for him. 

His favorite character is Percy himself. He is a demigod, the son of Poseidon. Andrew said his favorite part of the series (book 2 “The Sea of Monsters”), is when a Cyclops grabs Percy’s friend Annabeth (the Greek demigod daughter of Athena) and drops her on her head Naturally, Percy then has to fight “a thousand smelly pounds of Cyclops” with a “very small sword.” Andrew found the phrasing in this part very humorous, and giggled when he shared this. 

In celebration of summer and the Percy Jackson book series, Andrew and I have created a fun summertime drink to quench your thirst and keep you chill…

Below we have included a super duper easy “Percy Jackson Punch Recipe” to make with your kids!

I’m challenging my son to finish the Percy Jackson series before summer’s end, and I encourage you to do the same with your kids!

About The Titan’s Curse:

When Percy Jackson gets an urgent distress call from his friend Grover, he immediately prepares for battle. He knows he will need his powerful demigod allies at his side, his trusty bronze sword Riptide, and… a ride from his mom.

The demigods rush to the rescue to find that Grover has made an important discovery: two powerful half-bloods whose parentage is unknown. But that’s not all that awaits them. The titan lord Kronos has devised his most treacherous plot yet, and the young heroes have just fallen prey.

They’re not the only ones in danger. An ancient monster has arisen — one rumored to be so powerful it could destroy Olympus — and Artemis, the only goddess who might know how to track it, is missing. Now Percy and his friends, along with the Hunters of Artemis, have only a week to find the kidnapped goddess and solve the mystery of the monster she was hunting. Along the way, they must face their most dangerous challenge yet: the chilling prophecy of the titan’s curse.

Percy Jackson Inspired Summer Punch

Prep Time 5 minutes
Servings 6

Ingredients

  • 2 Cups Blue G2 Gatorade
  • 2 Cups Pineapple Juice (low sugar)
  • 2 Cups CranApple Juice (low sugar)
  • Ice -As desired

Instructions

  1. I doubled the recipe to fill up the punch bowl shown in this image.

Just for fun, we added some mythical characters in our drink. I found them here (and we found some at Hobby Lobby too).

*Parents feel free to add a quarter cup of your favorite rum to your drink, to create a delicious cocktail. 

Cheers! 

Percy-Jackson-Olympians

DIY: Make your own Percy Jackson & The Olympians Board Game

Disclosure: Thank you Disney Book Group for sponsoring this post.

My son is taking the Percy Jackson summer reading challenge and he just finished reading the first book, “The Lightning Thief.” He is hooked on this adventurous series, and can’t wait to go on to the next book!

I’m challenging my son to finish the Percy Jackson series before summer’s end, and I encourage you to do the same with your kids!

Percy-Jackson-DIY

Andrew has only been on summer break for a week, and I am trying my best to keep him occupied. We decided it would be fun to make our very own Percy Jackson and the Olympians board game together. I also thought that it would be a great idea to incorporate trivia questions to help him with comprehension.

Summer reading is critical for students to retain the skills learned in the previous school year. Children who don’t read are at risk of falling behind their classmates. Parents can avoid this by making sure kids take time to read. One great way to get your kids excited about reading is to create a game based on the books they’re planning to tackle this summer!

I have attached some printables and trivia questions to this post to help you and your child create a Percy Jackson & the Olympians game like ours!

Percy-Jackson-DIY

Here is a list of things you will need to get started:

  • Blank board game or large poster board
  • Colored construction paper & glitter
  • Markers, colored pencils, or crayons
  • Stickers or computer image printouts
  • Glue stick
  • Dice and/or spinner

Instructions for making your game board:

Create a Percy Jackson & the Olympians “world.” Use your images, stickers, paint and glitter to make the board colorful and unique. Cut 1.5 x 1.5 inch squares, and create a path with a game beginning and end. There is no right or wrong when creating your own game board. The point is to be creative and have fun!

We found this blank board game containing game pieces, blank cards, blank spinner & dice online!

Percy-Jackson-DIY

We took out paint and glitter, and printed images relating to the Percy Jackson series like lightning bolts and ocean waves. Feel free to use any of the printables I have attached here when making your own game.

Percy-Jackson PrintablesDownload

Percy-Jackson-DIY

Throughout our path of squares that lead from start to finish, we added directions like “Back 2 Spaces”, “Draw an adventure card,” or “Take a spin!” 

Instructions for making your spinner:

If you land on “Take a spin!”, you spin the wheel to determine what to do. Divide your spinner into 4 – 6 sections, which you can differentiate by color. 

Then we wrote in various game options like:

  • Go forward 1 space
  • Go back 2 spaces
  • Go to the “Underworld” and lose a turn
  • Take an adventure card!

Andrew also added a rock, paper, scissors option to our spinner!

Percy-Jackson-DIY

If you don’t have a spinner, you can still play! Just fill in each of the white squares with directions similar to what would go on the spinner so that on every turn you land on something.

Instructions for making your “Adventure Cards”:

I used Quizlet Online to create my own flashcards of Percy Jackson & the Olympians trivia!  Here are some trivia questions to get you started. Print them here. Click here for quiz cards on the characters from Percy Jackson & the Olympians.

When it’s your turn, and the square or spinner tells you to take an adventure card, you must answer a trivia question in order to move forward in the game. (If you get it right on the first try, move forward 3 squares! If you get it right on the second try, move forward 1 square. If you miss the question after 3 tries, go back two squares.)

Percy-Jackson-DIY

Print Instructions: Use the print option shown above.

Percy-Jackson-DIY

GAME RULES: Here are the instructions to the game we created. Feel free to use them or modify as you like!

  • Up to 4 players (participants must be familiar with the book series to play)
  • 1st player throws the dice. If the dice lands on an odd number, move forward 1 space. If it lands on an even number, move forward 2 spaces. Player must follow the instruction of the square they land on (i.e. “Take a Spin!” or “Back 2 Spaces”. If they “Take a Spin!” they must also follow the instruction of what the arrow lands on. 
Percy-Jackson-Olympians

A family that reads together, stays together! 

We had so much fun as a family playing our Percy Jackson & the Olympians board game.

More About the Series

Percy Jackson & the Olympians by Rick Riordan

Read the 5-book series that has been on the New York Times bestseller list for over 500 weeks!

Learn about Greek Mythology as the Percy Jackson series offers readers a fresh and exciting way to learn about the Olympians, the Titans, the Minotaur, and more while enjoying a fast-paced, highly entertaining adventure!

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Giveaway: Percy Jackson & the Olympians is the Perfect Series for Summer! Enter for a Chance to Win 5-book Series

Percy-Jackson-Olympians

Disclosure: Thank you Disney Book Group for sponsoring this post.

Summertime is around the corner,  and we can’t wait to relax, unwind, and get our summer reading on…

“Hey mom the package is here!” my son yelled.  Me, “Hold your horses Andrew, let me open it.” His face lit up when the Percy Jackson & the Olympians 5- book series by Rick Riordan arrived in the mail.

In the fall, my son will begin the 6th grade and I want to make sure he keeps up his reading, but also is prepared for the new challenging school year.  Summer reading is critical for students to retain the skills learned in the previous school year. Children who don’t read are at risk of falling behind their classmates. Parents can avoid this by making sure kids take time to read. So, I’m challenging my son to finish the Percy Jackson series before summer’s end, and I encourage you to do the same with your kids!

Greek Mythology is one of my son’s favorite types of literature. As a parent, I love to see him read a book he actually enjoys, and to see him off his XBox. (My worst enemy). Moms, can you relate?

* Enter the Rafflecopter below for a chance to win (1) boxed set of the,  Percy Jackson & the Olympians 5-book series.

Percy-Jackson-Olympians

About the Series

Percy Jackson & the Olympians

By Rick Riordan

Read the 5-book series that has been on the New York Times bestseller list for over 500 weeks!

Learn about Greek Mythology as the Percy Jackson series offers readers a fresh and exciting way to learn about the Olympians, the Titans, the Minotaur, and more while enjoying a fast-paced, highly entertaining adventure!

Synopsis of Book 1: The Lightning Thief

Percy Jackson is about to be kicked out of boarding school… again. And that’s the least of his troubles. Lately, mythological monsters and the gods of Mount Olympus seem to be walking straight out of the pages of Percy’s Greek mythology textbook and into his life. And worse, he’s angered a few of them. Zeus’s master lightning bolt has been stolen, and Percy is the prime suspect. Now Percy and his friends have just ten days to find and return Zeus’s stolen property and bring peace to a warring Mount Olympus. But to succeed on his quest, Percy will have to do more than catch the true thief: he must come to terms with the father who abandoned him; solve the riddle of the Oracle, which warns him of betrayal by a friend; and unravel a treachery more powerful than the gods themselves.

My son is hooked on the first book. “ Mom, Percy discovers his powers and is on an adventure to save his mom.“ The look on his face was priceless.

A family that reads together, stays together!

Enter the Rafflecopter here before June 1st for a chance to win (1) boxed set of  the Percy Jackson & the Olympians 5-book series before June 15, 2019.

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Open to U.S. addresses only. Prizing provided by Disney Book Group.

Giveaway: Disney Book Aladdin Far from Agrabah and $50 Fandango Gift Card

Disclosure: Disney Book Group is partnering with me for a giveaway!

My son can easily get lost in a book…

He is required to read 20 minutes a day for homework, but I want him to enjoy what he is reading. So I am thrilled to introduce him to Disney’s new book, Aladdin Far from Agrabah!

Synopsis

This stunning original novel will tell an all-new story set in the world of the new film, featuring Aladdin and Jasmine.

A magic carpet ride full of adventure, suspense, and wonder written by New York Times best-selling author Aisha Saeed, this story will be a must-read for any Aladdin fans who find themselves drawn into and enchanted by the magical world of Agrabah and beyond.

Enter the Rafflecopter below for a chance to win:

From Agrabah to the silver screen! One (1) winner will receive

  • a copy of Aladdin: Far from Agrabah,
  • plus a $50 Fandango gift card to get excited for the upcoming movie release.

About the Author

Aisha Saeed is the author of Written in the Stars which was listed as a best book of 2015 by Bank Street Books, a 2016 YALSA Quick Pick For Reluctant Readers, and named one of the top ten books all Young Georgians Should Read in 2016. She is also the author of the middle grade novel Amal Unbound which has received starred reviews from Publisher’s Weekly and Kirkus and is a Global Read Aloud for 2018. Aisha is also a founding member of the nonprofit We Need Diverse Books™. She has been featured on MTV, the Huffington Post, NBC, and the BBC, and her writings have appeared in publications including the journal ALAN and the Orlando Sentinel.

ALADDIN: FAR FROM AGRABAH

By Aisha Saeed

Published by Disney Book Group

In Stores April 2, 2019

Recommended for ages 10-14

This book makes a great gift… Pick up your copy today!

Enter the Rafflecopter below before April 20, 2019 for a chance to win!

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GIVEAWAY: Complete Set of Disney Villains Books and a “Perfect Hair Day” Bundle Pack

Disney-Villains-Books
Earlier this month Disney Villains released their newest book, Mother Know Best! This wonderful book is a great compliment to their fun Villain series. I am thrilled that the Disney Book Group has partnered with me for a giveaway! Enter the Rafflecopter below for a chance to win the complete book series and the Sephora Hair bundle pack!
I love to cuddle up with my son at bedtime, and read a good book. I know sooner than later, he’s going to grow up and he will be too big for story time. But for now, I’m going to cherish this special time with him and read this series with him…
Disclosure: Disney Book Group has partnered with me for this giveaway. All opinions are my own.

Disney-Villains-Books

My young prince loves a good Disney story… Your kiddos will enjoy this series too! 

About The New Book and Series

The Disney VILLAINS series by Serena Valentino explores how the antagonists in Disney movies became some of storytelling’s most iconic villains. In the first five VILLAINS books, we see how the Evil Queen, the Beast, Ursula, Maleficent, and Mother Gothel fall into darkness, through the instigation of the mysterious Odd Sisters: Lucinda, Martha, and Ruby. 

The tale of the legendary golden flower is widely known. The story has been told many times and in many ways. But always the flower is coveted by an old witch to keep herself young and beautiful. And always the flower is used to save a dying queen, who then gives birth to a princess with magical hair. Not willing to lose the flower, the old witch steals the princess and locks her away in a high tower, raising her as her own. But the princess always finds out who she truly is and manages to defeat the old witch.

 And yet this is only half the story. So what of the old witch, Mother Gothel? Where does she come from? And how does she come across the magical golden flower?

Here is one account that recounts a version of the story that has remained untold for centuries . . . until now. It is a tale of mothers and daughters, of youth and dark magic.

 It is a tale of the old witch.

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GIVEAWAY LET DOWN YOUR HAIR! 
ENTER FOR A CHANCE TO WIN:

For hair as long and twisted as the one in this tale. One (1) winner receives:

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 About The Author

Serena Valentino has been weaving tales that combine mythos and guile for the past decade. She has earned critical acclaim in both the comic and horror domains, where she is known for her unique style of storytelling, bringing her readers into exquisitely frightening worlds filled with terror, beauty, and extraordinary protagonists. The books in her best-selling VILLAINS series are best enjoyed when read in the following order: Fairest of AllThe Beast Within,Poor Unfortunate SoulMistress of All EvilMother Knows Best.

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This sensational book series is so much fun to read. The recommended age for this series is 12+
Disney-Villains-Books
To purchase this wonderful series click here.
Follow Disney Books On:
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Follow Serena Valentino on: Twitter | Facebook | Instagram
Learn more about the book at the Official Site

Enter the Rafflecopter for a chance to win: 

For hair as long and twisted as the one in this tale. One (1) winner receives:

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Book Review: The ASSERTIVE Parent Hacks, Traps, & Strategies For Raising Authentic Teens

The-Assertive-Teen

Parenting is difficult. Things have changed so much over the years. Now with social media on the rise, there is so much as parents we need to be aware of. Author Daniel Patterson has come to the rescue, and has written “The Assertive Parent.”

As a parent, NOTHING shocks me anymore. I have heard and seen it all…

I never thought I would sound like my mother, and frankly I never wanted to. I always thought she was overbearing and over the top. But I now have a greater appreciation for my parents and their concerns while I was growing up.  I have 4 children and I have witnessed 2 of my girls go through some extremely difficult times during their high school years. I have FINALLY found a resource to keep me up on the times. I have a son that is on his way to teenage years, and I now feel like I have the tools to navigate the storm.

Thank you Daniel Patterson for writing this book. All opinions are my own.

The-Assertive-Teen

This book covers many important topics such as:

  • Social media awareness
  • Drugs and alcohol awareness
  • Proactive & consistent parenting
  • School & academics

This incredible book is also interactive and provides helpful checklists to help parents categorize their thoughts and concerns. It also keeps parents on their toes, and gives them inside look into the latest high school social trends. The topics discussed are EXTREMELY important and have helped me get a glimpse into an unknown world.

Parents, do you know what a Finsta is? If not, you need to read this book! 

About The Author

Patterson draws from over 15 years of experience as a high school teacher, administrator, and educational-centered parenting and teen life coach. Having received his master’s in secondary education, Patterson currently runs a full-time consulting firm, Patterson Perspective Inc. To date, he has worked with over 100 families, helping teens reach their full capacity in academic and social frameworks through positive reinforcement and giving parents the necessary tools for their children to achieve this.

About The Book

“The Assertive Parent” is a practical roadmap for parents seeking to build autonomy, authenticity, and resilience in their teenage children. The book tackles four significant topics, including substance abuse and family communications and systems. Readers will experience a solution-oriented, judgment-free, and plug-and-play resource that provides a framework for successfully modifying their approach to parenting teenagers.

“The Assertive Parent” is available for $18 at Amazon.com. For more information visit pattersonperspective.com.