Back to Basics: 101 Ideas for Strengthening Our Children and Our Families [Paperback]

Brook Noel (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 1, 1999

"Life is what happens while we're making other plans," the adage goes, but how far have modern families let that attitude take root? Too far, it would seem, what a recent survey found that the average working mother spends 50 minutes a day with her child. The average working father? Nine!

It doesn't have to be. In her new book, author Brook Noel confronts the issues that continue to tear at the modern social fabric. Noel's collection of insights offer a much-needed road map back to the values that are the foundation for strong homes and strong families.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"I usually donate any books we receive to the office library, but this one is staying by my bed! The whole book is full of creative, down-to-earth answers." -- Carolyn Harper - Publisher, San Angelo Family Magazine

"Raise healthy children, have a happy family life... and still have time for yourself? This wise and entertaining book will show you how!" -- Mary Kalifon - Director, Parent-Child Resources, Cedars-Sinai Health Systems, Los Angeles

About the Author

Brook Noel is the author of two other books and the mother of a four-year-old girl. She travels nationally, speaking at parenting conferences and conducting parenting workshops.

Product Details

• Paperback: 232 pages
• Publisher: Champion Press (WI) (April 1, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1891400487
• ISBN-13: 978-1891400483
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 6 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,681,418 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

I am the author of many books on the topic of grief, parenting, cooking and self-improvement. My goal is to transform problems into possibilities through creative and practical ideas. I believe that we can find balance in an unbalanced world if we work at it diligently and with an open mind.

I maintain three free e-newsletters, Good Morning (a daily service), The Daily Rush (a recipe Monday-Friday) and The Challenge Weekly (a weekly personal challenge to improve your life.)

I have appeared on CNN, Fox Friends, ABC World News, and hundreds of other shows and stations as well as being named one of the 40 Most Influential Business People under age 40 by the Business Journal.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Helpful, concise---just what the doctor ordered!, May 10, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Back to Basics: 101 Ideas for Strengthening Our Children and Our Families (Paperback)

This is one of those great books that you don't have to find large chunks of time for reading to benefit from.... Written in short, easy-to-digest bites, I found it very helpful. Ideas for strengthening relationships; tips for discipline, limits and boundaries; home management suggestions; effective communication techniques; and creative ideas for family "together time". I recommend this book to anyone with children, especially busy moms (and dads) looking for simple ways to bring sanity into their family's crazy schedules.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fixing My Family, May 27, 2000

By 

James Andrew - See all my reviews

This review is from: Back to Basics: 101 Ideas for Strengthening Our Children and Our Families (Paperback)

Back to Basics addresses a core problem in America, the disintegration of the family unit. As a father and husband, I have been frustrated at the difficulty of maintaining strong family values, relationships and interaction. Our society doesn't place high emphasis on fixing family unit problems rather it spends a tremendous amount of time treating the symptons - higher crime, delinquency, higher divorce rates and more time with therapists. If we fix the core family and it's value systems - a lot of the other problems are diminished.

Hat's off to Brook for creating a book that addresses a fundamental issue in america today.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Family as a Priority, July 18, 2005

By 

Rebecca Johnson "The Rebecca Review" (Washington State) - See all my reviews
(COMMUNITY FORUM 04)    (TOP 50 REVIEWER)    (HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Back to Basics: 101 Ideas for Strengthening Our Children and Our Families (Paperback)

There can be no happiness if the things we believe in are different from the things we do. ~Freya Stark

Brook Noel has created a Family 101 manual that reads more like an enjoyable idea book. Throughout her writing she shows a talent for selecting the important priorities in family life.

Many of the idea present new opportunities for growth, like her idea about a gratitude journal. She delves into interesting ideas about why we should laugh more to combat negative feelings and improve our health.

I loved her story about her daughter and the "I love you" story. She also presents important information about brain development in the first three years of life. Other helpful topics:

Eliminate Morning Madness
Sanity Saving Family Meetings
Chore and Reward Systems

Back to Basics is the perfect book for new parents or for anyone who is trying to heal their family and solve some of the main problems that occur in daily life.

~The Rebecca Review