Showing titles in Parenting & Families

From one of the world's leading experts, an absorbing narrative history of the changing structure of modern families, showing how children can flourish in any kind of loving home.

I'm Jen Brister, stand-up comedian, middle-aged adolescent and, more recently, a mum. But not that mum - I'm the other one. Confused? Let’s back up a bit. Two years ago, my partner (a woman - we're not solicitors) gave birth to twins. Like every new parent, I had absolutely no clue what I was doing. Add ‘gay’ and ‘non-biological’ to the mix and what do you get? Not a weird box of detergent, but a panicked beige lesbian desperately googling, ‘Will my babies love me?’ at 3 a.m. This is a book for any parent who feels they don’t fit the mould of a traditional 2.4 family.

As long as there have been humans, there have been LGBTQI+ people. From an 18th century gentleman’s servant known as 'Princess Seraphina', to a lesbian punk rocker in Malaysia, challenging her country’s homophobic laws today; queer life always finds a way. We join Queer Eye’s Tan France to take a look at the lives, past and present, of those who have proudly defied rigid concepts of normality.

"Pride & Prejudice: Healing Division in the Modern Family" is a heartfelt exploration into the intricate balance between celebrating one's identity ("pride") and confronting ingrained biases ("prejudice"). Dr. Matt R. Salmon shares his experience growing up queer in a family and religion that condemned it. Drawing upon professional expertise and unique life experiences, this book offers a fresh perspective on the challenges and opportunities that arise in families with LGBTQ+ members.

When Christian singer and speaker Staci Frenes learned her teenage daughter was gay, she found her dreams for the future - along with her lifelong faith - collapsing around her. Coming to terms with a new reality was a challenge - and an invitation - to make room for many things along the way: the inevitability of uncertainty, hope in the midst of loss, awkward and tough conversations, an expanding faith, and a greater understanding of how people are more the same than different.

La orientación sexual de nuestros hijos es un tema siempre espinoso por la carga de tabúes y conflictos sociales a su alrededor. En un formato accesible de preguntas y respuestas, y nutrido por testimonios y por la experiencia de los autores en el activismo y acompañamiento de familias diversas, este audiolibro se dirige a las inquietudes más comunes tanto en el ámbito práctico como en el emocional.

In this powerful, extensively researched, and deeply personal memoir, Kenny Ethan Jones, trans activist and writer, offers an authentic and in-depth insight into the trans experience. Drawing on his own experience, experts and the stories of others, Kenny unpacks the reality of living with gender dysphoria, navigating the difficult intersection of being Black and trans, the complexities of accessing gender-affirming care, the big debate about trans youth and so much more.

LGBTQ+ people have more options than ever before when it comes to starting a family, but a lack of both focused information and mainstream representation can leave parents, prospective parents, friends, and relatives in the dark. Authors Lotte Jeffs and Stu Oakley spoke to dozens of experts and queer families, and this hugely needed book is the product of those conversations and their own experiences of becoming parents through IUI and adoption respectively.

As a closeted teen, Ian wondered if he would ever be able to live openly with a male partner. Years later, he had not one but two partners in a polyamorous throuple - what more could he ask for? But something was still missing.... Join Ian and his partners, Alan and Jeremy, as they embark on a sometimes hilarious, sometimes tearful quest to become parents.

If your child or teen recently told you they are transgender, non-binary, or genderfluid, you’re bound to have questions. You may wonder how best to support your child’s transition and doubt whether you are making the right decisions. When her son came out as transgender, Tammy Plunkett had the same worries. In Beyond Pronouns, she shares her candid experiences learning to navigate her child’s transition and provides clear and practical guidance to help you do the same.

Trystan and Biff had been dating for just a year when the couple learned that Biff's niece and nephew were about to be removed from their home by Child Protective Services. Immediately, Trystan and Biff took in one-year-old Hailey and three-year-old Lucas, becoming caregivers overnight to two tiny survivors of abuse and neglect. From this unexpected start, the young couple built a loving marriage and happy home - learning to parent on the job.

Pageboy is a groundbreaking coming-of-age memoir from the Academy Award-nominated actor Elliot Page. A generation-defining actor and one of the most famous trans advocates of our time, Elliot will now be known as an uncommon literary talent, as he shares never-before-heard details and intimate interrogations on gender, love, mental health, relationships, and Hollywood.

Moments of Glad Grace is a moving and witty memoir of aging, familial love, and the hunt for roots and belonging. The story begins as a trip from Canada to Ireland in search of genealogical data and documents. Being 80 and in the early stages of Parkinson’s Disease, Joe invites his daughter Alison to come along as his research assistant, which might have worked very well had she any interest - any at all - in genealogy.

When divorce moves young R/B Mertz away from rural Pennsylvania and their abusive father, Mertz's life is torn in two. Mertz's mom and new stepdad dive headfirst into conservative Catholic homeschooling, entrenching themselves in a world dominated by saints, prayers, and having as many babies as possible, just as Mertz is starting to realize they might be queer. Trying to stave off the inevitable, Mertz later enrolls in a conservative Catholic college in Ohio.

No matter who we are or where we come from, we all play on the same playground. There are certain collective societal messages we hear growing up that we either consciously or subconsciously believe. As a result, we develop certain belief systems from which we operate our lives. Chris Tompkins’ Raising LGBTQ Allies sheds light on the deeper, multi-faceted layers of homophobia. It opens up a conversation with parents around the possibility they may have an LGBTQ child and shows how heteronormativity can be harmful if not addressed clearly and early.

An empowering guide to imagining (and living) better relationships, Radical Relating pushes back on the monogamy mandate. Author, somatic educator, and relationship coach Mel Cassidy explodes the often-unquestioned mainstream myths about the nuclear family structure: those that tell us your soulmate must be your sole mate. That sex is the only yardstick of relational success. That self-sacrifice and self-denial are necessary trade-offs for security and partnership. That we need to ride the relationship escalator all the way up, or we’ll die alone.

You're a young man who feels love for other men? Do you long for valuable input to live your life the way you want to live it? Is your outing still imminent, and you wish for motivating thoughts that support you in this important project? Then, you've found the perfect audiobook! I wish you lots of fun listening to it and heartfelt success while implementing the ideas in my book. You're great the way you are.

Alison Wearing led a largely carefree childhood until she learned, at age 12, that her family was a little more complex than she had realized. Sure her father had always been unusual compared to the other dads in the neighborhood: he loved to bake croissants, wear silk pajamas around the house, and skip down the street singing songs from Gilbert and Sullivan operettas. But when he came out of the closet in the 1970s, when homosexuality was still a cardinal taboo, it was a shock to everyone in the quiet community of Peterborough, Ontario - especially to his wife and three children.

I don't believe in love at first sight, not with my track record. But the night I met Yvette has come close to changing my mind - I couldn't have kept away from her even if I tried, she was all I had eyes and ears for, and since that day, this hasn't changed. I want to be around her all the time, spend time getting to know her, take her out on endless dates. Problem is, Yvette is unlike any of the women I tend to date - and I tend to date a lot, to the point I've acquired something of a reputation. You just have to Google my name, to see what I mean, I'm not the most reliable of men, where ...

In the face of so many injustices across society for LGBTQ+ people, it can be easy for parents of young children to feel helpless and hopeless. While they may not be able to address every problem across the country, there's a simple place to start: right at home. Rainbow Parenting is an indispensable stepping stone for adults who want to raise and teach kids in a queer and gender-affirming way, but might not know how.