Top of my list of things to do over the next 6 weeks is to catch up on my reading. I thought I would read a lot during the lockdown period but I didn’t. Home learning took up most of the week, normal household duties and taking the dog for a walk seemed to take up the rest. However I want to return to work with a few things crossed off my to do list including working through a pile of new books, making my own clothes, and taking a few online courses.

So far this year I’ve read 14 of the 35 book goal I set myself which I’m pretty pleased with. I love setting myself a challenge and included both fiction and non-fiction amongst the books I wanted to read. I really want to push myself and get a new job this year so added some books to help me achieve this goal too. I thought I would share three of the books I’ve read recently, all gifted to me via NetGalley.

15-Minute Parenting 8-12 Years

15-Minute Parenting 8-12 Years: Stress-free strategies for nurturing your child’s development by Joanna Fortune.

This is a mindful and practical parenting roadmap for busy, time-poor parents. Based on a simple and effective formula, it will transform family life in just fifteen minutes of daily play, resulting in less tears and more laughter.

Middle childhood (for those aged 8–12 years old) is often the most overlooked phase of a child’s development but it’s the age where play continue to serve an important role in their emotional growth. It’s also an age where we are most likely to stop playing with our children.

With over twenty years of clinical expertise and neuro-scientific research, psychotherapist and parenting expert Joanna Fortune shares her proven techniques that will enable you to better understand your relationship with your children as they grow and ensure that your parenting is developing with them.

The book is full of helpful advice and I really liked the 15-minute games and activities that you can use. Some of them I had heard of before but there was a range, some of which you could use with siblings too.

The Sensitivity Code

The Sensitivity Code: Life strategies for thriving in an overwhelming world by Theresa Cheung

I wanted to read this book as I often feel like I’m over sensitive.

This book is for people who are born sensitive, who live their lives vividly through the lens of emotion and with their senses perpetually on high alert. It’s also for those whom others might label ‘insensitive,’ who experience times in their lives when their innate sensitivity is activated and they feel overwhelmed, or sense and feel things they can’t explain.

Based on strategies proven to be effective by scientists and psychologists, combined with her own research including real stories, Theresa Cheung shows you how to unlock the potential of your sensitivity. She’ll guide you through the steps that will transform the challenges of being a gentle person into a strength and shine a light on how traits such as empathy, intuition, creativity and compassion have the power to unite us.

I found this book really helpful with lots of useful tips and suggestions. The Sensitivity Code is a great book for the highly sensitive, anyone who has gone through sensitive times or simply longed for the world to be a little kinder.

Craft Your Own Happy: A collection of 25 creative projects to craft your way to mindfulness by Becci Mai Ford.

Do you ever feel like you spend too much of your day staring at screens, feeling anxious or stressed out? If the answer is yes – then you need this book! The cute colourful projects have all been designed with the feel-good-factor in mind. Crafting can help to take you away from the worries and pressures of your daily life, and give you back those moments of slowness and focus which can help to reduce anxiety.

Unlike other craft books, this is a book that you can dip into and find projects based upon how you are feeling. So you can craft to suit your mood! There are 25 beginner friendly projects to choose from including cross stitching, embroidery, paper craft and more. Why worry when you can craft happy!

This is a fun and colourful craft book packed with ideas. Split into sections such as Gratitude Makes, Anxiety Makes and Self-Care Crafting it will appeal to anyone who finds making and creating essential to their mental well-being. If you love crafting then you might not find many new-to-you ideas but there are some crafts I can’t wait to try, including the kawaii concrete planter and the origami stars. It’s a fun craft book and the projects will certainly soothe your mind and keep your hands busy.