The Poker Player's Guide to Parenting - by Leaha Hammer (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

A funny, entertaining, and insightful guide that empowers parents with practical strategies, drawing playful yet effective parallels between poker and parenting to manage stress, communication, and discipline.

The Poker Player's Guide to Parenting is a humorous and insightful guide that draws practical parallels between the strategies of poker and the challenges of raising children. Written by mental health therapist and mother Leaha Hammer, this entertaining book provides parents with actionable tools to navigate their children's behavior, all while adding a lighthearted twist to common parenting struggles.

With a unique poker-inspired reward system using poker chips, and clever metaphors to guide communication and discipline, parents will learn when to "buy in," how to have effective "table talk," and when to "fold" during tough moments. Through Hammer's candid storytelling and relatable advice, parents will feel both validated and equipped to handle the ups and downs of parenthood, all while getting a few laughs along the way. No topic is off-limits, from anger and entitlement to the ever-debated question of whether parents should be their child's friend. This book helps parents feel heard, understood, and more in control of their parenting journey--without bluffing!

About the Author

Leaha Hammer is a mental health therapist and first-time author. A self-proclaimed jack of all trades but master of none, she is an advocate, volunteer coach, and small business owner who has her "hands" in many areas. Leaha is a native of rural Nebraska and draws parenting influences from her experience growing up in a farming community, instilling core values of contribution, humility, and work ethic. She was trained and practiced in the greater Seattle area, where she learned the values of creativity, open-mindedness, and the application of therapeutic concepts. As a wife and mother of three, Leaha finds herself reading and utilizing parenting content not only in her work but also in her personal life, as she and her husband are in the throes of raising their own children. Competitive by nature but soft at heart, Leaha's parenting journey and stories of both wins and losses will validate the experiences of many.