Hug-Supporting Services, Products and Books

Hug Your Kids Today! 5 Key Lessons for Every Working Parent

by Michelle Nichols, Founder, Hug Your Kids project

This book is for professional working parents with school-aged children. It focuses on five key lessons about working, parenting and life that author Michelle Nichols learned in the last 10 years since the sudden death of her son, Mark, at age 8 ½ years old from brain cancer. She challenges the idea of "work-life balance" and instead, recommends "family first and work a close second." The lessons include the importance of hugs, seeing the positive, laughter, faith, and daily hugs. Readers have said the book made them laugh, cry and think.

Ms. Nichols is a former sales columnist for BusinessWeek.com.

Messenger: The Legacy of Mattie J.T. Stepanek and Heartsongs (hardcover)

by Jeni Stepanek (his mom) with Larry Lindner

Mattie J.T. Stepanek was a 7-time best-selling author before his death at 13 from a rare medical disorder. His Heartsongs book series, and his book Just Peace: A Message of Hope, which he co-wrote with President Jimmy Carter, amaze anyone who's ever read them. Jeni was kind enough to give a quote for the cover of the Hug Your Kids book but that's not why we recommend it. We do so because it is a heart-touching, soul-stirring, not-to-be-missed read and ride.

A Paper Hug (Paperback)
~ Stephanie Skolmoski (Author), Anneliese Bennion (Illustrator)

This book sweetly reminds us how important hugs are to military families. Many families stateside wish they could hug their adult children who are serving our country overseas. Likewise, many soldiers overseas wish they could hug their children who live back in the states. This book is actually about the long-distance hug between a child and his dad serving overseas, which is a third kind of hug.