A good parenting book can offer useful advice, enlightenment and inspiration. Most of all, it can reassure you that you’re not alone. We asked our Change Agents to recommend their favourites.
Raising Boys by Steve Biddulph: I found it very useful with my stepson because it’s honest and very practical.
50 Dangerous things you should let your children do by Gever Tulley: This is a fantastic book. It reminds us that we can’t protect our kids from everything so it’s best to teach them how to deal with dangerous stuff.
Natural Baby and Childcare by Lauren Feder, MD: This book gives magical advice to all those niggly baby issues and it written by a qualified physician who specializes in homeopathic medicine. I try to avoid allopathic meds as much as I can so this book is a real treasure.
Sister Lilian’s Babycare Companion: Written by a local midwife, this book also recommends natural remedies for childhood ailments. I really like that she is local so I can always find the products she is recommending.
Potty Training made easy, fast and simple by Johnne Cesar: This book is a must! It does exactly what the title says. Potty training is such fertile ground for long term therapy – child and parent – and this book makes the whole experience positive and fun!
Parenting from the inside out – how a deeper self understanding can help you raise children that thrive by Daniel J. Siegal and Mary Hartzell: This book is by a child psychologist who has done extensive research in interpersonal neurobiology and a child educator with over 40 years experience. The result is a fascinating look at how a better understanding of your life and childhood can help you be a better parent, and importantly, enjoy parenting more. What I loved about this book is that it helped me understand how and why I sometimes ‘lose it’ with my kids, even when I am deeply committed to not doing that. The strategies are useful and practical and the neuroscience is fascinating.
Baby Sense – understanding your baby’s sensory world by Megan Faure and Ann Richardson: I was very overwhelmed by all the different books on parenting when I had my first child. This book was a gift from a friend and I was, and am, so glad to have it. It gave me great insight into my child’s sensory development. I learnt so much and it helped me understand my babies better.
What to expect – The toddler years by Heidi Murkoff, Arlene Eisenberg and Sandee Hathaway: This is a great resource. It guides you through a toddler’s development from their emotional and physical growth to eating habits, illnesses, activities and discipline. Its an all inclusive handbook for parents – in fact – you could call it a massive toddler reference book.
New Toddler Taming – A survival Guide for Parents by Dr. Christopher Green: I love, love, love this book. It has excellent, practical advice from a pediatrician who really KNOWS kids. He also has a sense of humour that makes it an enjoyable read. Tantrums, toilet training, toddler fears – its full of real life examples and handy advice.
Wounded by School – Recapturing the Joy in Learning and Standing Up to Old School Culture by Kirsten Olsen: I am currently very concerned about the impact of traditional education systems on a child’s sense of self and am interested in stories and research on the subject.
Did you see your favourite book here? Let us know which books have helped you survive parenting, and why.
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