Here are the 47 best parenting books of all time according to Google. Find your new favorite book from the local library with one click.
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1. How to Talk So Kids Will Listen & Listen So Kids Will Talk
by: Adele Faber, Elaine Mazlish Release date: Oct 01, 1999 Number of Pages: 286 Find in Library Read Review Google Preview |
The twentieth anniversary edition of the best-selling parenting guide includes updated information as well as the practical, sensible advice that made the book a classic to begin with. Original. 44,000 first printing.
2. The Whole-Brain Child
by: Daniel J. Siegel, Tina Payne Bryson Release date: Oct 04, 2011 Number of Pages: 192 Find in Library Read Review Google Preview |
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • More than 1 million copies in print! • The authors of No-Drama Discipline and The Yes Brain explain the new science of how a child’s brain is wired and how it matures in this pioneering, practical book. “Simple, smart, and effective solutions to your child’s struggles.”—Harvey Karp, M.D. In this pioneering, practical book, Daniel J. Siegel, neuropsychiatrist and author of the bestselling Mindsight, and parenting expert Tina Payne Bryson offer a revolutionary approach to child rearing with twelve key strategies that foster healthy brain development, leading to calmer, happier children. The authors explain—and make accessible—the new science of how a child’s brain is wired and how it matures. The “upstairs brain,” which makes decisions and balances emotions, is under construction until the mid-twenties. And especially in young children, the right brain and its emotions tend to rule over the logic of the left brain. No wonder kids throw tantrums, fight, or sulk in silence. By applying these discoveries to everyday parenting, you can turn any outburst, argument, or fear into a chance to integrate your child’s brain and foster vital growth. Complete with age-appropriate strategies for dealing with day-to-day struggles and illustrations that will help you explain these concepts to your child, The Whole-Brain Child shows you how to cultivate healthy emotional and intellectual development so that your children can lead balanced, meaningful, and connected lives. “[A] useful child-rearing resource for the entire family . . . The authors include a fair amount of brain science, but they present it for both adult and child audiences.”—Kirkus Reviews “Strategies for getting a youngster to chill out [with] compassion.”—The Washington Post “This erudite, tender, and funny book is filled with fresh ideas based on the latest neuroscience research. I urge all parents who want kind, happy, and emotionally healthy kids to read The Whole-Brain Child. This is my new baby gift.”—Mary Pipher, Ph.D., author of Reviving Ophelia and The Shelter of Each Other “Gives parents and teachers ideas to get all parts of a healthy child’s brain working together.”—Parent to Parent
3. No-drama Discipline
by: Daniel J. Siegel, Tina Payne Bryson Release date: Jan 01, 2016 Number of Pages: 288 Find in Library Read Review Google Preview |
Outlines practical parenting strategies from the toddler years through preadolescence that focus on productive and peaceful disciplinary methods while promoting positive neural connections.
4. Peaceful Parent, Happy Kids
by: Laura Markham Release date: Jan 01, 2012 Number of Pages: 274 Find in Library Read Review Google Preview |
Offers practical, easy-to-apply ideas to help parents regulate themselves and their own emotions in order to foster a better connection with their children to help them learn emotional intelligence, empathy, and responsibility.
5. The Conscious Parent
by: Shefali Tsabary Release date: Jan 01, 2010 Number of Pages: 264 Find in Library Read Review Google Preview |
Offers guidance for parents on establishing a relationship with their inner wholeness through their children.
6. Simplicity Parenting
by: Kim John Payne, Lisa M. Ross Release date: Jan 01, 2010 Number of Pages: 235 Find in Library Read Review Google Preview |
Outlines a four-step program for decluttering a home, increasing a child’s sense of security, scheduling down time, and instilling calmness in the face of hectic environments.
7. The Happiest Baby on the Block
by: Harvey Karp Release date: Jan 01, 2015 Number of Pages: 352 Find in Library Read Review Google Preview |
“A completely revised and updated second edition of one of the most popular and bestselling parenting books of all time, by America’s favorite pediatrician, Dr. Harvey Karp. Harvey Karp, M.D. shares his groundbreaking approach to calming your new baby’s crying and transforming your infant into the happiest baby on the block! His highly successful method is based on four revolutionary concepts: 1. Create the Fourth Trimester: How to re-create the womblike atmosphere your newborn baby still yearns for. 2. Find the Calming Reflex: An “off switch” all babies are born wtih, which quickly soothes fussing and crying. 3. Use the 5 S’s: Five easy methods to turn on your baby’s amazing calming reflex. 4. Apply the Cuddle Cure: How to combine the 5 S’s to calm even colicky babies.”–
8. How to Raise an Adult
by: Julie Lythcott-Haims Release date: Jun 09, 2015 Number of Pages: 368 Find in Library Read Review Google Preview |
New York Times Bestseller “Julie Lythcott-Haims is a national treasure. . . . A must-read for every parent who senses that there is a healthier and saner way to raise our children.” -Madeline Levine, author of the New York Times bestsellers The Price of Privilege and Teach Your Children Well “For parents who want to foster hearty self-reliance instead of hollow self-esteem, How to Raise an Adult is the right book at the right time.” -Daniel H. Pink, author of the New York Times bestsellers Drive and A Whole New Mind A provocative manifesto that exposes the harms of helicopter parenting and sets forth an alternate philosophy for raising preteens and teens to self-sufficient young adulthood In How to Raise an Adult, Julie Lythcott-Haims draws on research, on conversations with admissions officers, educators, and employers, and on her own insights as a mother and as a student dean to highlight the ways in which overparenting harms children, their stressed-out parents, and society at large. While empathizing with the parental hopes and, especially, fears that lead to overhelping, Lythcott-Haims offers practical alternative strategies that underline the importance of allowing children to make their own mistakes and develop the resilience, resourcefulness, and inner determination necessary for success. Relevant to parents of toddlers as well as of twentysomethings-and of special value to parents of teens-this book is a rallying cry for those who wish to ensure that the next generation can take charge of their own lives with competence and confidence.
9. Siblings Without Rivalry
by: Adele Faber, Elaine Mazlish Release date: Jan 01, 2012 Number of Pages: 259 Find in Library Read Review Google Preview |
Offers parents advice and techniques for peaceful interaction between siblings by providing anecdotes, true stories, humor, and compassion.
10. All Joy and No Fun
by: Jennifer Senior Release date: Jan 28, 2014 Number of Pages: 336 Find in Library Read Review Google Preview |
Thousands of books have examined the effects of parents on their children. In All Joy and No Fun, award-winning journalist Jennifer Senior now asks: what are the effects of children on their parents? In All Joy and No Fun, award-winning journalist Jennifer Senior tries to tackle this question, isolating and analyzing the many ways in which children reshape their parents’ lives, whether it’s their marriages, their jobs, their habits, their hobbies, their friendships, or their internal senses of self. She argues that changes in the last half century have radically altered the roles of today’s mothers and fathers, making their mandates at once more complex and far less clear. Recruiting from a wide variety of sources—in history, sociology, economics, psychology, philosophy, and anthropology—she dissects both the timeless strains of parenting and the ones that are brand new, and then brings her research to life in the homes of ordinary parents around the country. The result is an unforgettable series of family portraits, starting with parents of young children and progressing to parents of teens. Through lively and accessible storytelling, Senior follows these mothers and fathers as they wrestle with some of parenthood’s deepest vexations—and luxuriate in some of its finest rewards. Meticulously researched yet imbued with emotional intelligence, All Joy and No Fun makes us reconsider some of our culture’s most basic beliefs about parenthood, all while illuminating the profound ways children deepen and add purpose to our lives. By focusing on parenthood, rather than parenting, the book is original and essential reading for mothers and fathers of today—and tomorrow.
11. NurtureShock
by: Po Bronson, Ashley Merryman Release date: Sep 03, 2009 Number of Pages: 352 Find in Library Read Review Google Preview |
In a world of modern, involved, caring parents, why are so many kids aggressive and cruel? Where is intelligence hidden in the brain, and why does that matter? Why do cross-racial friendships decrease in schools that are more integrated? If 98% of kids think lying is morally wrong, then why do 98% of kids lie? What’s the single most important thing that helps infants learn language? NurtureShock is a groundbreaking collaboration between award-winning science journalists Po Bronson and Ashley Merryman. They argue that when it comes to children, we’ve mistaken good intentions for good ideas. With impeccable storytelling and razor-sharp analysis, they demonstrate that many of modern society’s strategies for nurturing children are in fact backfiring–because key twists in the science have been overlooked. Nothing like a parenting manual, the authors’ work is an insightful exploration of themes and issues that transcend children’s (and adults’) lives.
12. Cribsheet
by: Emily Oster Release date: Apr 23, 2019 Number of Pages: 352 Find in Library Read Review Google Preview |
From the author of Expecting Better and The Family Firm, an economist’s guide to the early years of parenting. “Both refreshing and useful. With so many parenting theories driving us all a bit batty, this is the type of book that we need to help calm things down.” —LA Times “The book is jampacked with information, but it’s also a delightful read because Oster is such a good writer.” —NPR With Expecting Better, award-winning economist Emily Oster spotted a need in the pregnancy market for advice that gave women the information they needed to make the best decision for their own pregnancies. By digging into the data, Oster found that much of the conventional pregnancy wisdom was wrong. In Cribsheet, she now tackles an even greater challenge: decision-making in the early years of parenting. As any new parent knows, there is an abundance of often-conflicting advice hurled at you from doctors, family, friends, and strangers on the internet. From the earliest days, parents get the message that they must make certain choices around feeding, sleep, and schedule or all will be lost. There’s a rule—or three—for everything. But the benefits of these choices can be overstated, and the trade-offs can be profound. How do you make your own best decision? Armed with the data, Oster finds that the conventional wisdom doesn’t always hold up. She debunks myths around breastfeeding (not a panacea), sleep training (not so bad!), potty training (wait until they’re ready or possibly bribe with M&Ms), language acquisition (early talkers aren’t necessarily geniuses), and many other topics. She also shows parents how to think through freighted questions like if and how to go back to work, how to think about toddler discipline, and how to have a relationship and parent at the same time. Economics is the science of decision-making, and Cribsheet is a thinking parent’s guide to the chaos and frequent misinformation of the early years. Emily Oster is a trained expert—and mom of two—who can empower us to make better, less fraught decisions—and stay sane in the years before preschool.
13. Raising Your Spirited Child
by: Mary Sheedy Kurcinka Release date: Mar 17, 2009 Number of Pages: 320 Find in Library Read Review Google Preview |
The spirited child—often called “difficult” or “strong-willed”—can easily overwhelm parents, leaving them feeling frustrated and inadequate.Spirited kids are, in fact, simply “more”—by temperament, they are more intense, sensitive, perceptive, persistent, and uncomfortable with change than the average child.Through vivid examples and a refreshingly positive viewpoint, Mary Sheedy Kurcinka offers parents emotional support and proven strategies for handling their spirited child. Raising Your Spirited Child will help you: Understand your child’s—and your own—temperamental traits Plan for success with a simple four-step program Discover the power of positive—rather than negative—labels Cope with tantrums and blowups when they do occur Develop strategies for handling mealtimes, bedtimes, holidays, school and many other situations Filled with personal insight and authorative advice, Raising Your Spirited Child can help make parenting the joy it should be, rather than the trial it can be.
14. How to Talk so Little Kids Will Listen
by: Joanna Faber, Julie King Release date: Jan 10, 2017 Number of Pages: 432 Find in Library Read Review Google Preview |
Over 200,000 copies in print! A must-have guide for anyone who lives or works with young kids, with an introduction by Adele Faber, coauthor of How to Talk So Kids Will Listen & Listen So Kids Will Talk, the international mega-bestseller The Boston Globe dubbed “The Parenting Bible.” For nearly forty years, parents have turned to How to Talk So Kids Will Listen & Listen So Kids Will Talk for its respectful and effective solutions to the unending challenges of raising children. Now, in response to growing demand, Adele’s daughter, Joanna Faber, along with Julie King, tailor How to Talk’s powerful communication skills to parents of children ages two to seven. Faber and King, each a parenting expert in her own right, share their wisdom accumulated over years of conducting How To Talk workshops with parents, teachers, and pediatricians. With a lively combination of storytelling, cartoons, and observations from their workshops, they provide concrete tools and tips that will transform your relationship with the children in your life. What do you do with a little kid who…won’t brush her teeth…screams in his car seat…pinches the baby…refuses to eat vegetables…throws books in the library…runs rampant in the supermarket? Organized by common challenges and conflicts, this book is an essential manual of communication strategies, including a chapter that addresses the special needs of children with sensory processing and autism spectrum disorders. This user-friendly guide will empower parents and caregivers of young children to forge rewarding, joyful relationships with terrible two-year-olds, truculent three-year-olds, ferocious four-year-olds, foolhardy five-year-olds, self-centered six-year-olds, and the occasional semi-civilized seven-year-old. And, it will help little kids grow into self-reliant big kids who are cooperative and connected to their parents, teachers, siblings, and peers.
15. The Explosive Child
by: Ross W. Greene Release date: Jan 19, 2010 Number of Pages: 336 Find in Library Read Review Google Preview |
What′s an explosive child? A child who responds to routine problems with extreme frustration-crying, screaming, swearing, kicking, hitting, biting, spitting, destroying property, and worse. A child whose frequent, severe outbursts leave his or her parents feeling frustrated, scared, worried, and desperate for help. Most of these parents have tried everything-reasoning, explaining, punishing, sticker charts, therapy, medication-but to no avail. They can′t figure out why their child acts the way he or she does; they wonder why the strategies that work for other kids don′t work for theirs; and they don′t know what to do instead. Dr. Ross Greene, a distinguished clinician and pioneer in the treatment of kids with social, emotional, and behavioral challenges, has worked with thousands of explosive children, and he has good news: these kids aren′t attention-seeking, manipulative, or unmotivated, and their parents aren′t passive, permissive pushovers. Rather, explosive kids are lacking some crucial skills in the domains of flexibility/adaptability, frustration tolerance, and problem solving, and they require a different approach to parenting. Throughout this compassionate, insightful, and practical book, Dr. Greene provides a new conceptual framework for understanding their difficulties, based on research in the neurosciences. He explains why traditional parenting and treatment often don′t work with these children, and he describes what to do instead. Instead of relying on rewarding and punishing, Dr. Greene′s Collaborative Problem Solving model promotes working with explosive children to solve the problems that precipitate explosive episodes, and teaching these kids the skills they lack.
16. The Gift of Failure
by: Jessica Lahey Release date: Aug 11, 2015 Number of Pages: 304 Find in Library Read Review Google Preview |
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER In the tradition of Paul Tough’s How Children Succeed and Wendy Mogel’s The Blessing of a Skinned Knee, this groundbreaking manifesto focuses on the critical school years when parents must learn to allow their children to experience the disappointment and frustration that occur from life’s inevitable problems so that they can grow up to be successful, resilient, and self-reliant adults. Modern parenting is defined by an unprecedented level of overprotectiveness: parents who rush to school at the whim of a phone call to deliver forgotten assignments, who challenge teachers on report card disappointments, mastermind children’s friendships, and interfere on the playing field. As teacher and writer Jessica Lahey explains, even though these parents see themselves as being highly responsive to their children’s well being, they aren’t giving them the chance to experience failure—or the opportunity to learn to solve their own problems. Overparenting has the potential to ruin a child’s confidence and undermine their education, Lahey reminds us. Teachers don’t just teach reading, writing, and arithmetic. They teach responsibility, organization, manners, restraint, and foresight—important life skills children carry with them long after they leave the classroom. Providing a path toward solutions, Lahey lays out a blueprint with targeted advice for handling homework, report cards, social dynamics, and sports. Most importantly, she sets forth a plan to help parents learn to step back and embrace their children’s failures. Hard-hitting yet warm and wise, The Gift of Failure is essential reading for parents, educators, and psychologists nationwide who want to help children succeed.
17. Parenting From the Inside Out
by: Daniel J. Siegel MD, Mary Hartzell Release date: Mar 31, 2003 Number of Pages: 272 Find in Library Read Review Google Preview |
How many parents have found themselves thinking: I can’t believe I just said to my child the very thing my parents used to say to me! Am I just destined to repeat the mistakes of my parents? In Parenting from the Inside Out, child psychiatrist Daniel J. Siegel, M.D., and early childhood expert Mary Hartzell, M.Ed., explore the extent to which our childhood experiences actually do shape the way we parent. Drawing upon stunning new findings in neurobiology and attachment research, they explain how interpersonal relationships directly impact the development of the brain, and offer parents a step-by-step approach to forming a deeper understanding of their own life stories, which will help them raise compassionate and resilient children. Born out of a series of parents’ workshops that combined Siegel’s cutting-edge research on how communication impacts brain development with Hartzell’s thirty years of experience as a child-development specialist and parent educator, Parenting from the Inside Out guides parents through creating the necessary foundations for loving and secure relationships with their children.
18. Calm Parents, Happy Siblings
by: Laura Markham Release date: Jun 04, 2015 Number of Pages: 352 Find in Library Read Review Google Preview |
Popular parenting expert Dr Laura Markham has garnered a large and loyal readership around the world, thanks to her simple, insightful approach that values the emotional bond between parent and child. However, as any parent of more than one child knows, it’s challenging for even the most engaged parent to maintain harmony and a strong connection when competition, tempers, and irritation run high. In this highly anticipated guide, Dr Markham presents simple yet powerful ways to cut through the squabbling and foster a loving, supportive bond between siblings, while giving each child the vital connection that he or she needs. Calm Parents, Happy Siblings presents hands-on, research-based advice on: Creating deep connections with each one of your children, so that each truly believes that you couldn’t possibly love anyone else more. Fostering a loving family culture that encourages laughter and minimizes fighting. Teaching your children healthy emotional self-management and conflict resolution skills – so that they can work things out with each other, get their own needs met and respect the needs of others. Helping your kids forge a close lifelong sibling bond, as well as the relationship skills they will need for a life of healthy friendships, work relationships, and eventually their own family bonds.
19. The 5 Love Languages of Children
by: Gary Chapman, Gary D. Chapman, Ross Campbell Release date: Jan 01, 2012 Number of Pages: 221 Find in Library Read Review Google Preview |
Since 1992, Chapman’s bestselling book “The Five Love Languages” has helped millions of couples develop stronger, more fulfilling relationships by teaching them to speak each others’ love language. Now parents can discover their child’s primary language and learn what they can do to effectively convey unconditional feelings of respect, affection, and commitment.
20. Unconditional Parenting
by: Alfie Kohn Release date: Mar 28, 2006 Number of Pages: 264 Find in Library Read Review Google Preview |
The author of Punished by Rewards and The School Our Children Deserve builds on his parenting theories of working with children rather than trying to control them, argues against practices that teach children that they must earn a parent’s approval, and presents techniques that promote desired child qualities through unconditional support. Reprint. 30,000 first printing.
21. Parenting with Love and Logic
by: Foster Cline, Jim Fay Release date: Sep 08, 2020 Number of Pages: 272 Find in Library Read Review Google Preview |
Over 900,000 copies sold! Who uses love and logic in their parenting? Parents, counselors, and teachers around the globe—even Bill and Melinda Gates have found the philosophy of Parenting with Love and Logic an important guide when raising their three children. Learn how to reel in your own emotions while teaching your children responsibility, establishing boundaries, and growing their character. Establish healthy control through easy-to-implement steps without anger, threats, nagging, or power struggles. Trusted by generations of parents, counselors, and teachers to lovingly raise responsible children, Parenting with Love and Logic includes solutions for dozens of specific topics like tantrums, managing screen time, and getting ready for school, all indexed for easy reference. Updated to help parents make important family decisions about the use of technology, including mobile phones and social media.
22. The Danish Way of Parenting
by: Jessica Joelle Alexander, Iben Sandahl Release date: Jun 29, 2016 Number of Pages: 208 Find in Library Read Review Google Preview |
International bestseller As seen in The Wall Street Journal–from free play to cozy together time, discover the parenting secrets of the happiest people in the world What makes Denmark the happiest country in the world–and how do Danish parents raise happy, confident, successful kids, year after year? This upbeat and practical book presents six essential principles, which spell out P-A-R-E-N-T: Play is essential for development and well-being. Authenticity fosters trust and an “inner compass.” Reframing helps kids cope with setbacks and look on the bright side. Empathy allows us to act with kindness toward others. No ultimatums means no power struggles, lines in the sand, or resentment. Togetherness is a way to celebrate family time, on special occasions and every day. The Danes call this hygge–and it’s a fun, cozy way to foster closeness. Preparing meals together, playing favorite games, and sharing other family traditions are all hygge. (Cell phones, bickering, and complaining are not!) With illuminating examples and simple yet powerful advice, The Danish Way of Parenting will help parents from all walks of life raise the happiest, most well-adjusted kids in the world.
23. Brain Rules
by: John Medina Release date: Sep 01, 2014 Number of Pages: 320 Find in Library Read Review Google Preview |
An updated and expanded edition of the international bestseller Most of us have no idea what’s really going on inside our heads. Yet brain scientists have uncovered details that every business leader, parent, and teacher should know — for instance, that physical activity helps to get your brain working at its best. How do we learn? What do sleep and stress do to our brains? Why is multitasking a myth? Why is it so easy to forget — and so important to repeat new information? In Brain Rules, Dr John Medina, a molecular biologist, shares his lifelong interest in brain science, and how it can influence the way we teach our children and the way we work. In each chapter, he describes a brain rule — what scientists know for sure about how our brains work — and offers transformative ideas for our daily lives. In this expanded edition — which includes additional information on the brain rules and a new chapter on music — you will discover how every brain is wired differently, why memories are volatile, and how stress and sleep can influence learning. By the end, you’ll understand how your brain really works — and how to get the most out of it.
24. What to Expect the First Year
by: Heidi Murkoff Release date: Oct 07, 2014 Number of Pages: 250 Find in Library Read Review Google Preview |
Some things about babies, happily, will never change. They still arrive warm, cuddly, soft, and smelling impossibly sweet. But how moms and dads care for their brand-new bundles of baby joy has changed—and now, so has the new-baby bible. Announcing the completely revised third edition of What to Expect the First Year. With over 10.5 million copies in print, First Year is the world’s best-selling, best-loved guide to the instructions that babies don’t come with, but should. And now, it’s better than ever. Every parent’s must-have/go-to is completely updated. Keeping the trademark month-by-month format that allows parents to take the potentially overwhelming first year one step at a time, First Year is easier-to-read, faster-to-flip-through, and new-family-friendlier than ever—packed with even more practical tips, realistic advice, and relatable, accessible information than before. Illustrations are new, too. Among the changes: Baby care fundamentals—crib and sleep safety, feeding, vitamin supplements—are revised to reflect the most recent guidelines. Breastfeeding gets more coverage, too, from getting started to keeping it going. Hot-button topics and trends are tackled: attachment parenting, sleep training, early potty learning (elimination communication), baby-led weaning, and green parenting (from cloth diapers to non-toxic furniture). An all-new chapter on buying for baby helps parents navigate through today’s dizzying gamut of baby products, nursery items, and gear. Also new: tips on preparing homemade baby food, the latest recommendations on starting solids, research on the impact of screen time (TVs, tablets, apps, computers), and “For Parents” boxes that focus on mom’s and dad’s needs. Throughout, topics are organized more intuitively than ever, for the best user experience possible.
25. No Bad Kids: Toddler Discipline Without Shame
by: Janet Lansbury Release date: Dec 31, 2013 Number of Pages: 162 Find in Library Read Review Google Preview |
Janet Lansbury is unique among parenting experts. As a RIE teacher and student of pioneering child specialist Magda Gerber, her advice is not based solely on formal studies and the research of others, but also on her twenty years of hands-on experience guiding hundreds of parents and their toddlers. “No Bad Kids” is a collection of Janet’s most popular and widely read articles pertaining to common toddler behaviors and how respectful parenting practices can be applied to benefit both parents and children. It covers such common topics as punishment, cooperation, boundaries, testing, tantrums, hitting, and more. “No Bad Kids” provides a practical, indispensable tool for parents who are anticipating or experiencing those critical years when toddlers are developmentally obliged to test the limits of our patience and love. Armed with knowledge and a clearer sense of the world through our children’s eyes, this period of uncertainty can afford a myriad of opportunities to forge unbreakable bonds of trust and respect.
26. Playful Parenting
by: Lawrence J. Cohen Release date: Nov 19, 2008 Number of Pages: 320 Find in Library Read Review Google Preview |
Parents have heard that play is a child’s work—but play is not for kids only. As psychologist Lawrence J. Cohen, Ph.D., demonstrates in this delightful new book, play can be the basis for an innovative and rewarding approach to parenting. From eliciting a giggle during baby’s first game of peek-a-boo to cracking jokes with a teenager while hanging out at the mall, Playful Parenting is a complete guide to using play to raise strong, confident children. Have you ever stepped back to watch what really goes on when your children play? As Dr. Cohen points out, play is children’s complex and fluid way of exploring the world, communicating hard-to-express feelings, getting close to those they care about, working through stressful situations, and simply blowing off steam. That’s why “playful parenting” is so important and so successful in building strong, close bonds between parents and children. Through play we join our kids in their world. We help them express and understand deep emotions, foster connection, aid the process of emotional healing–and have a great time ourselves while we’re at it. Anyone can be a playful parent–all it takes is a sense of adventure and a willingness to let down your guard and try something new. After identifying why it can be hard for adults to play, Dr. Cohen discusses how to get down on the floor and join children on their own terms. He covers games, activities, and playful interactions that parents can enjoy with children of all ages, whether it’s gazing deep into a baby’s eyes, playing chase with a toddler, fantasy play with a grade schooler, or reducing a totally cool teenager to helpless laughter. Playful Parenting also includes illuminating chapters on how to use play to build a child’s confidence and self-esteem, how to play through sibling rivalry, and how play can become a part of loving discipline. Written with love and humor, brimming with good advice and revealing anecdotes, and grounded in the latest research, Playful Parenting will make you laugh even as it makes you wise in the ways of being a happy, effective, enthusiastic parent.
27. Between Parent and Child
by: Haim G. Ginott Release date: Jan 01, 2003 Number of Pages: 231 Find in Library Read Review Google Preview |
A revised edition of the child development classic offers advice to a current generation of parents on how to develop empathetic yet disciplined child rearing skills that place an emphasis on good communication and avoid negative reinforcements. Reprint.
28. The New Father: A Dad’s Guide to the First Year (Third Edition) (The New Father)
by: Armin A. Brott Release date: Sep 03, 2013 Number of Pages: 336 Find in Library Read Review Google Preview |
An indispensable handbook on all aspects of fatherhood during the first 12 months, by the author of The Expectant Father. The essential handbook for all things first-year father is now fully updated and revised. Not only will new dads get a month-by-month guide to their baby’s development, men reading The New Father will learn how they change, grow, and develop over the first twelve months of fatherhood. In each chapter, Brott focuses on What’s Going On with the Baby; What You’re Going Through; What’s Going On with Your Partner; You and Your Baby; Family Matters; and more. The latest research, as well as time-honored wisdom–and humor, thanks to New Yorker cartoons and Brott’s light touch–make The New Father indispensible for the modern father who doesn’t want to miss a moment of his child’s first year. What’s new? ? How technology is changing fatherhood ? Changing definitions of fatherhood ? Changes in the way society deals with dads?from changing tables in public men’s rooms to workplace flexibility ? Research proving that a father’s love is just as important as a mother’s ? How being an involved dad rewires a man’s brain ? How changes in women’s roles in the family affect dads and their roles ? Special concerns for: young dads, older dads, at-home dads, unmarried dads, dads in same-sex couples, dads in blended families, dads of kids with special needs, and men who became dads with the help of technology ? The special impact dads have on girls and boys ? Specific strategies dads can use to get?and stay?involved in their children’s lives ? Updated resources for new fathers Not to mention new research and information on: ? How to understand what your baby is telling you ? Babies’ amazing abilities ? Baby massage–they love it! ? The latest on vaccinations and healthcare ? And much, much more
29. Positive Discipline
by: Jane Nelsen Release date: Jan 01, 1996 Number of Pages: 258 Find in Library Read Review Google Preview |
Explains why children misbehave; discusses class and family meetings, mutual respect, and responsibility; and tells how parents and teachers can be more understanding and supportive
30. The Happiest Toddler on the Block
by: Harvey Karp, Paula Spencer Release date: Jan 01, 2004 Number of Pages: 312 Find in Library Read Review Google Preview |
The pediatrician-author of The Happiest Baby on the Block offers parents a groundbreaking new approach for dealing with toddlers, drawing a parallel between a child’s development and humankind’s journey to civilization and presenting specific behavioral techniques designed to enhance parent-child communication, alleviate tantrums, and increase positive relationships.
31. 1-2-3 Magic
by: Thomas W. Phelan Release date: Jan 01, 2003 Number of Pages: 212 Find in Library Read Review Google Preview |
Designed to help parents to take charge of their home, offers tips on how to recognize six types of testing and manipulating behavior and how to constructively handle misbehavior at home and in public.
32. Last Child in the Woods
by: Richard Louv Release date: Apr 22, 2008 Number of Pages: 416 Find in Library Read Review Google Preview |
The Book That Launched an International Movement “An absolute must-read for parents.” —The Boston Globe “It rivals Rachel Carson’s Silent Spring.” —The Cincinnati Enquirer “I like to play indoors better ’cause that’s where all the electrical outlets are,” reports a fourth grader. But it’s not only computers, television, and video games that are keeping kids inside. It’s also their parents’ fears of traffic, strangers, Lyme disease, and West Nile virus; their schools’ emphasis on more and more homework; their structured schedules; and their lack of access to natural areas. Local governments, neighborhood associations, and even organizations devoted to the outdoors are placing legal and regulatory constraints on many wild spaces, sometimes making natural play a crime. As children’s connections to nature diminish and the social, psychological, and spiritual implications become apparent, new research shows that nature can offer powerful therapy for such maladies as depression, obesity, and attention deficit disorder. Environment-based education dramatically improves standardized test scores and grade-point averages and develops skills in problem solving, critical thinking, and decision making. Anecdotal evidence strongly suggests that childhood experiences in nature stimulate creativity. In Last Child in the Woods, Louv talks with parents, children, teachers, scientists, religious leaders, child-development researchers, and environmentalists who recognize the threat and offer solutions. Louv shows us an alternative future, one in which parents help their kids experience the natural world more deeply—and find the joy of family connectedness in the process. Now includes A Field Guide with 100 Practical Actions We Can Take Discussion Points for Book Groups, Classrooms, and Communities Additional Notes by the Author New and Updated Research from the U.S. and Abroad Richard Louv’s new book, Our Wild Calling, is available now.
33. It’s OK Not to Share and Other Renegade Rules for Raising Competent and Compassionate Kids
by: Heather Shumaker Release date: Jan 01, 2012 Number of Pages: 378 Find in Library Read Review Google Preview |
Documents the author’s discoveries gleaned while raising her children to be self-sufficient and kind, challenging popular views on such topics as toys associated with violence, gender biases, and coloring outside the lines.
34. The Five Love Languages
by: Gary Chapman Release date: Jun 30, 2016 Number of Pages: 312 Find in Library Read Review Google Preview |
In The 5 Love Languages, you will discover the secret that has transformed millions of relationships worldwide. Whether your relationship is flourishing or failing, Dr. Gary Chapman s proven approach to showing and receiving love will help you experience deeper and richer levels of intimacy with your partner starting today.
35. Positive Parenting
by: Rebecca Eanes Release date: Jun 07, 2016 Number of Pages: 208 Find in Library Read Review Google Preview |
“This is a must-read for every family that yearns to create peace and harmony.” –Shefali Tsabary, Ph.D., New York Times bestselling author of The Conscious Parent Tired of yelling and nagging? True family connection is possible–and this essential guide shows us how. Popular parenting blogger Rebecca Eanes believes that parenting advice should be about more than just getting kids to behave. Struggling to maintain a meaningful connection with her two little ones and frustrated by the lack of emotionally aware books for parents, she began to share her own insights with readers online. Her following has grown into a thriving community–hundreds of thousands strong. In this eagerly anticipated guide, Eanes shares her hard-won wisdom for overcoming limiting thought patterns and recognizing emotional triggers, as well as advice for connecting with kids at each stage, from infancy to adolescence. This heartfelt, insightful advice comes not from an “expert,” but from a learning, evolving parent. Filled with practical, solution-oriented advice, this is an empowering guide for any parent who longs to end the yelling, power struggles, and downward spiral of acting out, punishment, resentment, and shame–and instead foster an emotional connection that helps kids learn self-discipline, feel confident, and create lasting, loving bonds.
36. The Opposite of Spoiled
by: Ron Lieber Release date: Feb 03, 2015 Number of Pages: 256 Find in Library Read Review Google Preview |
In the spirit of Wendy Mogel’s The Blessing of a Skinned Knee and Po Bronson and Ashley Merryman’s Nurture Shock, New York Times “Your Money” columnist Ron Lieber delivers a taboo-shattering manifesto that explains how talking openly to children about money can help parents raise modest, patient, grounded young adults who are financially wise beyond their years. For Ron Lieber, a personal finance columnist and father, good parenting means talking about money with our kids. Children are hyper-aware of money, and they have scores of questions about its nuances. But when parents shy away from the topic, they lose a tremendous opportunity—not just to model the basic financial behaviors that are increasingly important for young adults but also to imprint lessons about what the family truly values. Written in a warm, accessible voice, grounded in real-world experience and stories from families with a range of incomes, The Opposite of Spoiled is both a practical guidebook and a values-based philosophy. The foundation of the book is a detailed blueprint for the best ways to handle the basics: the tooth fairy, allowance, chores, charity, saving, birthdays, holidays, cell phones, checking accounts, clothing, cars, part-time jobs, and college tuition. It identifies a set of traits and virtues that embody the opposite of spoiled, and shares how to embrace the topic of money to help parents raise kids who are more generous and less materialistic. But The Opposite of Spoiled is also a promise to our kids that we will make them better with money than we are. It is for all of the parents who know that honest conversations about money with their curious children can help them become more patient and prudent, but who don’t know how and when to start.
37. How to Raise Successful People
by: Esther Wojcicki Release date: May 07, 2019 Number of Pages: 336 Find in Library Read Review Google Preview |
The Godmother of Silicon Valley, legendary teacher, and mother of a Super Family shares her tried-and-tested methods for raising happy, healthy, successful children using Trust, Respect, Independence, Collaboration, and Kindness: TRICK. Esther Wojcicki–“Woj” to her many friends and admirers–is famous for three things: teaching a high school class that has changed the lives of thousands of kids, inspiring Silicon Valley legends like Steve Jobs, and raising three daughters who have each become famously successful. What do these three accomplishments have in common? They’re the result of TRICK, Woj’s secret to raising successful people: Trust, Respect, Independence, Collaboration, and Kindness. Simple lessons, but the results are radical. Wojcicki’s methods are the opposite of helicopter parenting. As we face an epidemic of parental anxiety, Woj is here to say: relax. Talk to infants as if they are adults. Allow teenagers to pick projects that relate to the real world and their own passions, and let them figure out how to complete them. Above all, let your child lead. How to Raise Successful People offers essential lessons for raising, educating, and managing people to their highest potential. Change your parenting, change the world.
38. The Attachment Parenting Book
by: William Sears, Martha Sears Release date: Sep 01, 2001 Number of Pages: 192 Find in Library Read Review Google Preview |
America’s foremost baby and childcare experts, William Sears M.D. and Martha Sears, R.N., explain the benefits — for both you and your child — of connecting with your baby early. Would you and your baby both sleep better if you shared a bed? How old is too old for breastfeeding? What is a father’s role in nurturing a newborn? How does early attachment foster a child’s eventual independence? Dr. Bill and Martha Sears — the doctor-and-nurse, husband-and-wife team who coined the term “attachment parenting” — answer these and many more questions in this practical, inspiring guide. Attachment parenting is a style of parenting that encourages a strong early attachment, and advocates parental responsiveness to babies’ dependency needs. The Attachment Parenting Book clearly explains the six “Baby B’s” that form the basis of this popular parenting style: Bonding, Breastfeeding, Babywearing, Bedding close to baby, Belief in the language value of baby’s cry, and Beware of baby trainers. Here’s all the information you need to achieve your most important goals as a new parent: to know your child, to help your child feel right, and to enjoy parenting.
39. The Baby Book
by: William Sears, Martha Sears, Robert Sears, James Sears Release date: Nov 16, 2008 Number of Pages: 704 Find in Library Read Review Google Preview |
The classic guide of the post-Dr. Spock generation has been revised to include the latest information on virtually every aspect of infant and baby care. THE BABY BOOK is unrivaled in its scope and authority, and presents a practical, contemporary approach to parenting that reflects the way we live today. Focusing on the essential needs of babies–eating, sleeping, development, health, and comfort–it addresses the questions of greatest concern to parents. The Searses acknowledge that there is no one way to parent a baby, and they offer the basic guidance and inspiration you need to develop the parenting style that best suits you and your child. THE BABY BOOK is a rich and invaluable resource that will help you get the most out of parenting–for your child, for yourself, and for your entire family.
40. Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother
by: Amy Chua Release date: Jan 11, 2011 Number of Pages: 256 Find in Library Read Review Google Preview |
“[E]ntertaining, bracingly honest and, yes, thought-provoking.”—The New York Times Book Review At once provocative and laugh-out-loud funny, Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother ignited a global parenting debate with its story of one mother’s journey in strict parenting. Amy Chua argues that Western parenting tries to respect and nurture children’s individuality, while Chinese parents typically believe that arming children with skills, strong work habits, and inner confidence prepares them best for the future. Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother chronicles Chua’s iron-willed decision to raise her daughters, Sophia and Lulu, the Chinese way – and the remarkable, sometimes heartbreaking results her choice inspires. Achingly honest and profoundly challenging, Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother is one of the most talked-about books of our times. “Few have the guts to parent in public. Amy [Chua]’s memoir is brutally honest, and her willingness to share her struggles is a gift. Whether or not you agree with her priorities and approach, she should be applauded for raising these issues with a thoughtful, humorous and authentic voice.” —Time Magazine “[A] riveting read… Chua’s story is far more complicated and interesting than what you’ve heard to date — and well worth picking up… I guarantee that if you read the book, there’ll undoubtedly be places where you’ll cringe in recognition, and others where you’ll tear up in empathy.” —San Francisco Chronicle “Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother hit the parenting hot button, but also a lot more, including people’s complicated feelings about ambition, intellectualism, high culture, the Ivy League, strong women and America’s standing in a world where China is ascendant. Chua’s conviction that hard work leads to inner confidence is a resonant one.”—Chicago Tribune “Readers will alternately gasp at and empathize with Chua’s struggles and aspirations, all the while enjoying her writing, which, like her kid-rearing philosophy, is brisk, lively and no-holds-barred. This memoir raises intriguing, sometimes uncomfortable questions about love, pride, ambition, achievement and self-worth that will resonate among success-obsessed parents… Readers of all stripes will respond to [Battle Hymn of the] Tiger Mother.”—The Washington Post
41. The Blessing Of A Skinned Knee
by: Wendy Mogel Release date: Dec 02, 2008 Number of Pages: 304 Find in Library Read Review Google Preview |
Provides parents with advice on using Jewish teachings from the Torah and Talmud to overcome struggles with raising children, nurture strengths and uniqueness, and encourage respectfulness towards their parents and others.
42. Elevating Child Care: A Guide to Respectful Parenting
by: Janet Lansbury Release date: May 01, 2014 Number of Pages: 150 Find in Library Read Review Google Preview |
Janet Lansbury’s advice on respectful parenting is quoted and shared by millions of readers worldwide. Inspired by the pioneering parenting philosophy of her friend and mentor, Magda Gerber, Janet’s influential voice encourages parents and child care professionals to perceive babies as unique, capable human beings with natural abilities to learn without being taught; to develop motor and cognitive skills; communicate; face age appropriate struggles; initiate and direct independent play for extended periods; and much more. Once we are able to view our children in this light, even the most common daily parenting experiences become stimulating opportunities to learn, discover, and to connect with our child. “Elevating Child Care” is a collection of 30 popular and widely read articles from Janet’s website that focus on some of the most common infant/toddler issues: eating, sleeping, diaper changes, communication, separation, focus and attention span, creativity, boundaries, and more. Eschewing the quick-fix ‘tips and tricks’ of popular parenting culture, Janet’s insightful philosophy lays the foundation for a closer, more fulfilling parent/child relationship, and children who grow up to be authentic, confident, successful adults.
43. There’s No Such Thing as Bad Weather
by: Linda Åkeson McGurk Release date: Oct 03, 2017 Number of Pages: 304 Find in Library Read Review Google Preview |
Bringing Up Bébé meets Last Child in the Woods in this “fascinating exploration of the importance of the outdoors to childhood development” (Kirkus Reviews) from a Swedish-American mother who sets out to discover if the nature-centric parenting philosophy of her native Scandinavia holds the key to healthier, happier lives for her American children. Could the Scandinavian philosophy of “There’s no such thing as bad weather, only bad clothes” hold the key to happier, healthier lives for American children? When Swedish-born Linda Åkeson McGurk moved to Indiana, she quickly learned that the nature-centric parenting philosophies of her native Scandinavia were not the norm. In Sweden, children play outdoors year-round, regardless of the weather, and letting babies nap outside in freezing temperatures is common and recommended by physicians. Preschoolers spend their days climbing trees, catching frogs, and learning to compost, and environmental education is a key part of the public-school curriculum. In the US, McGurk found the playgrounds deserted, and preschoolers were getting drilled on academics with little time for free play in nature. And when a swimming outing at a nearby creek ended with a fine from a park officer, McGurk realized that the parenting philosophies of her native country and her adopted homeland were worlds apart. Struggling to decide what was best for her family, McGurk embarked on a six-month journey to Sweden with her two daughters to see how their lives would change in a place where spending time in nature is considered essential to a good childhood. Insightful and lively, There’s No Such Thing as Bad Weather is a fascinating personal narrative that illustrates how Scandinavian culture could hold the key to raising healthy, resilient, and confident children in America.
44. The Montessori Toddler
by: Simone Davies Release date: Mar 19, 2019 Number of Pages: 240 Find in Library Read Review Google Preview |
Turn your home into a Montessori home—and become a more mindful, attentive, and easygoing parent. It’s time to change the way we see toddlers. Using the principles developed by the educator Dr. Maria Montessori, Simone Davies shows how to turn life with a “terrible two” into a mutually rich and rewarding time of curiosity, learning, respect, and discovery. With hundreds of practical ideas for every aspect of living with a toddler, here are five principles for feeding your child’s natural curiosity, from “Trust in the child” to “Fostering a sense of wonder.” Step-by-step ways to cultivate daily routines with ease, like brushing teeth, toilet-training, dealing with siblings, losing the pacifier. Plus learn how to: Stay composed when your toddler is not and set limits with love and respect—without resorting to bribes or punishment Set up your home and get rid of the chaos Create Montessori activities that are just right for your one-to-three-year-old Raise an inquisitive learner who loves exploring the world around them See the world through your toddler’s eyes and be surprised and delighted by their perspective Be your child’s guide—and truly celebrate every stage
45. The Gardener and the Carpenter
by: Alison Gopnik Release date: Aug 09, 2016 Number of Pages: 320 Find in Library Read Review Google Preview |
One of the world’s leading child psychologists shatters the myth of “good parenting” Caring deeply about our children is part of what makes us human. Yet the thing we call “parenting” is a surprisingly new invention. In the past thirty years, the concept of parenting and the multibillion dollar industry surrounding it have transformed child care into obsessive, controlling, and goal-oriented labor intended to create a particular kind of child and therefore a particular kind of adult. In The Gardener and the Carpenter, the pioneering developmental psychologist and philosopher Alison Gopnik argues that the familiar twenty-first-century picture of parents and children is profoundly wrong–it’s not just based on bad science, it’s bad for kids and parents, too. Drawing on the study of human evolution and her own cutting-edge scientific research into how children learn, Gopnik shows that although caring for children is profoundly important, it is not a matter of shaping them to turn out a particular way. Children are designed to be messy and unpredictable, playful and imaginative, and to be very different both from their parents and from each other. The variability and flexibility of childhood lets them innovate, create, and survive in an unpredictable world. “Parenting” won’t make children learn—but caring parents let children learn by creating a secure, loving environment.
46. Expecting Better
by: Emily Oster Release date: Aug 20, 2013 Number of Pages: 336 Find in Library Read Review Google Preview |
“Emily Oster is the non-judgmental girlfriend holding our hand and guiding us through pregnancy and motherhood. She has done the work to get us the hard facts in a soft, understandable way.” —Amy Schumer *Fully Revised and Updated for 2021* What to Expect When You’re Expecting meets Freakonomics: an award-winning economist disproves standard recommendations about pregnancy to empower women while they’re expecting. From the author of Cribsheet, a data-driven decision making guide to the early years of parenting Pregnancy—unquestionably one of the most profound, meaningful experiences of adulthood—can reduce otherwise intelligent women to, well, babies. Pregnant women are told to avoid cold cuts, sushi, alcohol, and coffee without ever being told why these are forbidden. Rules for prenatal testing are similarly unexplained. Moms-to-be desperately want a resource that empowers them to make their own right choices. When award-winning economist Emily Oster was a mom-to-be herself, she evaluated the data behind the accepted rules of pregnancy, and discovered that most are often misguided and some are just flat-out wrong. Debunking myths and explaining everything from the real effects of caffeine to the surprising dangers of gardening, Expecting Better is the book for every pregnant woman who wants to enjoy a healthy and relaxed pregnancy—and the occasional glass of wine.
47. The Positive Parenting Workbook
by: Rebecca Eanes Release date: Jan 01, 2018 Number of Pages: 176 Find in Library Read Review Google Preview |
From a popular parenting blogger and the author of Positive Parenting, an interactive guide for any parent who wants to foster emotional connection in place of yelling, nagging, and power struggles With more than one million Facebook followers for her Positive Parenting online community, Rebecca Eanes has become a trusted voice among parents who are looking for a better way — hoping to dial down the drama, frustration, stress and resentment that’s all too common in our hectic times. This inspiring and inviting guide walks readers through the process of charting a new path, toward greater emotional awareness, clear communication, and even joyful moments in parenting (remember those?). Filled with encouraging prompts and plenty of room to record your progress, this is a much-needed addition to the positive parenting shelf — and a companion to some of the most popular parenting guides on the market.
Last updated on October 16, 2021