We all know that parenting isn’t always rainbows, butterflies and nice long walks on the beach. However, there are a lot of different resources out there to help us through these tough times. BUT, the amount of books and information can get overwhelming. Which book is best? Does one get better reviews than others? Which method do I feel best about going forward with? Anyways – Don’t waste your time reading dozens and dozens of How to Parent books only to find half of them being a complete waste of time. I have put together a condensed list of extremely helpful books that cover a wide range of topics – guaranteed to be worth your time!
1. Hello, My Name is Mommy: The Dysfunctional Girl’s Guide to Having, Loving (and Hopefully Not Screwing Up) a Baby by Sheri Lynch – This is a great book for pregnant or new mommy’s! The best part about this book is that it doesn’t sugarcoat anything – it’s real, it’s honest and it’s hilarious!
2. The Wonder Weeks by Hetty van de Rijt,Ph. D. and Franz Plooij, Ph. D. – Wonder weeks is book that offers guidance through predicatable periods of developmental growth and regression during a child’s first 20 months of life. This book reassured me when my little one was going through periods of sleep regression, was super grumpy or if she was crying uncontrollably – that it was a period of development that was making her feel or act this way not something that I was missing. This was an incredibly practical and helpful book! There is also a Wonder Weeks app that I used and LOVED!
3. Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child by Marc Weissbluth, M.D. – Having a well-rested family is so important! This book helps prevent and solve sleep problems in children and helps parents create good sleep habits right off the bat. This is definitely a book that I wish I would have paid closer attention to sooner. This is a read that will benefit the whole family!
4. How to Raise An Amazing Child the Montessori Way by Tim Seldin – Of course I had to throw in a Montessori book! This book helps guide parents through a child’s intellectual and physical development from birth to six years old at home, based on the ideas of the Montessori philosophy. A great, easy read that is definitely worth your time!
5. No Bad Kids by Janet Lansbury – Janet is a RIE teacher that helps guide parents to practice respectful parenting with their children. The book is compiled of many of Janet’s articles that discuss common toddler struggles such as punishment, getting your child to listen, talking to your child, setting limits and temper tantrums. It is a practical book that offers SO much helpful advise for dealing with those wonderful, strong-willed toddler years! Definitely check this one out. One of my favorites for sure 🙂 If you are interested in more information on respectful parenting, I encourage you check out Janet’s blog here.
*Disclaimer* – I am not sponsored or receiving compensation in any way for endorsing these books. This is purely my own opinions that I have gathered through my early experiences of parenthood.
