Parenting Book Recommendations

Recent list from the Youth Consultants List Serve:

1, 2, 3 Magic series by Thomas Phalen (DVD is helpful)

13 Things Mentally Strong Parent Don’t Do by Amy Morin

All Joy and No Fun: The Paradox of Modern Parenthood/ Jennifer Senior

Baby 411

The Baby-Led Weaning Cookbook

Baby Toddler Play by Gymboree

Be the parent, please : stop banning seesaws and start banning Snapchat : strategies for solving the real parenting problems by Naomi Schaefer Riley

The big disconnect : protecting childhood and family relationships in the digital age by Catherine Adair-Stern

Brain Rules for Baby by Dr. Medina,

Brainstorm by Daniel Siegel 

The Bully, the Bullied and the Bystander by Barbara Coloroso

The Confident Parent: A Pediatrician’s Guide to Caring for Your Little One–Without Losing Your Joy, Your Mind, or Yourself/ Jane Scott

Cribsheet: A Data-Driven Guide to Better, More Relaxed Parenting, From Birth to Preschool by Emily Oster

Do Less: A Revolutionary Approach to Time and Energy Management for Busy Moms (2019) by Kate Northrup

Doing Life with your Adult Children: Keep Your Mouth Shut and Your Welcome Mat Out (2019) by Jim Burns, PhD

Earn It by Michael Wetter

Elevating Child Care by Janet Lansbury

Expecting Better: Why the Conventional Pregnancy Wisdom is Wrong—and What You Really Need to Know by Emily Oster

French Kids Eat Everything: How our family moved to France, cured picky eating, banned snacking, and discovered 10 simple rules for raising happy, healthy eaters (2012) by Karen Le Billon

Grab the Kids and Go: A Practical Guide to Your Family’s Gap Year (2017) by Taryn Ash 

Grumpy Mom Takes a Holiday: Say Good-bye to Stressed, Tired, and Anxious and Hello to Renewed Joy in Motherhood (2019) by Valerie Woerner

Happiest Toddler on the Block by Harvey Karp (DVD a must)

Have a New Kid by Friday by Kevin Leman

Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child

The Highly Sensitive Child by Elaine Aron

Hold On To Your Kids by Gordon Neufeld

Honey for a Child’s Heart by Gladys Hunt

How to Be a Happier Parent: Raising a Family, Having a Life, and Loving (Almost) Every Minute/ K.J. Dell’Antonia

How To Raise and Amazing Child the Montessori Way by Tim Seldin

How to talk so little kids will listen : a survival guide to life with children ages 2-7 by Joanna Faber & Julie King. How to talk so kids will listen & listen so kids will talk by Adele Faber.

Ignore It!: How Selectively Looking the Other Way Can Decrease Behavioral Problems and Increase Parenting Satisfaction/ Catherine Pearlman

Just Because it’s not Wrong Doesn’t Make it Right by Barbara Coloroso

Kids are Worth It by Barbara Coloroso

Last Child in the Woods: Saving Our Children from Nature Deficit Disorder (2008) by Richard Louv

A Little Bit of Dirt: 55 Science and Art Activities to Reconnect Children to Nature (2015) by Asia Citro

The Montessori Toddler: A Parent’s Guide to Raising a Curious and Responsible Human Being (2019) by Simone Davies

Motivation Breakthrough by Richard Lavoie

No Bad Kids by Janet Lansbury

No More Mean Girls by Katie Hurley

No : why kids — of all ages — need to hear it and ways parents can say it. David Walsh

Oh, Crap! Potty Training

The Opposite of Spoiled: Raising Kids Who are Grounded, Generous, and Smart About Money (2015) by Ron Lieber

The Orchid and the Dandelion: Why Some Children Struggle and How All Can Thrive by W. Thomas Boyce

Play, Make, Create: A Process Art Handbook (2019) by Meri Cherry


Play the Forest School Way (2016) by Jane Worroll

Playful Parenting by Lawrence Cohen

The Read-Aloud Handbook (2013) by Jim Trelease 

Rest, Play, Grow: Making Sense of Pre-schoolers by Deborah MacNamara.

The Science of Mom: A Research-Based Guide to Your Baby’s First Year by Alice Callahan

The Self-Driven Child by William Stixrud

Siblings Without Rivalry 

Simplicity Parenting by Kim Payne

Sleep Book for Tired Parents by Rebecca Huntley

Small Animals: Parenthood in the Age of Fear by Kim Brooks

Solve Your Child’s Sleep Problems

There’s No Such Thing as Bad Weather: A Scandinavian Mom’s Secrets for Raising Healthy, Resilient, and Confident Kids (from Friluftsliv to Hygge) (2017)  by Linda Akeson McGurk

Under Pressure by Lisa Damour

The Way of Boys by Anthony Rao

Weird Parenting Wins: Bathtub Dining, Family Screams, and Other Hacks from the Parenting Trenches/ Hillary Frank 

The Whole Brain by Daniel Siegel 

Wide Open World: How Volunteering Around the World Changed One Family’s Life Forever (2015) by John Marshall 

Wild Things: The Art of Nurturing Boys by Stephen James

A Year of Forest School by Jane Worroll

Yes Brain: How to Cultivate Courage, Curiosity, and Resilience in Your Child by Daniel Siegel

You Are Your Child’s First Teacher by Rahima Baldwin.

Recommended Authors:

Dan Siegel, Janet Lansbury, Dr. David Walsh, Barbara Coloroso

General Recommendations:

Potty training books and videos will fly off the shelf.

“Safe hearts” book series is through an independent publisher but tackles many tough topics. 

https://safehearts.damselindefense.net/storybooks/