Books Every Parent Should Read

All things come into our possession with an instruction. Even a simple toy. More complex things go with a thick manual. But when a child arrives into our life, most people are equipped with very little information. Most new parents follow their intuition and there is no training, except for some guidance from parents’ preparation class, nurses, doctors and their own parents, relatives and friends.

Unfortunately, not always is it possible to receive qualified and competent advice in your surrounding. That’s when good books come to rescue.

My journey to conscious parenting started, as it often happens, accidentally. On the King’s Day, when Dutch cities and villages turn into huge garage sales, we were browsing the streets in amusement and search for something for ourselves. Suddenly I noticed a stall full of parenting books and got stuck around them for the next half an hour for sure, during which the mother, who was selling these treasures, was patiently giving me brief reviews of the books and helping to choose the right ones for me, meanwhile managing her two small kids who were selling their self baked muffins and playing when no customers were around. I bought 3 books from her and got to them as soon as we came home. These books revealed a whole new world for me and left me hungry for more information. And after 2 years I regret not having bought all of them from her.

So here we go with the list of marvellous books for responsible parents who want a better future for their kids and a better present for the whole family. All the listing have been hand-picked from a wide variety of books on offer out there, thought through and their advice implemented, where possible, in my own family.

The list will grow as we discover new treasures, but even one single book will bring positive changes to your home. So, switch off the TV, put away your phone, invest in your child’s future while you can. Because you can.

The Baby Book: Everything You Need to Know About Your Baby from Birth to Age Two by William and Martha Sears

Written by a paediatrician Dr Sears and his wife, a registered nurse, Martha, parents of 8 kids (talking about experience), this book is like a travel guide on a journey from giving birth to managing a throwing-tantrum-toddler. It touches lots of subjects, from attachment parenting to non-violence discipline, first aid and many more. A must-have for parents. A thick book but you have 2 years covered by it.

The Breastfeeding Book: Everything You Need to Know About Nursing Your Child from Birth Through Weaning by William and Martha Sears

As the title suggests, this book goes about such an important (and sometimes underestimated) topic as breastfeeding and all the aspects of it: latching, biting, weaning and not only. Martha breastfed quite a few babies (and toddlers) in various circumstances. These guys do have what to tell on this matter.

The Happiest Baby on the Block: The New Way to Calm Crying and Help Your Newborn Baby Sleep Longer by Dr. Harvey Karp

Written with wit and humour, this easy-to-read book gives you essential knowledge of how to stop your newborn from crying with 5 simple steps. These tricks do work, we’ve tested them and can confirm. The book is focused on the first three months of your child’s life (and you do need that knowledge to go through this challenging time, believe me) but the tricks work longer, depending on your child.

Brain Child: How Smart Parents Make Smart Kids by Tony Buzan

Tony Buzan, a creator of the mind maps, teaches how to help your child on their developmental journey and when to start this process (spoiler – before birth), he talks about how incredible the human mind is and how we use a tiny fraction of it. Succinct and to the point, with lots of tips and amazing examples, this is a great guide for thinking parents willing to raise thinking kids.

Raising Curious, Creative, Confident Kids: The Pestalozzi Experiment in Child-Based Education by Rebeca Wild

Wow! This amazing book is eye-opening regarding children’s development and education. It sheds light on many things I have never thought of. Reading it, I was often going back in my memory to my school days, recollecting with pain some of my experience and understanding that mine was way better than one of many others. This book made me more attentive to details in communication and observation of my child, it equipped me with knowledge and confidence in helping her on the way of her growing and development, it also helped me to better understand myself and the way I learn. It’s easy to read and I would say an absolute must for those who want to choose the right education for their child (at least, it will give you a different prospect on the education system).

Also, I encourage you to read about Montessori and other alternative educational approaches. There are lots of books and information on the internet on this topic, plus, different countries treat these alternative schools differently. Google it, inquire your friends and local schools, read, try methods which appeal to you, that might be exactly what your child needs.

I would love to hear comments on these books from other parents. How do you like these ideas? Have you found them helpful or do you disagree with the authors?

Also, which other books would You recommend?