The ability to be able to read is a power that no one can take away from you. It gives you an advantage that some may never get the chance to learn. When becoming a parent and you are trying to learn as much as possible it is important not to waste your time. You end up searching for the best books to help get you through the tough times. Some you may come across give you their story, but if you can’t relate and better yourself you may be wasting your time.

I have read several 100 parenting books since 2015 and thought I would share the ones that impact me the most of the ones I can remember. There are really not many that I would recommend which I am surprised, but like I said these are the ones I remember.

Pregnancy and Infant Books:

• Mayo Clinic Guide to a Healthy Pregnancy by Mayo Clinic – It includes information on everything from healthy lifestyle habits to the latest technologies in prenatal care and childbirth. Features include week-by-week updates on baby’s growth, as well as, month-by-month changes that mom can expect. In addition, a 40-week pregnancy calendar, an overview of common pregnancy symptoms, and information on safe medicine use, It provides tools to help parents with important pregnancy decisions and general caregiving advice.

There are other books, but they go into way to much detail of if this or that could happen that it would cause you to get a little paranoid. If you want that type so you are well aware of every little thing then I would recommend the What to Expect the First Year by Heidi Murkoff. People rave about it and if you want to know every little detail this would be the book for you.

 Raising Toddlers Books:

• The Whole-Brain Child: 12 Revolutionary Strategies to Nurture Your Child by Daniel J. Siegel and Tina Payne Bryson – By understanding what’s happening in your child’s brain, Dr. Siegel and Dr. Bryson give you strategies that work with your child’s brain instead of against it. By implementing these 12 strategies, you’ll help foster healthy brain development which leads to calmer, happier children.
• Oh Crap! I have a Toddler: Tackling these Crazy Awesome Years by Gallery Books – Social worker Jamie Glowacki helps parents work through the five essential components of raising toddlers.: Engaging the toddler’s mind, working with the toddler’s body, understanding and dealing with toddler behavior, creating a good toddler environment, and you the parent. It brings real childhood back from over-scheduled, over-stimulated, helicopter parenting. With her signature friend-to-friend advice, Jamie is here to help you experience the joy of parenting again.
• The Gardener and The Carpenter by Alison Gopnik – She argues that the 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, unpredictable, playful, and imaginative.
• Strong Mothers, Strong Sons: Lessons Mothers Need to Raise Extraordinary Men by Meg Meeker – Boys today face unique challenges and pressures, and the burden on mothers to guide their boys through them can feel overwhelming. This empowering book offers a road map to help mothers find the strength and confidence to raise extraordinary sons by providing encouragement, education, and practical advice.

Potty Training Books:

• Oh Crap! Potty Training by Gallery Books – I have to say the best potty training book I have ever had the opportunity of reading. Her no-nonsense approach to potty training is effective and informative, humorous and heartfelt. Jamie is a mama and social worker who has been in the same situation. She has helped thousands of parents on success in the bathroom.

Relationship and Marriage after Children Books:

• A Love Letter Life: Pursue Creatively. Date Intentionally. Love Faithfully by Jeremy and Audrey Roloff – tells a passionate and persevering story of relatable struggles, hard-learned lessons, practical tips, and devout commitment. They encourage you to stop settling, offer perspectives on differences in dating, and tackle tough topics like purity. They give their nine rules for fighting well, suggest fun ideas for connection in a world of technology, and provide advice on how to pursue a love story.
• For Better or for Kids: A Vow to Love Your Spouse with Kids in the House by Ruth Schwenk and Patrick Schwenk – is about remembering that even when you feel worn out, over-extended, and neglected, you promised to be a team. Marriage with kids may not always be what we expected, but it is good. We need to make a vow to love our spouse with kids in the house.
• How Not to Hate Your Husband After Kids by Jancee Dunn – This book I related to and often laughed out loud. – A hilariously candid account of one woman’s quest to bring her post-baby marriage back from the brink, with life-changing, real-world advice.

Cost of purchasing books:

I want to touch on the costs of trying to obtain these books or any book. If you have a local library I would recommend reserving a copy. This way if these books didn’t touch you as much as me you didn’t waste any money. Finances are always considered when building a family as there will be added costs.

In conclusion, I have realized that parenting, learning, and reading is never-ending. It doesn’t end when your child is 18-years-old. It is a lifetime of teaching our next generation to be the best they can be to be able to reach their dreams.

If you are a parent I would love your thoughts so please comment below! What books you have enjoyed during the parenting process?

Sincerely,