Introduction to Parenting

I know I can’t have been the only parent of a newborn who found themselves wondering why the nurses had forgotten to send home the instruction manual with the baby.

I have learned, as most parents do, that such a manual does not exist. That doesn’t mean, though, that there aren’t books to read and listen to that can help make child-rearing seem less mystifying. I had some favorites back in my “new mom” days, and I’ve seen some newer titles that I would consider giving as gifts to new parents today.

This list features some of the tried-and-true titles that are still popular and highly thought of among inexperienced and expert parents alike. I’ve also added some more recent titles that are getting great feedback from today’s baby caregivers.

There is no one-size-fits-all solution to the issues that come with child rearing, and that’s why it’s good to sample the ideas of more than one author on the subject. By trying some of the classics, and some of the cutting-edge offerings on this list (and beyond), it’s possible to cobble together your own, personal “instruction manual”. This may just save you the headache of searching for the one they always forget to send along when you bring baby home!

— Lisa V. | Eiseley Branch Library | May 2020

Pregnancy to the Toddler Years…

Baby Sign Language Basics : Early Communication for Hearing Babies & Toddlers
by Monta Z. Briant (419.7 Bri) (2009/2018)

The Expectant Father
by Armin Brott (649.11 Bro and Hoopla and Overdrive Ebooks) (2001)

Weird Parenting Wins: Bathtub Dining, Family Screams, and Other Hacks From the Parenting Trenches
by Hillary Frank (Overdrive E-book) (2019)

The Minimalist Mom: How to Simply Parent Your Baby
by Rachel Jonat (649.122 Jon) (2016)

The Happiest Baby on the Block: The New Way to Calm Crying and Help Your Newborn Baby Sleep Longer
by Harvey Karp (649.122 Kar and Hoopla Audiobook and Overdrive Ebook) (2015)

Toddler Years and Beyond…

Parenting With Love and Logic: Teaching Children Responsibility
by Foster Cline (649.1 Cli and Overdrive Ebook) (1990 and 2006)

Invisible Toolbox: The Power of Reading to Your Child From Birth to Adolescence
by Kim Jocelyn Dickson (649.58 Dic and Hoopla Audiobook) (2020)

How to Talk So Little Kids Will Listen: A Survival Guide to Life With Children Ages 2-7
by Joanna Faber (649.123 Fab and Overdrive Ebook and Audiobooks) (2017)

The Gardener and the Carpenter: What the New Science of Child Development Tells Us About the Relationship Between Parents and Children
by Alison Gopnik (155.4 Gop) (2016)

The Swedish Way to Parent and Play: Advice for Raising Gender-Equal Kids
by Kristina Henkel (649.1 Hen) (2020)

How Toddlers Thrive: What Parents Can Do Today for Children Ages 2-5 to Plant the Seeds of Lifelong Success
by Tovah Klein (305.232 Kle) (2014)

The Honest Toddler: A Child’s Guide to Parenting
by Bunmi Laditan (649.122 Lad and Hoopla Audiobook) (2013)

Do Parents Matter? Why Japanese Babes Sleep Soundly, Mexican Siblings Don’t Fight, and American Parents Should Just Relax
by Robert Alan Levine (649.1 Lev) (2016)

Positive Discipline for Today’s Busy (and Overwhelmed) Parent
by Jane Nelsen (649.1 Nel) (2018 – updated from several previous books with similar titles)

1-2-3 Magic: Effective Discipline for Children 2-12
by Thomas Phelan (649.64 Phe and Overdrive Ebook) (2003 and 2016)

How to Raise an Amazing Child the Montessori Way
by Tim Seldin (649.1 Sel) (2006 and 2017)

No-Drama Discipline: The Whole-Brain Way to Calm the Chaos and Nurture Your Child’s Developing Mind
by Daniel J. Siegel (649.1 Sie and Overdrive Ebook and Audiobooks) (2014)

The Whole-Brain Child: 12 Revolutionary Strategies to Nurture Your Child’s Developing Mind
by Daniel J. Siegel (649.1 Sie and Overdrive Ebook) (2012)

The Science of Parenting: How Today’s Brain Research Can Help You Raise Happy, Emotionally Balanced Children
by Margot Sunderland (649.1 Sun) (2006 and 2016)

How to Raise Successful People: Simple Lessons for Radical Results
by Esther Wocjcicki (649.1 Woc and Hoopla Ebook) (2019)

The Teen Years…

Your Teenager is Not Crazy: Understanding Your Teen’s Brain Can Make You a Better Parent
by Jeramy Clark (248.845 Cla and Hoopla Ebook and Audiobooks) (2016)

Teenagers 101: What a Top Teacher Wishes You Knew About Helping Your Kid Succeed
by Rebecca Duerlein (305.235 Deu and Overdrive and Hoopla Ebooks) (2015)

The Available Parent: Expert Advice for Raising Successful and Resilient Teens and Tweens
by John Duffy (649.125 Duf and Hoopla Ebook and Audiobooks) (2014)

Parenting Teens With Love and Logic: Preparing Adolescents for Responsible Adulthood
by Jim Fay (649.125 Cli and Overdrive and Hoopla Ebooks) (2006)

Tricky Teens: How to Create a Great Relationship With Your Teen…Without Going Crazy
by Andrew Fuller (649.125 Ful) (2014)

Surviving Your Out-of-Control Teen
by Lisa Gay Nichols (Hoopla Ebook) (YEAR)

1-2-3 Magic Teen: Communicate, Connect and Guide Your Teen to Adulthood
by Thomas Phelan (649.125 Phe and Hoopla Ebook and Audiobooks) (2016)

Born to Be Wild: Why Teens Take Risks, and How We Can Help Keep Them Safe
by Jess P. Shatkin (6491.25 Sha) (2017)

The Grown-Up’s Guide to Teenage Humans: How to Decode Their Behavior, Develop Unshakeable Trust, and Raise a Respectable Adult
by Josh Shipp (649.125 Shi and Hoopla Ebook) (2017)

The Approximate Parent: Discovering the Strategies That Work With Your Teenager
by Michael Y. Simon (649.125 Sim) (2012)

You will find the majority of “parenting” books beginning in the 649.1 section of the Dewey Decimal non-fiction call numbers.