This is one of my all-time favorite subjects. As a lactation consultant, I get to see a lot of families begin their parenting journeys.
Mad props to Shannon for tempering her recommendations so graciously. The biggest mistake I've seen parents make is in not being discerning about what they read. I'm concerned when parents take one author's advice and throw out not just other valid opinions, but the Scriptures and even their own common sense.
My first recommendation would be to begin, if they haven't already, meeting with God on a daily basis and committing large portions of Scripture to memory. Those memorized passages have been my most effective parenting tool over these nearly 16 (choke! gasp!) years. So the book I recommend for that is
Living by the Book by Howard Hendricks and William Hendricks.
It is a manual for analyzing God's Word and ingraining it into every thought process.
For parenting and discipline strategies, in addition to the wonderful titles listed here, please consider any of the books authored by Scott Turansky and Joanne Miller of Effective Parenting. The titles alone are intriguing:
Say Goodbye to Whining, Complaining and Bad Attitudes...In You and Your Kids
Good and Angry: Exchanging Frustration for Character...In You and Your Kids, and
Parenting is Heart Work, to name a few.
I have to say, about these particular books, that they have been the most helpful "strategic" books we've read. We have four kids, and two of them have disabilities. These books have taught me HOW to apply Biblical truth, goals, ideals and discipleship to the everyday situations in our home. Right now we have a teen, a 'tween, a 7-year-old and a toddler. I can't tell you how important I feel like these books have been in our family's life.
During pregnancy, consider reading through
The Happiest Baby on the Block by Harvey Karp, MD.
Then browse all of the titles by William Sears, MD. I've read them all, and they are very practical. You'll find many of them in the library.
Planning to breastfeed? Any book by Jack Newman, MD will be very helpful. You'll want your own copy of
The Nursing Mother's Companion by Kathleen Huggins, as well.
I'm consumed with the desire to see parents (moms in particular) disciple their children to the Lord from a tender age, and I'm so grateful to Shannon for starting this discussion on her blog. Now go on over there for tons more encouraging suggestions!
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6 comments:
Thanks for all the wonderful suggestions. I'm always looking for something to make this parenting thing easier...or at least more successful. :-)
I'm all about not reinventing the wheel. If someone else has already walked this road and has something to share, I'm ready and willing to receive.
Thank you for the recognition of our book! I think you may really like the DVD... it is endorsed by La Leche League and Attachment Parenting International and is a great supplement for those parents too tired to read.
-The Happiest Baby Team
Thanks for helping me celebrate my Blogiversary, and Happy belated Birthday to you!
Feel free to visit again anytime. :-)
Several of those books are my all-time favorites too! Thanks for all the suggestions, I love to see what others recommend.
Hi. I found your site from a link on Restoring the Years (who, by the way, I also don't know. I'm real big on making people I don't know be friends with me :P). Love, love, love your site. It's so good to *hear* somebody say y'all again! I hope you don't mind me stopping back in.
I have read a few of the books you recommended. I will definitely check out the others. I have a feeling I'm gonna need all the help I can get.
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