BOOKS FOR YOUR PARENTING JOURNEY


Recently I have been asked by some parents, as to what
books on parenting I recommend reading.  So, I started  thinking about it and rather than just give a list of books, and there is quite an extensive list of parenting books, I wanted to share that there is no right book.  I'll admit I've read many of them and I still find parenting, both the most challenging and most rewarding experience in my life. Growing together, building a relationship is a journey that will be different for each family.  That is why I agree with Brene Brown that there is no such thing as “a parenting expert”.  My first recommendation is Brene Brown’s book “The Gifts of Imperfect Parenting”.  You can also get it on audio.  I got mine from my local library and I listened to it while cleaning, doing laundry and cooking.  It's not always easy to find quiet time with a book, so that worked out great for me.  I loved this book because I felt her right there with me, understanding the struggles I experience when I feel like a failure or when it feels like I just don’t have the answer.  I felt validated and understood and mostly encouraged.  All the things I think you need to keep going and moving forward.  Parenting, I believe, is very much an internal journey as much as it is the journey you take with your family.  If you are growing along with your kids, you want to better understand yourself, in order to better understand your child.  “Daring Greatly” and “I Thought It Was Just Me” are both great books, also by Brene Brown (I do love all her books, sorry I am a bit biased, she is my modern day Adler).  I also personally enjoyed the book by Shonda Rhymes, “The Year Of Saying Yes”. Myself as well as several of my friends and family also enjoyed the book by Mark Manson “The Subtle Art Of Not Giving A F*ck” .  The book “What Life Could Mean To You “ by Alfred Adler is a very good introspective book.  Other books by Adler are “Superiority And Social Interest” and “Understanding Human Nature”.  If you can get a good understanding of the Inferiority/Superiority Complex and our ongoing internal struggle for equality, or in Brene Brown’s words our struggle for worthiness, then you really start getting a grip on how to tackle those personal challenges. The ones that trip us up in our most important relationships with our significant others.  Since parenting does not happen in a vacuum but rather in a social and cultural arena I think reading “The Sin Of Obedience” by the Beechers really helped me understand how a whole system can become unhealthy and how making any changes has to be systemic.   Also Rudolph Dreikurs Book “Discipline Without Tears" and Raising A Responsible Child" by Don Dinkmeyer.  A recent favorite of mine is " The Cooperative Family" by Calvin Armerding.  He spoke recently at one of our school's Family Ed. and he rocks.  Enjoy your reading journey and share what you’ve learned along the way, with us at our next Family Ed Workshop.

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