My parenting bibles

So, I must preface this post by establishing the fact that I know I am a far from perfect parent. However, I have found some books that I feel are extremely helpful in my quest to guide my children through this life. I often wish that I could be more consistent and patient, but I just hope to be better every day than I was the day before.

That being said, here are the five books that have shaped my approach to parenting. (I know that five sounds like a lot, but they address different issues. Also, these are not the only books I have read on parenting. I have read many and these are definitely the ones that I felt were most helpful and effective.)

1) 1-2-3 Magic by Thomas W. Phelan. This is fabulous for discipline. It is helpful for both the parent and the child if implemented correctly. Even if you have an idea of what this method entails, I would suggest reading this book anyway to really understand how to do it correctly. I like the part about start behaviors (positive motivation) but I have found the next book more helpful in that arena.

2) The Power of Positive Parenting by Dr. Glenn I. Latham. I know, I know, you have to overlook the extremely dated picture on the front cover, but bear with me here. I have loved the ideas that I have read in here to encourage the behavior you want your children to adopt. There are some very practical ideas that let your children have choices and learn about consequences in a way that I really agree with.

3) Solve Your Child's Sleep Problems by Richard Ferber. This is the sleep bible in our family. It is wonderful. If you have heard of the Ferber Method and are wary of it, I would suggest reading this book before you decide how you really feel since most of the reports of what the Ferber Method is are not necessarily entirely accurate and often sound more cruel than it really is. This book is a fabulous referral for sleeping for small babies up through older children.

4) The Parenting Breakthrough by Merrilee Browne Boyack. I have mentioned this title briefly in the past. It is a wonderful way to teach your children to be independent and to know how to do very practical things like make a salad, shop for car insurance, and clean the bathroom. It breaks down tasks by the age they introduced them to her four boys and shows how she and her husband taught those boys to be independent by the time they were 18.

5) The Well-Trained Mind by Susan Wise Bauer and Jessie Wise. This is often used as a fundamental resource for homeschooling (and it is for sure what I would use if I were homeschooling my children) and I love it for the focus on how to teach your children to be critical thinkers. No matter how we choose to school our children, I will use this as a resource to guide my time at home with them.