Parenting Books to Get Through the First Year and Beyond

A lot of parenting books don’t sound all that interesting. And there are so many opinions about how one should raise a child that it’s hard to sift through all of the information available. Luckily, of the handful of parenting books I’ve read so far, I have enjoyed all of them. Some were gifts (Eat Your Peas, Retro Baby) and others I chose based on personal research or recommendations (Born Reading, The Wonder Weeks, The Good Mother Myth). These books are really suited for all parenting types. Whether you are hands-off or a fan of attachment parenting, authoritarian or permissive, crunchy or not, all of these titles should apply as skills, advice, or stories that anyone can use.

 

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Eat Your Peas, New Mom by Cheryl Karpen

This book is an absolutely perfect gift for a new mom. You can read it in one sitting and it’s full of encouragement. It reminds you why being a mother is so great, and I still cry when I reread it every so often.

 

 

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Retro Baby by Anne H. Zachry, Ph.D.

This is the book I didn’t really know I needed until it was gifted to me at my baby shower. Dr. Zachry highlights ways that some of the most popular baby gear is hurting development. She gives great alternative ideas for playing with baby to ensure optimum physical and mental growth.

 

 

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Born Reading by Jason Boog

Being a reader, I wanted to make sure I got it right with my daughter to help her become a reader also. After all, we only get one shot at a child’s early years, right? I enjoy reading about Jason Boog’s experiences with his own daughter and his recommendations for the best books for each age group (up to kindergarten). Boog closely follows AAP (American Academy of Pediatrics) guidance for technology, but for children age two and up, he suggests apps to accompany reading.

 

 

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The Wonder Weeks by Hetty van de Rijt, Ph.D., and Frans Plooij, Ph.D.
A friend recommended this book (and its accompanying mobile app). I purchased both, and I’m glad I did. The authors completed research to discover that babies and toddlers go through “sunny” and “stormy” phases during specific periods of time. If you’ve ever wondered why your baby is extra fussy for several weeks in a row, this book will explain it. It’s really neat because those turbulent stages lead to your baby learning many new things!

 

 

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The Good Mother Myth by Avital Norman Nathman

This is an excellent collection of essays about motherhood. The authors’ stories and experiences will leave you both laughing and crying. But the overarching theme of the book is that motherhood doesn’t have to look a certain way, and no one is going to get it right 100 percent of the time. It is a book worth picking up again and again whenever you start doubting yourself, as all mothers do.

REVIEW: Dear Mr. You by Mary-Louise Parker

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star-602148_1280star-602148_1280star-602148_1280 3/5 stars

A memoir that makes you want to tie up the loose ends with every man you’ve ever loved

Mary-Louise Parker’s debut release is a memoir of letters to men who have impacted her life. The letters are brief, yet contain an honesty and depth many writers never reach. Parker’s experiences with these men are diverse, and the relationships described are complicated and often marked by profound love or pain – or both.

Parker is an actress I admittedly am not familiar with, but I was drawn to the book because every woman has scars from men who have loved too intensely or cut too deeply. We are shaped by these encounters with male family, friends, lovers, and acquaintances, despite our best efforts not to be. Some portions of the letters poetically expressed abstract feelings beyond my understanding. But, as a reader, I came to understand those moments as maybe being written for Parker and her own journey of healing rather than for my own reading pleasure.

I gravitated toward letters she wrote to, and about, older men and family. We can all relate to her romantic ups and downs, but the tender and sentimental moments she shared with people like her rural neighbor and her adopted daughter’s uncle were the highlights of Dear Mr. You. My favorite letters, “Dear Daddy” and “Dear Oyster Picker,” described her father’s last days and reflected back on his life. I also appreciated Parker’s “Dear Orderly” recounting of her fierce unwillingness to let her newborn baby out of her sight at the hospital shortly after his birth. Perhaps I was most affected by these stories because of the shift within me that happened when I became a mother last year. Then again, I think I always would have favored those letters. I may never tire of reading about the love between parent or caretaker and child.

This is a book I wish I had written. Parker’s enduring love and admiration for some men and contempt for others made me realize how lucky I am to have had a life full of men who have made me the strong woman I am today. The stories in Dear Mr. You show us more about the woman than the men and that is beautiful. Both female and male readers will enjoy reading the book and reflecting on their value and influence on the opposite sex. Parker’s book makes you want to be more like the people she admires and right the wrongs with those you share hurt.

Release date: November 17, 2015 (Scribner)

Shelfies

Because of the title of my new blog, I thought it appropriate to post some shelfies!

I try not to let my shelves get too disheveled, but it does happen. Having a toddler who loves books makes it a challenge – at least for the shelves within her reach!

I took these photos without adjusting anything except to remove family photos for privacy.

Main bookshelf

I’ve read probably 75% of the titles on this shelf (from Target). It includes some Christian selections, leadership books, classics, memoirs and autobiographies, textbooks, yearbooks, and paperwork. The stack of books on the floor to the right of the bookshelf is my haul from our recent local library sale.

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Office bookshelf

I’ve only read a handful (probably less than 25%) of these. This is another shelf (also from Target) with a little bit of everything as far as genres are concerned.

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Guest bedroom

I figured guests may appreciate one or more of the following: a copy of the New Testament and Psalms, A Walk in the Woods by Bill Bryson, and a collection of The Best Poems of the English Language. The colors of these books also match the green theme of the room!

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Nightstand

There is a reason I am only showing the bottom half of my nightstand. The top is cluttered beyond belief and only keeps my current reads, which you can see in the Goodreads sidebar of this site. The bottom shelf is books I keep meaning to read sooner than later, but I’ve put them off for way too long (with the exception of Captivating and The Five Love Languages, which I’ve already read).

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TV stand

I have some matching classics on my TV stand for decorative purposes, but I do plan on reading them someday. Jane Eyre is askew thanks to my daughter!

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Daughter’s bookshelves

I love the Ikea shelves (also known as spice racks) that we put up in my daughter’s room. She has tons more books, but it’s fun to see some select bright, fun titles when you walk into the room. The bin below the shelves (under the pink sheep) mostly holds books she isn’t ready for yet, including books that once belonged to me and her grandmother!

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I hope you enjoyed this sneak peek into my collection of books. This doesn’t even include my digital shelves and the books hidden in the nooks and crannies of my house. But these are the shelves on display that I try to keep as tidy as I can!