10. ?
9. ?
8. ?
7. The Well-Trained Mind by Jessie Wise and Susan Wise Brown
6. The GIANT Encyclopedia of themed activities for children two to five
5. Super Baby Food by Ruth Yarow
4. Beyond the Rainbow Bridge by Barbara Patterson
3. Seven Times the Sun by Shea Darin
2. Natural Family Living edited by Peggy O'Mara
1. The Baby Book by the Sears
Please share what you love. I have a *huge* pile of books, and no idea where to start!
__________________
Elizabeth
Mama to Annabelle who is making me feel ancient now that she's EIGHT!
Here's mine, I went with books beyond the traditional scope of parenting because I couldn't be the parent that I am without them, and I could hardly limit it to these 15!!:
1.Baby Book by Sears
2.Attachment Parenting by Katie Alison Granju
3.Womanly Art of Breastfeeding by LLL (I find this to be a good parenting resource for any breastfeeding mom)
4.Natural Parenting by Peggy O'Mara
5.Mittenstrings From God by (have to look up ? ) Not religious
6.Everyday Blessings -Mindful Parenting by Jon and Myla Kabat-Zin
7. Dumbing Us Down and The Underground History of American Education by John Taylor Gatto (Even if you do public school, I think these books are a must read. It gives an eye into the system, so you could be better prepared to work with or against it in your chilkd's best interests)
8.You Are Your Child's First Teacher by Rahima Baldwin (for any parent of a child under 6)
9. Circle Round by Starhawk, Anne Hill and Diane Baker and the CD that goes with it is beautiful!!! (For any parent wanting to raise kids with reverence to nature and the wheel of the year)
10. Celebrating the Earth Mother by (??) Similar to Circle Round at first glance, but totally goes in a different direction witht the activities so it's a must have.
11.The New The Way Things Work by David Macaulay helps me answer all those 3 year old questions!!
12.Seven Times the Sun, Sanctuaries of Childhood both by Shea Darian are great for verses and why to have rythym in your day.
13.Earthways a great craft book.
14.Natural Child by Jan Hunt (a bit repititious if you've read the others, but good.
15.History of the Untied States of America by Howard Zinn (helping me give my kids a more real history than I got)
So many books have given me inspiration from a paragraph
or cover to cover but these stand out for me
You Are Your Child's First Teacher
Your Child’s Self Esteem
Raising a Son
A couple Sears books
In Their Own Way
Teenage Liberation Handbook (more education than parenting)
Raising Emotionally Intelligent Teenagers
Everyday Blessings -Mindful Parenting
The Whole Parenting Guide
The two I keep going back to are "The Baby Whisperer" and "The Baby Whisperer for Toddlers" by Tracey Hogg. She uses such common sense and her EASY approach is what I have tried to follow with Will. I also have "Raising a Son", but have just started it.
Becoming the parent you want to be (an oldie but awesome book--written about 20 yrs ago)
Easy to Love, Difficult to Discipline (non-violent communication book)
Dr. Spock's baby and child care (hey i liked it--it constantly tells you to listen to your own instincts and i needed to be told that)
Stranger in a Strange Land (okay not a parenting book but it totally changed the way i looked at the world about a decade ago and started me off on a journey that made me the person i am today--if i had never read that book i'd probably be a much more mainstream parent)
Is there anyone else who cant stand Sear's books? I agree with the content (ap, slingin', bf'in, family bed, etc), but there's something about the way that they're written that just totally rubs me the wrong way.
Originally posted by HappyMama And can i just say puke to tracy hogg?
Why did you feel a need to add that to your post? You may not agree with my choices, and I may not agree with everyone else's lists, but I didn't think the post was about critiquing another's favorite parenting books.
Three In A Bed
Good Nights
The Baby Book
The Family Bed
Your Vital Child
The Continuum Concept
Attachment Parenting
How to Talk so Kids Will Listen and Listen So Kids will Talk
And my #1 fave:
Protecting the Gift by Gavin deBecker - a MUST-READ!
Yes, please no disparaging remarks about other books people love. We all walk different paths and no one is better than the other, IMO.
I have heard very good things about the Baby Whisperer for Toddlers book at Mothering.Com. Many AP Mamas have said it is wonderful and different doesn't talk about CIO.
Just to clarify my stance on tracey hogg-- She says that babies follow a natural rhythm in their days (true), but she also says that it's normal for babies to eat then play then sleep.
If you've ever nursed a baby until they're so sleepy that they look drunk you will know that she is wrong.
I'm sure that gary ezzo says some things that ap moms would agree with too, but if someone suggested him on a top ten parenting list i would sure as heck say something about it, and i wouldnt be the only one.
Redcat--i am sorry if you are offended by my opinion. If you have found things that work for you in those books, that's great. I only ask that you follow your instincts and take hogg's writing with a huge grain of salt.
Originally posted by HappyMama Just to clarify my stance on tracey hogg-- She says that babies follow a natural rhythm in their days (true), but she also says that it's normal for babies to eat then play then sleep.
If you've ever nursed a baby until they're so sleepy that they look drunk you will know that she is wrong.
I'm sure that gary ezzo says some things that ap moms would agree with too, but if someone suggested him on a top ten parenting list i would sure as heck say something about it, and i wouldnt be the only one.
Redcat--i am sorry if you are offended by my opinion. If you have found things that work for you in those books, that's great. I only ask that you follow your instincts and take hogg's writing with a huge grain of salt.
First of all, I wasn't offended that you didn't agree with my choices. I am not vain enough to think everyone has to agree with my lifestyle or choices, but I did think you could have used a bit more tact and clarity than "Can I just say puke to Tracy Hogg?". Second the op wasn't about "What AP Books are your favorites". It was asking about your personal favorite parenting books. If you will read my profile and my sig line, you will see that I am not into AP as far as co-sleeping, slinging, extended bf and the like. Nothing against that lifestyle, it's just not for me. But I have been made to feel welcome here despite my more "chewy" views, so I wanted to contribute.
Have you read any of Tracy's books? Of course an AP website is not going to agree with some of her advice. But I like to form my own opinions, not just base them on a book review. I read several books while I was pregnant (foolishly thinking they would prepare me..lol) and simply liked her ideas the best. Of course I am going to follow and trust my own instincts over ANY book. I take anyones advice about parenting MY child with a grain of salt, that 's just common sense! She does advocate the eat, play, sleep, mommy time routine, but she herself says that takes awhile to really develop and to always listen to your baby's cues. I did nurse my son for 5 months and alot of times he was extremely sleepy after nursing. Does that mean I just jostled him awake and made him play because that was the routine? Nope. But as he got a little older he naturally fell into that pattern and I encouraged it. It worked for us and our family. It also lent me, as a new bewildered mom, some predictability and I was better able to pinpoint my son's needs and was able to really distinguish what his cries meant.
As far as the breastfeeding, she does take more of a "do what's best for you" stance, but certainly advocates breastfeeding. She just doesn't try to make mothers feel like failures if they can't or choose not to breastfeed. I liked that fairness and flexibilty. There were a few times I felt like throwing in the towel, but after re-reading her book I was determined to bf as long as I could. I thought it was supposed to be the most natural thing in the world and was relieved when she said that sometimes you need some help. Of course I had to have a c-section and I know that delayed my milk from coming in, but I was at my wit's end and scared my son would starve. But the last thing I would have needed at that point was someone telling me I was a big failure and not really bonding with my son IF I chose not to continue to breastfeed. I admired her fairness on that subject and the info she gave about both breastfeeding and formula. But in the end I made my own choices.
I wasn't touting her as an "AP writer" and she doesn't label herself either. Even I don't agree with every single word of her book. I like to educate myself, but I pick and choose what works for me. If someone ran out to buy her book based on my opinion, I am sure they could formulate their own opinions once they read it. Here is an excerpt from her book (sitting in front of me) that sums up her beliefs......
I believe all parents should give their babies a sense of structure and help them become independent little beings. I also began to promote what I've come to call the "whole-family" approach-little ones need to become a part of the family rather than the other way around. If everyone in the family, parents, siblings, even pets are happy, then the baby will be more content to."
She also promotes respecting your baby, talking with your baby, listening and meeting your babies needs and letting your baby know what's coming by providing a flexible routine with dependability and structure. This has worked wonders with my son, he is a happy, healthy, independant little man. Anyone that meets him comments on how happy he seems, and most of the time he is! Is it because we follow a routine that makes sense to his mommy? Is it because I read a certain book? Who really knows, but all that matters to me is his health and happiness.
I know alot of mamas here probably don't agree with everything in the Baby Whisperer, but does that mean I should just keep my mouth shut in fear of going against the grain when asked for my personal favorites? Uh...no! So that is my stance on my personal favorite parenting books, even though I wasn't expecting to have to defend my choices.
Cathy, that is an amazingly well worded and thought out response. It was also very respectful towards all of us and all of our differences. Thank you!
I think I will read the Baby Whisper Toddler book. "The Baby Book" took me through the first two years of Annabelle's life and then just dropped me in the twos! I have yet to find a toddler AP book : (
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