I got into a “controversial” discussion today with someone over the “original” Dr. Spock parenting book. She was claiming that Dr. Spock is the reason children today (and that may include some of us as his editions go back at least as far as the early 60’s I believe) are the way they are (according to her) : selfish, impatient, can’t accept anything other than winning, etc.
MY view is that we are a sad, weak human species if we as a majority are relying on the words of a single book (except perhaps the Bible - not knocking it!) alone to guide us in how we raise our children - enough that we would put the blame on that book.
ANYWAY…it make me think - was there one book that you found most helpful in your parenting journey? Either in the early years, middle school years or teen years???
I think many of us would say that “What to Expect When You’re Expecting” helped to guide our early pregnancies (raising hand!). I was also a big fan of “What to Expect The First Year”.
I had to discount Dr. Spock when he proved so spectacularly wrong on the issue of getting babies - my babies, anyway - to sleep. He promised a 3-night program of gradually decreasing crying, which didn’t happen. He was pretty much an advocate of crying it out (and was okay with physical punishment, as well), so I don’t know where he got his reputation for permissiveness/spoiling. Also, when he started his book by saying “you know more than you think you do,” I had to wonder why I then needed his 400-page-long book.
“Your Baby and Child” by Penelope Leach was the book that most influenced and reassured me as a young mother. http://www.amazon.com/Your-Baby-Child-Penelope-Leach/dp/0375712038 I skimmed many parenting books afterwards, but found the best advice to be from friends whose kids were turning out reasonably well and who really enjoyed their children. Leach seemed to assume that you and your kid could be lifetime allies, or could at least make progress toward that point. Worked for us.
For the early years, I read Touchpoints by T. Berry Brazelton. When they were older, I read Boundaries with Kids by Cloud and Townsend. Those were the only two parenting books that I really liked.
When DS1 was four…The Spirited Child. What a relief that was to me realizing there were other kids like him. In the teen years…Yes, Your Teen is Crazy. Loved that book!
I was fortunate to meet Dr. Brazelton and hear him speak a few times. I loved Touchpoints, but also knew and loved him before the book. Uber respect him and adore him!
Parenting With Love and Logic by Jim Fay. Could not have survived the teen years without it. Our PTA actually brought him to speak when my kids were in high school. It was standing room only.
Penelope Leach, Sheila Kitzinger, Karen Pryor, ( don’t shoot the dog, plus her breastfeeding book), Bettleheim, Driekurs, Faber & Mazlish, your child’s self esteem by Briggs, and about ten others.
And that doesn’t count the special interest books relating to daughters, or being on the spectrum/adhd, or living with someone who is alcoholic/abusive/depressed.
I especially liked Joseph Chilton Pearce at one point, but I no longer have the attention span for him.http://books.google.com/books/about/Magical_child.html?id=HOz1E48Udu8C
I also subscribed to Mothering & Parenting Magazines.
@eyemamom: Re Post #1: You beat me to it! How to Talk So Kids Will Listen and Listen So Kids Will Talk was my favorite – right after Siblings Without Rivalry, by the same authors.
