6 Best Parenting Books – They Changed My Life

Books have a life of their own, a world of their own. They teach us. They entertain us. Many times, the solutions we are seeking, a good book has the power to seek it out for us. Books have the power to alter our thought processes and to change our lives. And as parents, there are books one can turn to for some best parenting advice.

Yes, I am talking about those parenting books that did and have changed my life for better!

For an avid reader in me, books have been my go-to across stages of life. So, they have been my best friends right from those pregnancy days as I would lap up books on pregnancy trimesters to babycare and life after bay. As I got promoted to different levels of parenthood gradually, parenting books came to my rescue time and again (and whenever I would hit a roadblock, the lovely books sitting in my library would stare at me).

Here’s My List of 6 Best Parenting Books. They have Changed My Life:

1. How I Got My Belly Button by Anju Kish 

How often do you satisfy the curious little minds when they start asking you about private body parts, puberty, sex, and gender? Not easy for most of us, I believe. This is where this book by Anju Kish finds a place as one of the worth reading parenting books.

A 208 pages book, it very gently but clearly talks about the topics parents shy away from talking about with their kids. In a very comfortable environment, we can read how parents can sit and talk with their young ones, and explain clearly and factually the information they are seeking. 

Buy now at INR 345

2. Raising Mamma by Lalita Iyer 

is the most recent books that I have come across, and one of the best parenting books that I have read so far. It’s a simple and engaging tale that strikes a chord with my mommy emotions. The questions a child faces in the growing up years are talked about in a very simple and effective manner. Children have never-ending questions as they are growing up, curiosity is at its peak. They are also bombarded with adult questions like what they will become when they grow up, and the constant nagging of elders to do this and that. The child, who is the main protagonist here, we see through him how children think. It gives us a peek into their minds. Even though they are young and innocent, they also think logically and their logic is much simpler than adult minds. 

3. Inside A Dark Box by Ritu Vaishnav 

Depression amongst children is on the rise. Peer pressure, the burden of studies, parental expectation – the list is endless. Many times parents don’t even realize their child could be depressed. And even if they know they are clueless about what goes on in a depressed person’s mind. Inside a Dark Box can become one such parenting book for parents seeking to understand what goes on inside the mind of a depressed person, how lonely the child can feel while dealing with such demons in one’s head.

4. Mini Questions by Nandini Nayar 

How often do you get tired when your little one bombards you with non-stop questions? Do you indulge in every question asked? Most of the time one sees parents discouraging kids from asking too many questions. But this isn’t right. The young minds are curious. They are learning new things, exploring the world around them every day. And if they do not get a satisfactory answer to their queries or are shunned from asking questions, it can lead them to undesirable sources to seek answers. They might go inside a shell as well.

Mini Questions by Nandini Nayar are the second in Mini series, where we see Mini asking non-stop questions. Inspired by her class teacher to question if she wants to learn about the world, Mini keeps her family busy with the four Ws. This can be a good parenting book if you want to guide your child in asking the right kind of questions. 

Books for a dad-to-be

5. Parenting Your Defiant Child by Dr. Alan E. Kazdin 

Parenting is a full-time job. It requires patience in varying degrees with almost every child. But there are parents who at times complain of a child, who just doesn’t listen, is ready to rebel at the drop of a hat. Parents in such situation reach a deadlock, they don’t know what to alter in their behavior, their handling of the child, the trigger for the defiant behavior. One of the best parenting books in this regard is Dr. Alan E Kazdin’s Parenting your Defiant Child. It is a step by step guide for parents for almost all situations ranging from potty training tantrums to severe behaviors like stealing, fighting and lying.

6. Getting Your Kids Active by Claire Gillman 

With technology dominating our world, it’s no wonder even kids are led by it. Addiction to mobile phones, the idiot box, video games is dreaded by parents. At times how to break these habits and get them up and about to go out and play; parents have no clue. Getting Your Kids Active by Claire Gillman can be among your list of parenting books for this purpose.

Buy now at INR 304

Is there a parenting book you would like to recommend to us? Please write the name in the comments section below, and we’d love to include it to our next list.

by Tasneem Dhinojwala

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