Great Books for Parents

By Mary

If you’re a book-lover like I am and still have a bit of Christmas shopping to do, might I suggest a few of the best books I’ve read over the years?

Parenting with Love and Logic by Foster Cline
I read this book years ago when I was dealing with 2 year old twins and found it to be very helpful. Since then I have recommended it to many people. Anything that can help a mom stay calm and sane while encouraging better behavior in her children is a real winner in my book!

Hold On To Your Kids:  Why Parents Need to Matter More Than Peers by Gordon NeufeldThis book explains the foundational importance of attachment so clearly and also explains why there are so many troubled kids these days. This book give insights for all parents, working or not, whether your kids are 2 or 15, public-schooled or homeschooled, biological or adopted. To safeguard our kids, they need to be willing to value parental input *over* that from friends, and this books explains exactly how to keep them hearing us. I got this book from the library, but I am buying it so I can read it again and also loan it to all my friends and relatives.


The No Cry Sleep Solution by Elizabeth Pantley
Most parents go through a time when they wonder if they’ll ever get a good night’s sleep again. But many struggle to find the balance between the cry-it-out camp and the opposite alternative, total indulgence. This book helps parents navigate a middle path, one that encourages good sleep habits in babies and toddlers while still meeting their very real needs at night.

There is No Me Without You by Melissa Fay Greene
As the mother of four Ethiopian daughters I found this book to be incredibly interesting and touching. The statistics about the problem of AIDS in Africa are jawdropping. But the heart of the book is the story of this woman and the children she helps. Though non-fiction, the book reads like a novel. I read it cover to cover in two very long evenings. A week after I finished it, I was already thinking about reading it again. Except I also wanted to share it with everyone I know– what a dilemma! I may be buying another copy or two. Read this book for yourself. You will be entertained. Your heart will be touched. And your view of the world will be broadened.

Mary Ostyn is the mother of 10 children ages 5-21. She is the author of two books, and blogs regularly at Owlhaven.