If you are a new parent or struggling to deal with your children, we have created a list of the best parenting books that can come in handy. Parenting is a skill acquired through practice. Although these parenting books don’t provide a checklist for you to follow, they can assist you in gaining a better perspective about your role as a parent and your relationship with your children. Our list includes well-researched books to help you at every step of parenting, whether you’re pregnant for the first time, coping with baby difficulties, or dealing with your child’s tantrums. So, go through the options listed below to find one that suits your requirements. Sarah R. Moore, founder of Dandelion Seeds Positive Parenting and an author, says, “With so much conflicting parenting information available, it helps to have a short list of trusted resources that are backed by research. I’ve read almost all the books on this list and stand behind them.”

25 Best Parenting Books

1. The Attachment Parenting Book: A commonsense guide to understanding and nurturing your baby

William Sears, MD, and Martha Sears, RN The book has strategies to tell you how best to bring up your kid. You will be taught how to develop a connection with the baby. Sears’ book advocates early attachment between children and parents while guiding parental responsiveness to a baby’s needs and requirements. They answer many questions for new parents, such as ‘How will your baby sleep better? What’s the father’s role in raising a kid? How does early attachment lead to a child’s eventual independence?’

2. The Whole-Brain Child: 12 revolutionary strategies to nurture your child’s developing mind

Daniel J. Siegel, MD, and Tina Payne Bryson, PhD The book takes up a scientific approach towards parenting. The authors share easy steps to foster healthy brain development in babies. Even though the book discusses the child’s brain, it can be read and understood by any parent. It is much like a guidebook to having happier and calmer children while tackling everyday parenting challenges.

3. Peaceful Discipline: Story Teaching, Brain Science & Better Behavior

Sarah R. Moore, MFS Using best practices from gentle parenting, improv comedy, and trauma recovery, this peaceful parenting book brings joy back to families. These positive discipline tips can help whether you’re raising toddlers, parenting preschoolers, or supporting school-age children with love and respect. Effective for the hypersensitive child and the strong-willed child, this book offers conscious parenting guidance for solving challenges and preventing them in the first place.

4. Cherish The First Six Weeks: A plan that creates calm, confident parents and a happy, secure baby

Helen Moon Parents are usually clueless in the first six weeks of their baby’s life. Read this parenting book during pregnancy to make the experience of being a new parent pleasanter. It offers a step-by-step plan or routine to calm down a fussy baby and make it less stressful for the parents.

5. Parenting With Love And Logic: Teaching children responsibility

Foster Cline, MD, and Jim Fay The book helps you in raising the kids to be responsible and capable of dealing with the world one day. It focuses on the child’s temperament, tantrums, and development. This parenting book will provide you with the groundwork required to come up with techniques to teach your kid to be responsible and shape their character, without resorting to nagging and bribing.

6. The Conscious Parent: Transforming ourselves, empowering our children

Shefali Tsabary, PhD The book bases its ideas on the fact that children mirror and imitate their parents when growing up. It will teach you the concepts of conscious parenting helping you raise your kid in the best possible way by helping you grow and develop as parents. It suggests parenting techniques that cause less struggle and helps in developing an emotionally balanced child and family dynamics.

7. No-Drama Discipline: The whole-brain way to calm the chaos and nurture your child’s developing mind

  Daniel J. Siegel, MD and Tina Payne Bryson, PhD If you learned anything from the scientific approach towards parenting in the book ‘Whole-Brain Child,’ this follow-up book should make it to your reading list. This takes into account toddlers and kids who are a little older and helps parents train them to become responsible and respectful in nature. It deals with all sorts of tantrums.

8. How To Talk So Little Kids Will Listen: A survival guide to life with children ages 2-7

Joanna Faber and Julie King Communicating with toddlers is a Herculean task. You’ve already learned by now that yelling or pleading with your child take you nowhere, and the cries and tantrums don’t go. This book offers you with sample discussions, stories, and cartoons, with tips to transform your parenting style and speak the language of your kid.

9. The Self-Driven Child

William Stixrud and Ned Johnson The Self-Driven Child offers a combination of cutting-edge brain science, the latest discoveries in behavioral therapy, and case studies drawn from thousands of kids and tenes to teach you how to set your child on the real road to success. As parents, we can only drive our kids so far. At some point, they will have to take the wheel and map out their own path. But there is a lot you can do before then to help them tackle the road ahead with resilience and imagination.

10. Thrivers

Michele Borba We think we have to push our kids to do more, achieve more, be more. But we’re modeling the wrong traits—like rule-following and caution—and research shows it’s not working. This kind of “Striver” mindset isn’t just making kids unhappier, says Dr. Michele Borba…it’s actually the opposite of what it takes to thrive in the uncertain world ahead. Thrivers are different: they flourish in a fast-paced, digital-driven, often uncertain world driven by confidence, empathy, self-control, integrity, curiosity, perseverance, and optimism. Find practical, actionable ways to develop these traits in children from preschool through high school.

11. The No-Cry Sleep Solution: Gentle ways to help your baby sleep through the night

Elizabeth Pantley Selling more than a million copies, Pantley’s book has become a regular workbook for new parents to explore all the myriad possible ways to put your baby to sleep. Parents will finally be able to come together with a customized sleep routine for their infant after observing the unique traits in their baby. Her individualized approach towards parenting is greatly appreciated worldwide.

12. The Baby Book: Everything you need to know about your child from birth to age two

William Sears & Martha Sears Dr. Sears’ book covers all things about the baby’s well being, both emotional and physical. It offers effective advice on eating, sleeping, comfort, and health of the baby. The book is rich with information and great for first-time parents.

13. Brain Rules for Baby: How to raise a smart and happy child from zero to five

  John Medina Medina is a molecular biologist. He is also a father who gives us advice on raising smart kids from birth up to the age of five. In this book, he explains why he believes watching TV is harmful to kids aged 2 and younger. The book is full of astounding scientific facts and is an addictive read.

14. Whoa, Baby: A guide for new moms who feel overwhelmed and freaked out

Kelly Rowland and Tristan Bickman MD After becoming a mother herself, Rowland had many questions related to her body. Dr. Bickman, her OB/GYN, helped her answer them. The book builds the point that after childbirth, nothing is either the same nor is it strange or queer. Instead of telling you all about your kid and their development, the book helps you deal with the physical and emotional changes. From questions like: “Why do I cry five times a day?” “Why are my nipples changing colors,” to “What happens if I fall asleep with my pump on?” moms, here’s your tell-all read.

15. The 10 Habits of Happy Mothers: Reclaiming our passion, purpose, and sanity

Meg Meeker Every mother has her priorities, like her husband, baby, and career. But does she herself figure in that list? She can’t ignore herself while taking care of others. This parenting book will help you focus on yourself by nurturing and practicing ten healthy habits that will keep you happy and healthy while being a mom.

16. The New Father: A dad’s guide to the first year

Armin A. Brott and Jennifer Ash Life is likely to get topsy-turvy once you bring your baby home. This parenting guide for fathers will lend you a hand in dealing with the responsibilities that come your way. Written in a funny tone, this book addresses real-life situations and offers accurate and valid information about what the fathers, mothers, and babies go through, month by month.

17. The Co-Parents’ Handbook: Raising well-adjusted, resilient, and resourceful kids in a two-home family from little ones to young adults

Karen Bonnell and Kristin Little If you are co-parenting a baby, this read should make it to your list. A split in marriage is in itself a significant challenge to overcome, and then comes the new struggle of being a parent. It guides both parents and kids through the process of transition. It answers all the tough questions that children might ask you regarding the status of the family.

18. Shit No One Tells You: A guide to surviving your baby’s first year

Dawn Dais Sometimes do you feel like you’re raising a pocket-sized storm? Well, you are not the only one, and that’s why this book makes its position on the top among funny parenting books. This book is going to remind you of all the ‘parenting styles’ going wrong, funnily and sarcastically. The book’s take on parenting will keep your sanity intact when your child is going bonkers.

19. Naptime Is The New Happy Hour: And other ways toddlers turn your life upside down

  Stefanie Wilder-Taylor If you want to get some respite from the overwhelming emotions that parenting brings along, turn these pages written by a comedian-turned-mother. Her wit is biting, and you will keep coming back to the book for her outstanding advice and tips during tricky situations.

20. The Addiction Inoculation

Jessica Lahey The Addiction Inoculation is a comprehensive resource parents and educators can use to prevent substance abuse in children. Based on research in child welfare, psychology, substance abuse, and developmental neuroscience, this essential guide provides evidence-based strategies and practical tools adults need to understand, support, and educate resilient, addiction-resistant children.

21. Positive Discipline: The classic guide to helping children develop self-discipline, responsibility, cooperation, and problem-solving skills

Dr. Jane Nelsen Dr. Jane Nelsen is a psychologist and a mother of seven children. Her techniques speak about ‘mutual respect’ between the mother and the children instead of punishment and power. She gives very effective and firm methods to communicate with your child, and how to love and cooperate with each other. You will see how much calmer your home will become with positive parenting.

22. Your Two-Year-Old: Terrible or tender

Louise Bates Ames This book will take you through the minds of the two-year-olds. Is this lot terrible or tender? Dr. Ames offers you psychological insights into children who are this young. You will gain an understanding of what a two-year-old girl or boy thinks or feels like and how they observe the world around them. Dr. Ames also gives detailed information on the physical growth of children and their psychological maturity. The book features real-life stories of parents and their babies.

23. Simplicity Parenting: Using the extraordinary power of less to raise calmer, happier, and more secure kids

Kim John Payne The super speed of this giant world has crammed the lives of children. Simplicity Parenting is about bringing that space back for the kids to focus and prosper in life. Payne gained inspiration for the book from 20 years of her work as a family counselor. She teaches parents how to enjoy and not worry. She suggests streamlining home environment by removing the excess and advocates strict screen timing rules. She explains how routines and schedules make things easier for children and the importance of a break in the routine once in a while.

24. The Second Shift

Arlie Russell Hochschild and Anne Machung The book talks about mothers who are also career women and the dynamics of duties and responsibilities inside such a family. Published 15 years ago, the book observes how women do most of the housework and child-care despite going out to work. It is an inspiring read for every woman going through a work-life transition after becoming a mom. The book also provides positive and unique insights into the parenting of working mothers.

25. Siblings Without Rivalry: How to help your children live together so you can live too

Adele Faber and Elaine Mazlish The author duo this time takes up the issue of sibling rivalry and the relationship between siblings. This book offers helpful techniques to reduce competition between siblings, encourage mutual trust and cooperation, and cope with their conflict. From the experience of raising their own children, they make suggestions on helping kids to channel negative emotions into creative expressions. Parenting is a unique responsibility that defines the way of life for parents and their children. As a parent, you know what suits your family and your child the best. So turn on to the relevant pages of these books whenever you are in confusion.

How To Choose The Right Parenting Book?

A good parenting book can help you through some tough situations. Here are the factors you should consider before picking one out.

Why Trust MomJunction?

Wedetso Chirhah has compiled this list of the best parenting books to help you learn new parental strategies and skills. He has chosen these books based on detailed research and provided you with the author’s name and a short description of each book to help you choose the right one. Moreover, he has also selected those books that can help improve your skills to deal with specific issues, such as child’s sleeping problems and tantrums.

Pregnancy Books For To-Be Moms And Dads Books On Single Parenting Parenting Problems And Solutions Ways To Enhance Your Parenting Skills

title: “25 Best Parenting Books For Raising Confident Children In 2022” ShowToc: true date: “2023-01-07” author: “Doris Leingang”

If you are a new parent or struggling to deal with your children, we have created a list of the best parenting books that can come in handy. Parenting is a skill acquired through practice. Although these parenting books don’t provide a checklist for you to follow, they can assist you in gaining a better perspective about your role as a parent and your relationship with your children. Our list includes well-researched books to help you at every step of parenting, whether you’re pregnant for the first time, coping with baby difficulties, or dealing with your child’s tantrums. So, go through the options listed below to find one that suits your requirements. Sarah R. Moore, founder of Dandelion Seeds Positive Parenting and an author, says, “With so much conflicting parenting information available, it helps to have a short list of trusted resources that are backed by research. I’ve read almost all the books on this list and stand behind them.”

25 Best Parenting Books

1. The Attachment Parenting Book: A commonsense guide to understanding and nurturing your baby

William Sears, MD, and Martha Sears, RN The book has strategies to tell you how best to bring up your kid. You will be taught how to develop a connection with the baby. Sears’ book advocates early attachment between children and parents while guiding parental responsiveness to a baby’s needs and requirements. They answer many questions for new parents, such as ‘How will your baby sleep better? What’s the father’s role in raising a kid? How does early attachment lead to a child’s eventual independence?’

2. The Whole-Brain Child: 12 revolutionary strategies to nurture your child’s developing mind

Daniel J. Siegel, MD, and Tina Payne Bryson, PhD The book takes up a scientific approach towards parenting. The authors share easy steps to foster healthy brain development in babies. Even though the book discusses the child’s brain, it can be read and understood by any parent. It is much like a guidebook to having happier and calmer children while tackling everyday parenting challenges.

3. Peaceful Discipline: Story Teaching, Brain Science & Better Behavior

Sarah R. Moore, MFS Using best practices from gentle parenting, improv comedy, and trauma recovery, this peaceful parenting book brings joy back to families. These positive discipline tips can help whether you’re raising toddlers, parenting preschoolers, or supporting school-age children with love and respect. Effective for the hypersensitive child and the strong-willed child, this book offers conscious parenting guidance for solving challenges and preventing them in the first place.

4. Cherish The First Six Weeks: A plan that creates calm, confident parents and a happy, secure baby

Helen Moon Parents are usually clueless in the first six weeks of their baby’s life. Read this parenting book during pregnancy to make the experience of being a new parent pleasanter. It offers a step-by-step plan or routine to calm down a fussy baby and make it less stressful for the parents.

5. Parenting With Love And Logic: Teaching children responsibility

Foster Cline, MD, and Jim Fay The book helps you in raising the kids to be responsible and capable of dealing with the world one day. It focuses on the child’s temperament, tantrums, and development. This parenting book will provide you with the groundwork required to come up with techniques to teach your kid to be responsible and shape their character, without resorting to nagging and bribing.

6. The Conscious Parent: Transforming ourselves, empowering our children

Shefali Tsabary, PhD The book bases its ideas on the fact that children mirror and imitate their parents when growing up. It will teach you the concepts of conscious parenting helping you raise your kid in the best possible way by helping you grow and develop as parents. It suggests parenting techniques that cause less struggle and helps in developing an emotionally balanced child and family dynamics.

7. No-Drama Discipline: The whole-brain way to calm the chaos and nurture your child’s developing mind

  Daniel J. Siegel, MD and Tina Payne Bryson, PhD If you learned anything from the scientific approach towards parenting in the book ‘Whole-Brain Child,’ this follow-up book should make it to your reading list. This takes into account toddlers and kids who are a little older and helps parents train them to become responsible and respectful in nature. It deals with all sorts of tantrums.

8. How To Talk So Little Kids Will Listen: A survival guide to life with children ages 2-7

Joanna Faber and Julie King Communicating with toddlers is a Herculean task. You’ve already learned by now that yelling or pleading with your child take you nowhere, and the cries and tantrums don’t go. This book offers you with sample discussions, stories, and cartoons, with tips to transform your parenting style and speak the language of your kid.

9. The Self-Driven Child

William Stixrud and Ned Johnson The Self-Driven Child offers a combination of cutting-edge brain science, the latest discoveries in behavioral therapy, and case studies drawn from thousands of kids and tenes to teach you how to set your child on the real road to success. As parents, we can only drive our kids so far. At some point, they will have to take the wheel and map out their own path. But there is a lot you can do before then to help them tackle the road ahead with resilience and imagination.

10. Thrivers

Michele Borba We think we have to push our kids to do more, achieve more, be more. But we’re modeling the wrong traits—like rule-following and caution—and research shows it’s not working. This kind of “Striver” mindset isn’t just making kids unhappier, says Dr. Michele Borba…it’s actually the opposite of what it takes to thrive in the uncertain world ahead. Thrivers are different: they flourish in a fast-paced, digital-driven, often uncertain world driven by confidence, empathy, self-control, integrity, curiosity, perseverance, and optimism. Find practical, actionable ways to develop these traits in children from preschool through high school.

11. The No-Cry Sleep Solution: Gentle ways to help your baby sleep through the night

Elizabeth Pantley Selling more than a million copies, Pantley’s book has become a regular workbook for new parents to explore all the myriad possible ways to put your baby to sleep. Parents will finally be able to come together with a customized sleep routine for their infant after observing the unique traits in their baby. Her individualized approach towards parenting is greatly appreciated worldwide.

12. The Baby Book: Everything you need to know about your child from birth to age two

William Sears & Martha Sears Dr. Sears’ book covers all things about the baby’s well being, both emotional and physical. It offers effective advice on eating, sleeping, comfort, and health of the baby. The book is rich with information and great for first-time parents.

13. Brain Rules for Baby: How to raise a smart and happy child from zero to five

  John Medina Medina is a molecular biologist. He is also a father who gives us advice on raising smart kids from birth up to the age of five. In this book, he explains why he believes watching TV is harmful to kids aged 2 and younger. The book is full of astounding scientific facts and is an addictive read.

14. Whoa, Baby: A guide for new moms who feel overwhelmed and freaked out

Kelly Rowland and Tristan Bickman MD After becoming a mother herself, Rowland had many questions related to her body. Dr. Bickman, her OB/GYN, helped her answer them. The book builds the point that after childbirth, nothing is either the same nor is it strange or queer. Instead of telling you all about your kid and their development, the book helps you deal with the physical and emotional changes. From questions like: “Why do I cry five times a day?” “Why are my nipples changing colors,” to “What happens if I fall asleep with my pump on?” moms, here’s your tell-all read.

15. The 10 Habits of Happy Mothers: Reclaiming our passion, purpose, and sanity

Meg Meeker Every mother has her priorities, like her husband, baby, and career. But does she herself figure in that list? She can’t ignore herself while taking care of others. This parenting book will help you focus on yourself by nurturing and practicing ten healthy habits that will keep you happy and healthy while being a mom.

16. The New Father: A dad’s guide to the first year

Armin A. Brott and Jennifer Ash Life is likely to get topsy-turvy once you bring your baby home. This parenting guide for fathers will lend you a hand in dealing with the responsibilities that come your way. Written in a funny tone, this book addresses real-life situations and offers accurate and valid information about what the fathers, mothers, and babies go through, month by month.

17. The Co-Parents’ Handbook: Raising well-adjusted, resilient, and resourceful kids in a two-home family from little ones to young adults

Karen Bonnell and Kristin Little If you are co-parenting a baby, this read should make it to your list. A split in marriage is in itself a significant challenge to overcome, and then comes the new struggle of being a parent. It guides both parents and kids through the process of transition. It answers all the tough questions that children might ask you regarding the status of the family.

18. Shit No One Tells You: A guide to surviving your baby’s first year

Dawn Dais Sometimes do you feel like you’re raising a pocket-sized storm? Well, you are not the only one, and that’s why this book makes its position on the top among funny parenting books. This book is going to remind you of all the ‘parenting styles’ going wrong, funnily and sarcastically. The book’s take on parenting will keep your sanity intact when your child is going bonkers.

19. Naptime Is The New Happy Hour: And other ways toddlers turn your life upside down

  Stefanie Wilder-Taylor If you want to get some respite from the overwhelming emotions that parenting brings along, turn these pages written by a comedian-turned-mother. Her wit is biting, and you will keep coming back to the book for her outstanding advice and tips during tricky situations.

20. The Addiction Inoculation

Jessica Lahey The Addiction Inoculation is a comprehensive resource parents and educators can use to prevent substance abuse in children. Based on research in child welfare, psychology, substance abuse, and developmental neuroscience, this essential guide provides evidence-based strategies and practical tools adults need to understand, support, and educate resilient, addiction-resistant children.

21. Positive Discipline: The classic guide to helping children develop self-discipline, responsibility, cooperation, and problem-solving skills

Dr. Jane Nelsen Dr. Jane Nelsen is a psychologist and a mother of seven children. Her techniques speak about ‘mutual respect’ between the mother and the children instead of punishment and power. She gives very effective and firm methods to communicate with your child, and how to love and cooperate with each other. You will see how much calmer your home will become with positive parenting.

22. Your Two-Year-Old: Terrible or tender

Louise Bates Ames This book will take you through the minds of the two-year-olds. Is this lot terrible or tender? Dr. Ames offers you psychological insights into children who are this young. You will gain an understanding of what a two-year-old girl or boy thinks or feels like and how they observe the world around them. Dr. Ames also gives detailed information on the physical growth of children and their psychological maturity. The book features real-life stories of parents and their babies.

23. Simplicity Parenting: Using the extraordinary power of less to raise calmer, happier, and more secure kids

Kim John Payne The super speed of this giant world has crammed the lives of children. Simplicity Parenting is about bringing that space back for the kids to focus and prosper in life. Payne gained inspiration for the book from 20 years of her work as a family counselor. She teaches parents how to enjoy and not worry. She suggests streamlining home environment by removing the excess and advocates strict screen timing rules. She explains how routines and schedules make things easier for children and the importance of a break in the routine once in a while.

24. The Second Shift

Arlie Russell Hochschild and Anne Machung The book talks about mothers who are also career women and the dynamics of duties and responsibilities inside such a family. Published 15 years ago, the book observes how women do most of the housework and child-care despite going out to work. It is an inspiring read for every woman going through a work-life transition after becoming a mom. The book also provides positive and unique insights into the parenting of working mothers.

25. Siblings Without Rivalry: How to help your children live together so you can live too

Adele Faber and Elaine Mazlish The author duo this time takes up the issue of sibling rivalry and the relationship between siblings. This book offers helpful techniques to reduce competition between siblings, encourage mutual trust and cooperation, and cope with their conflict. From the experience of raising their own children, they make suggestions on helping kids to channel negative emotions into creative expressions. Parenting is a unique responsibility that defines the way of life for parents and their children. As a parent, you know what suits your family and your child the best. So turn on to the relevant pages of these books whenever you are in confusion.

How To Choose The Right Parenting Book?

A good parenting book can help you through some tough situations. Here are the factors you should consider before picking one out.

Why Trust MomJunction?

Wedetso Chirhah has compiled this list of the best parenting books to help you learn new parental strategies and skills. He has chosen these books based on detailed research and provided you with the author’s name and a short description of each book to help you choose the right one. Moreover, he has also selected those books that can help improve your skills to deal with specific issues, such as child’s sleeping problems and tantrums.

Pregnancy Books For To-Be Moms And Dads Books On Single Parenting Parenting Problems And Solutions Ways To Enhance Your Parenting Skills