There are a lot of arguments in the realm of “nature vs nurture” but one thing is for sure: parenting styles do have a great affect on the outcome of each generation. Many parents wonder what effects their parenting mishaps and triumphs will have on their children long term and can often feel overburdened with the possible results when they’re left with just their own ideas.
Literature on parenting, provided by experts in child and family psychology or well researched studies, can prove to be great tools in formulating one’s own ideas and concepts of parenting. From reading parenting books, we can gain new insights, new ideas, and solid information that helps us to be the types of parent’s we feel we should be. The following are 5 best sellers that we think you should consider as you begin expanding your parenting palet.
Boundaries with Kids
(When to Say Yes, When to Say No, to Help Your Children Gain Control of Their Lives)
In this book, Dr. John Townsend and Dr. Henry Cloud discuss ways to help your children learn responsibility – between tantrums they throw as toddlers to the questions they have about sex as teenagers. It presents ideas for opportunities to set boundaries and consequences that provide learning opportunities for children.
Loving Our Kids On Purpose
As a Christian based book, revolving around the idea that children were created with a need of freedom, this book encourages making connections with our children built on trust between parent and child by reducing fear and eliminating punishment and strengthening the ability to control oneself.
The 5 Love Languages of Children
This book teaches you how to recognize and speak your child’s love language. The idea is that by speaking and showing love in a way your child understands, you can help your child to be a successful learner, you can discipline and correct in a more efficient way, and all of this can be built on a foundation of love for your child that is unconditional.
How to Talk so Kids Will Listen & Listen so Kids Will Talk
The book was nicknamed “The Ultimate Parenting Bible” by The Boston Globe. It’s internationally acclaimed and is a #1 Best Seller on Amazon. It’s a very basic how-to guide for effective communication between parent and child. It offers ways to cope with your child’s negative behaviors, express your feelings without being hurtful, how to get your child to cooperate, how to set firm limits, provides alternatives to punishment, teaches the difference between productive and unproductive praise, and even offers ways to peacefully resolve family conflict.
Parent Effectiveness Training: The Proven Program for Raising Responsible Children
This book offers step-by-step advice to help solve family conflict in a way so “everyone wins.” It boasts of immediate results for fewer fights, less lies and tantrums, and ridding your family of ‘punishment’. This is a great book for families with toddlers or teens, and especially both.
[…] Clear and compassionate communication is key when you’re at your wits end with your out-of-control teenage son. No one reacts well to anger, especially teenagers.