Parenting books that REALLY help!

Let's face it. Parenting is hard... very hard. I’ve got nearly six years of experience and three children, yet I still struggle and still sometimes need a little helping hand. Sometimes I feel like I’m doing everything wrong, and the worst part is that it is so very hard to find good parenting advice. Everybody has a different parenting style, and what works for them may not work for you. I’ve read many parenting books looking for help and advice and most of the time end up feeling worse! Sometimes I wonder If the author of these books actually have children! I’m sure you understand what I mean!

Throughout my parenting journey, I have found a couple of gems though! Parenting books ACTUALLY HELP; Parenting books that actually relate to me, and doesn’t make me feel like all of our children are robots and programmed exactly the same. So here they are.

My top one is ‘The Wonder Weeks’. Which is a guide to your babies’ behaviour? Have you ever looked at your baby and wondered “why is she doing that?” Or “I’m sure the other two didn’t do this when they were at this age?” Well, this book is an absolute godsend for those worries. The thing that I loved best is that it actually gives you science-based explanations! See, I can be quite sceptical when somebody gives me advice on my babies, I want to know where you heard this, how do you know what you are telling me is factual? But this books gives in-depth explanations by scientists and professionals. This makes me feel that the book is much more reliable. This book also has fun games to play with your baby and handy checklists so that you can see at a glance, which milestones your baby has met. I would recommend this book to all parents, especially new mothers and first-time mums!

You can get a copy of ‘The Wonder Weeks’ from Amazon.

The Wonder Weeks - A Stress-Free Guide to Your Baby`s Behaviour https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/168268427X/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_XzW9EbT1KP3GG

My next favourite is ‘How To Talk, So Little Kids Will Listen’

The title says it all! This book is an absolute genius! Before I had children, I can admit with great shame that I would see a mother shouting at her child in the supermarket and think to myself “That will never be me!” Ha! Here I am, 6 years later, shouting at three children in Aldi. “ Stop touching things!” “Leave your sister alone right now!” “I said No!”

I feel like all I do is shout, I mean, that's the only way kids will listen right? Wrong! This book taught me that I was so wrong. This book really hit home for me, for the times when I get stressed when the children spill a drink on the floor or refuse to eat. It really taught me how to talk to my little ones without making them feel attacked, and making the whole situation a lot worse. This book can really help create a rewarding relationship with your children, which therefore helps with your mental health and all-round atmosphere of the family home. I would recommend this book for parents of toddlers who are now starting to test boundaries, or those with multiple children and feel like they need a way to calm the chaos without the extra shouting and tears!

This book is also on Amazon, here is the link.

How To Talk So Little Kids Will Listen: A Survival Guide to Life with Children Ages 2-7 https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/184812614X/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_4IW9EbS5NMRDC

Another one that I would recommend especially to parents of toddlers is the ‘Complete Book Of Baby Care’ from the National Childbirth Trust. This book really eased my mind and made me feel a lot more confident about the worries that come with having toddlers, for example choking, help with starting pre-school, and separation anxiety. I love that this book is written mainly by other parents, and it includes diary’s of children at different ages, this way you can see how different you and your child’s routine is to others. This book even covers topics such as toddler tantrums, feeding and self feeding, getting dressed and potty training! It covers absolutely everything for your baby up until around 3 years old.