5 excellent parenting books for new parents
If you are a new parent or parent-to-be, you’ve probably spent time thinking you should read up on this whole parenting thing, and you’re looking to find the right parenting books for your needs.
Maybe you want your baby to sleep through the night as soon as it is humanly possible. Maybe you’re interested in early potty training or particular parenting methods. Or maybe you’re already overwhelmed with the piles of advice and directions and just want someone to approach the task with a bit of humor to help you handle it.
Parenting books can be a great resource for you to prepare for the adventure on which you’re about to embark. But it’s hard to choose where to spend your time, when there are so many books out there, and judging them by their cover won’t help - all the babies on the front are cute.
To reduce your overwhelm, we’ve rounded up our top 5 parenting books for new parents during the newborn time, so you can step into this journey well-informed and focus on what really matters: quality time with your bundle of joy.
Parenting books on attachment parenting
Attachment parenting is based on the idea that you create a relationship with your baby where you can be the safe place to which they can always return, and from which they are empowered to explore the world, armed with the strength of knowing what a loving, supportive relationship is.
The Baby Book: Everything You Need to Know About Your Baby from Birth to Age Two
By James Sears, MD, Robert W. Sears, MD, William Sears, Martha Sears, RN
Also known as “The Sears Baby Book,” this veritable bible of parenting contains information on everything, from birth preparation and newborn bonding, to child development and handling common illnesses. It is also an excellent introduction into attachment parenting, with a warm, loving, and medically sound approach.
“The Baby Book presents a practical, contemporary approach to parenting that reflects the way we live today. The Searses acknowledge that there is no one way to parent a baby, and they offer the basic guidance and inspiration you need to develop the parenting style that bests suits you and your child.” (from the publisher)
Why Love Matters: How affection shapes a baby's brain
By Dr. Sue Gerhardt
This book takes a research-based approach to how our relationships early in life affect our brain chemistry and set the trajectory for the rest of our lives, and makes clear for parents how love truly is the be-all, end-all parenting need for healthy, happy children.
“Why Love Matters explains why loving relationships are essential to brain development in the early years, and how these early interactions can have lasting consequences for future emotional and physical health.” (from the publisher)
For academic parents
We change when we become parents, in ways perhaps we never imagined. Still, we are also the same people we were before. If you like your world in order, based in fact, and maybe sprinkled with spreadsheets for additional comfort, you may not feel like warm, fluffy baby books give you the information you need in a straight way. Enter Emily Oster.
Cribsheet: A Data-Driven Guide to Better, More Relaxed Parenting, from Birth to Preschool
by Emily Oster
Oster, an economist and professor of economics at Brown University, tackles all the hard parenting questions with the help of statistics and data to help you make informed decisions that are right for your own family.
“Economics is the science of decision-making, and Cribsheet is a thinking parent’s guide to the chaos and frequent misinformation of the early years. Emily Oster is a trained expert—and mom of two—who can empower us to make better, less fraught decisions—and stay sane in the years before preschool.” (from the publisher)
When laughter is the best parenting medicine
Sometimes new information is easier to take in when it’s funny – especially when you are at the precipice of sleepless nights, poop disasters, and opinionated in-laws. These parenting books offer a humorous take that is no less informative.
The Baby Owner’s Manual: Operating Instructions, Trouble-Shooting Tips, and Advice on First-Year Maintenance
by Louis Borgenicht M.D. and Joe Borgenicht
This complete-care instruction manual from a long-time pediatrician (and his son!) covers all your bases in parenting for the first year with your new baby. With fun diagrams and light-hearted takes on your newly delivered baby, the pair still manage to provide thorough, step-by-step guides on everything concerning your first year as a new parent.
“You’ve programmed your DVR, you’ve installed a wireless Internet connection, you can even check Facebook on your cell phone. But none of this experience will prepare you for the world’s biggest technological marvel: a newborn baby.” (from the publisher)
The Sh!t No One Tells You: A Guide to Surviving Your Baby's First Year
by Dawn Dais
This self-proclaimed book of “real advice for real moms” does away with the rose-colored glasses and Instagram-curated mom perfection and tells it like it is, bolstered with encouragement and loads of stories from real-life moms who’ve paved the way—and aren’t afraid to tell you what they’ve seen.
“There comes a time in every new mother’s life when she realizes that all the pregnancy well-wishes and baby shower gifts left her profoundly unqualified for the realities of life with a newborn. Who knew there would be so much crying—and how much of that crying would be coming from the mom?” (from the publisher)
If you feel overwhelmed by parenting a newborn and don’t have nearly enough time to read all the books about it, you’re hardly alone. Remember, it takes a village to raise a child (and maybe two if you’re raising more).
When you’re ready to bring in a professional to help with the seemingly impossible tasks listed in the books above, we at Smart Sitting are ready to find the nanny who will be just what you need.
Reach out, let us know what you’re looking for, and let our dedicated team take it from there.
And remember - for more tips and tricks in parenting, sign up for our newsletter.