Parenting, while rewarding, can be quite demanding, given the many challenges new parents have to take on and learn to navigate. This is where parenting books can help; they provide insights, guidance, and strategies to approach this new role. They also delve into different child development phases and typical behaviors exhibited during each stage to help parents understand their child’s actions. New parents can explore various research-based books depending on the specific challenges they want to address.
Cribsheet by Emily Oster
Emily Oster, the author of The Family Firm and Expecting Better, holds a PhD in economics and specializes in development economics and lifestyle aspects. Most of her books provide in-depth, science-based information about pregnancy and parenting. Her second book, Cribsheet, which was released in 2019, is a New York Times bestseller that delves into and reviews important information about nursing, sleep-training, and potty-training. It is “a data-driven guide to better, more relaxed parenting, from birth to preschool” that can help parents with decision-making in the early days of parenting.
The Baby Owner’s Manual by Louis Borgenicht M.D. and Joe Borgenicht
Dr. Louis Borgenicht, a pediatrician and an assistant professor of pediatrics, and his son, Joe Borgenicht, have co-authored The Baby Owner’s Manual. This book discusses the common concerns and questions first-time parents face. The book covers the fundamentals of childcare, assisting expecting and new parents in embracing their new role with clarity and understanding of various parenting styles.
The Baby Owner’s Manual is a handy solution for those who prefer simple, diagram-filled explanations of the key elements of first-time parenting. It comes with infographics and charts that visually demonstrate how to tackle common tasks; for instance, the book has a detailed diagram of the right technique to swaddle a baby. This is an essential parenting book for new moms and dads.
Managing the Motherload by Rebekah Borucki
Rebekah Borucki is a renowned children’s author, fitness and yoga instructor, and birth doula. Her book, Managing the Motherload, encourages mothers to take a moment to calm their minds, step back, and recognize their accomplishments as parents. This expert-recommended parenting book can be a handy companion for new mothers. It is “a guide to creating more ease, space, and grace in motherhood.” It gives new parents a much-needed perspective on parenting and helps them navigate newness, frustration, and fatigue during all stages of birthing a baby for the first time.
First-Time Parent by Lucy Atkins
Lucy Atkins is a renowned journalist and an award-winning author who
teaches on the Creative Writing master’s degree at Oxford University. She is a book critic for various publications such as The Sunday Times, The Telegraph, and The Guardian. She has authored several non-fiction books, one of which she co-authored with Julia Guderian and is titled Blooming Birth. It talks about ways to get the pregnancy and birth mothers’ wants.
Her other book, First-Time Parent, is a bestseller and a humorous take on the many challenges first-time parents face. It provides a comprehensive guide to assist parents in navigating the challenging first year, addressing the evolving mother-father relationship, and managing the transition from being at home for extended periods to returning to work. It contains backed and statistically proven information on single-parenting and caring for adopted and special needs babies. It is light, funny, and insightful.
Bringing Up Bébé by Pamela Druckerman
Pamela Druckerman is a popular American-French writer and journalist. She worked as a reporter at The Wall Street Journal and is now an opinion writer for the New York Times International Edition. Pamela Druckerman’s book, Bringing Up Bébé, is an autobiography that sheds light on “French parenting” and how it isn’t a “thing.” While the French don’t think much of parenting styles, Druckerman points out that most French children she has seen sleep through the night at a few months old and eat well-rounded meals. She delves into how these children are raised to be intuitive and grow at their own pace. The book is filled with funny stories and insights and is a light read for expecting parents.
The Fifth Trimester by Lauren Smith Brody
Lauren Smith Brody is a renowned author and the founder of The Fifth Trimester movement, an initiative that helps businesses and new parents collaborate to create a harmonious, wholesome, and family-friendly workplace culture.
Brody’s book, The Fifth Trimester, provides much-needed guidance from mothers, offering practical how-tos such as addressing sleep cycles and maintaining wellness in the first few months after childbirth. It also contains comforting excerpts to help first-time mothers navigate this new role. It talks about how the birth of a child affects the professional lives of parents, especially mothers, and how they need guidance to balance their careers while caring for their children.
How To Talk So Little Kids Will Listen by Joanna Faber and Julie King
Bestselling authors Joanna Faber and Julie King have shared their respective parenting experiences and expertise with audiences. They frequently help individuals through their private consultations, talks, and workshops, and in this book, they have outlined essential information on how to effectively communicate with one’s children.
How To Talk, So Little Kids Will Listen is “a survival guide to life with children between 2 and 7.” It comprehensively lays out several daily tips to help break communication barriers between new parents and their little ones. This book and its follow-up editions answer questions such as kindly responding to a child who refuses to eat, listen to their teacher, or go to bed.
When Partners Become Parents: The Big Life Change for Couples by Carolyn and Philip Cowan
Few literary pieces stand the test of time across 30+ years and remain as relevant as ever. First published in 1992, this book is a formidable piece of writing from the renowned authors and married couple, the Cowans. Carolyn Pape Cowan and Philip A. Cowan are illustrious researchers in human behavior and parenting knowledge. In this book, the couple shares inspirational insights they received when interviewing a group of couples expecting their first child.