My Favorite Books About Parenting

parent and child on a walk outside

Mother’s Day is coming up, so in honor of the holiday, I decided to make a list of my favorite parenting books. I’ve read many parenting books, but a few really stand out to me–in many cases, I’ve read these books several times.

One thing I’ve discovered is that when a parenting book is truly excellent, its advice is just as helpful for dealing with adults as with children. Children and adults are more alike than we sometimes assume. For instance, when I was researching habits for Better Than Before, my book about habit change, I did a fair amount of research on the design of pre-school and kindergarten routines.

So after reading these books about parenthood, I’ve applied much of what I learned to my adult relationships, with equal success:

1. How to Talk So Kids Will Listen & Listen So Kids Will Talk by Adele Faber and Elaine Mazlish.

How I love this book! It has helped me tremendously as a parent – and in every other aspect of my life. In fact, I probably think more about its lessons in the context of adult interactions that I do of child interactions. I’ve read it at least five times. It’s very wise, and it’s also a very fun read.

One of the most important lessons I learned from this book? Make people feel happier by acknowledging that they’re not feeling happy. When we acknowledge the reality of other people’s feelings, they know they’re being heard. Instead of denying feelings like anger, irritation, fear, or reluctance, we do better to articulate the other person’s point of view. It turns out that when people’s bad feelings are acknowledged, those feelings dissipate more easily.

This was a giant revelation to me. It really, really works. If you’d like to read a post I wrote on this subject, it’s here.

2. I also love Faber & Mazlish’s book Siblings Without Rivalry.

3. Practical Wisdom for Parents: Raising Self-Confident Children in the Preschool Years by Nancy Schulman and Ellen Birnbaum.

I love this book, in part because it’s a terrific book and in part because it was written by two people whom I really like and respect. In fact, as I describe in my book The Happiness Project, I played a small role in the book’s inception. (You can also read that story here.)

If you want to listen to a two-minute episode of “A Little Happier” where I describe one of the many wise things that Nancy Schulman said to me, it’s here.

4. Best Friends, Worst Enemies: Understanding the Social Lives of Children by Michael Thompson.

I’m a giant raving fan of Michael Thompson’s work. It’s practical, realistic, and insightful, plus it’s written in a very engaging way.

Here’s a post I wrote about a passage from the book about why it’s a bad idea to “interview for pain.” Again, this principle is just as true for adults as for kids.

5. I also love Thompson’s book Mom, They’re Teasing Me: Helping Your Child Solve Social Problems. If you want to hear “A Little Happier” episode where I talk about one of the most important lessons I gleaned from that book, it’s here.

6. The Blessing of a Skinned Knee by Wendy Mogel.

This is a very useful book that emphasizes why it’s important to let children make mistakes, suffer consequences, handle disappointment, and deal with boredom as part of their growing up. Harder than it sounds!

7. All Joy and No Fun: The Paradox of Modern Parenthood by Jennifer Senior.

For one thing, this is one of my all-time favorite titles. I love that paradox.

Unlike the other books in this list, this thought-provoking book isn’t a guide about parenting; it’s about the effect that having children has on the lives of mothers and fathers. Which is a fascinating topic.

8. The Defining Decade: Why Your Twenties Matter—And How to Make the Most of Them Now by Meg Jay.

True, this book has a somewhat terrifying title, but it’s very useful. A listener suggested it to me, so I read it and loved it, and because it was lying around the apartment, my older daughter, Eliza, read it, too. She found it extremely helpful, recommended it to her friends, and just told me last week that she often thinks about it. So I just gave Eliza the new book by Meg Jay, The Twentysomething Treatment.

9. Good Inside: A Guide to Becoming the Parent You Want to Be by Dr. Becky Kennedy.

“Dr. Becky’s” approach is really resonating with people. One of the things that I particularly appreciate about this book is that it deals straightforwardly with many of the challenges of parenting. For instance, there’s a chapter on whining. (And the discussion applies just as well to whiny adults as whiny children.)

10. The 5 Principles of Parenting: Your Essential Guide to Raising Good Humans by Aliza Pressman.

One of the most important things I’ve learned about happiness? There’s no one right way, there’s no single best way to make our lives happier, healthier, more productive, or more creative. So I really appreciate Aliza Pressman’s approach, because she argues that “there’s no one ‘right’ way to raise good humans”—and yet these five principles can be our guide.

11. The Opposite of Spoiled: Raising Kids Who Are Grounded, Generous, and Smart About Money by Ron Lieber.

This helpful book is very focused on a common challenge: How we can talk about money with our kids and instill good financial values and behaviors—so that children reach adulthood as “grounded, generous, and smart about money.”

What are your favorite books about parenthood? I’d be especially interested in any recommendations aimed at parents of twenty-something children. The days are long, but the years are short.

Updated April, 2024

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