Parenting books

liliq

My son is nearly 21 months.
When I was pregnant I had 'What to Expect When You're Expecting' which I liked reading to see what stage baby was at, I also had 'The Better Birth' book which I wish I'd read more closely!
Since my baby was born I haven't really read parenting books though. I loved the wonder weeks book (or mostly the app) until he was 18 months, and I've read 'Raising Boys' by Steve Biddulph since. I've briefly read the odd chapter of a few others but there seems to be such a huge number of parenting books, andI hear people talking about a few particular authors at different groups or on parenting segments on radio.

So I was wondering, do most people read or reference these books? Do you have any criteria for chosing them? Do you find them useful, or do you find them unhelpful? Are there any you would swear by or any you would avoid like the plague?

How Strange

I'm a huge fan of David Coleman and I have his parenting book. I've read it cover to cover but I also find it handy for dipping into if we come across a particular issue.

I really like his parenting style which I'd say is very gentle and child centred. It really appealed to me because I felt that I needed to learn the skills of how to be a good parent to our children.

I think he's very practical and easy going and a breath of fresh air compared to the baby trainers with their lists of do's and don'ts.

I can personally vouch for his methods of positive reinforcement, communication and distraction when they're kicking off because our 2 yr old has adjusted so well to his new sister and the changes in our home. We used a lot of the ideas from his book. I was prepared for an awful 4-6 weeks but it's been remarkably uneventful.

Moonbeam

I read the pregnancy books 1st time around but have not read any since.
I think half of the parenting books scare people more then anything.
I do read text books about childhood education and development though.

deisemum

My favourite was Toddler Taming by Dr Christopher Green. He's got a sense of humour too.

Lisha

I would second dr Christopher greens toddler taming.
I think David Coleman's approach is very similar .
I'm a fan of keeping things simple and down to earth as much as possible .

pwurple

I like taming todders as well.
I have the dr spock baby and childcare book.

Otherwise I go to the odd parenting course. Triple P or children and baby first aid.

hoodwinked

to be honest i read a few books before i had our daughter but after i used the babycenter website instead.

i find it handy for checking up on developmental milestones and some issues we had with night terrors...etc

LadyMayBelle

I really ike David Coleman's books, very usefu and pratical.
On a more sciencey note, Margot Sunderland's 'What Every Parent Needs to Know' is a handy go to book also, lots of info about brain development in the early stages.

Hannibal Smith

My in laws got us the contended baby book. I read the first few pages and dumped it. Its like reading your horoscope. ..how can one book suit all and how do you have the time to figure out which book applies to your child?

We've survived perfectly well going it alone...at least I think we have...its normal for me to be hiding under the stairs while they run riot...right?

nesf

I found most parenting books I looked at a complete waste of my time. Most of them seem to based on non-scientific or pseudoscientific theories (i.e. not tested properly) on child rearing and have little more to recommend them than talking to your parents about how to deal with an issue.

Some, David Coleman's for example, are at least based on some psychological research. These are interesting, you shouldn't treat them like bibles, psychology is far from a hard science, but if you are interested in reading parenting books those are the books I'd start with.


Edit: This book is worth reading: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Selfish-Reasons-Have-More-Kids/dp/046501867X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1371126203&sr=8-1&keywords=selfish+reasons+to+have+more+kids

It's not because I agree with him, I don't, and it's not because there aren't flaws with what he says. However, he does dig through a lot of research to pull up empirical counterpoints to a lot of received wisdom that we get as parents and a healthy dose of scepticism about the advice others give you goes a long way.

Mink

I've heard the "contented baby" books are not great.

Does anyone pay any attention to Super Nanny, ie does her stuff work in real life? I've watched the shows but not gone through any of her books.

I feel like I should read something to ease us into toddlerdom as he'll be one soon and I'm losing track of the milestones and activities I should be doing with him.

eviltwin

Not a fan of them, tbh I prefer to look at websites and get practical help for parents who have been there personally rather than some expert. One that is the exception however is a book called "How to Talk to Teens so Teens Will Listen and Listen so Teens Will Talk" by Adele Faber. Its a very light hearted read but has some good tips on how to keep communication open with your teen. Some of the tips have been useful for dealing with difficult people in work too.