Hello! I am wondering if you have read any parenting books that you really liked and would recommend. I have an 18 mth old who is starting the phase of tantrums and hitting and a 4 year old who is starting to lie about random things. Oh, they are both boys. Thanks!
I LOVED Happiest Toddler on the Block by Dr. Karp
How to talk to kids so kids will listen and how to listen so kids will talk
I LOVE Dr. Sears Discipline Book. I studied infant and toddler psychology in college and his is the most thorough and well rounded of most I have read, and it covers topics from birth to age 10. It isn't just about discipline, but how to create better bonds and communication with your children as well and how to discipline in a positive way. A lot of his tips are online, but I still recommend the book:
http://askdrsears.com/topics/parenting
http://www.amazon.com/Discipline-Book-Better-Behaved-Chil...
I have also heard great things about the book Playful Parenting:
http://www.amazon.com/Playful-Parenting-Lawrence-J-Cohen/...
"Making the Terrible Two's Terrific!" by John Rosemond is very insightful.
Happiest Toddler for your youngest, and How to Talk So Kids Will Listen, and Listen So Kids Will Talk, by Faber and Mazlish for more verbal kids. These are the ones I found to be the most effective and practical.
There are other terrific books, too:
Playful Parenting by Lawrence J. Cohen, PhD.;
Raising Your Spirited Child: A Guide for Parents Whose Child Is More Intense, Sensitive, Perceptive, Persistent, and Energetic by Mary Kurcinka;
and Raising an Emotionally Intelligent Child by John Gottman;
are others that I found well worth reading.
Great question, S.!
I have "The New Parent Power!" by John Rosemond. I love all of his books. He also wrote, "Making the 'Terrible' Twos Terrific," which is a great resource for parents with kids that age. He's a psychologist, and has a very common-sense and traditional approach that has really resonated with our family.
ETA: Not sure where Kristen R. is getting her information, but I am not religious whatsoever, have read several of John Rosemond's books cover to cover, and nowhere in any of them does he state that "using psychology is satanic" (??), nor do any of his books that I've read contain bible-based anything. In fact, he does use psychology in almost all of his recommendations. I wish people would actually read books before commenting on them!
The best place for advice is parents who have kids who are A) slightly older than yours, B) have similair temperments to your kids and C) who's behavior you admire. That said I like all the Dr Sears books for starting spots for brainstorming.....
Positive Discipline by Jane Nelsen She has several to fit different age groups. I think one book is for 0-3 years, then another book for preschoolers, etc..
As for your 4 year old, he really isn't meaning to lie. I've read up on that a bit and it's more that they aren't separating reality from imagination. It's definitely something they need to learn to not do, but they aren't bad and trying to lie. That made me feel better when I read that!
But I HIGHLY recommend the Positive Discpline books. I bought her basic one "Positive Discipline", which explains the parenting style. But I realized I needed more specific books for age groups, which is why I ended up getting the 0-3 years and the preschool Positive Discipline books too.
Good luck!
ADDED: I just saw the preview posted mentioned Love and Logics. I have read those and loved those too. But, for me, it didn't quite have it all figured out...there was something that just wasn't right to me. The Positive Discipline books are very similar, but seems to have a slightly better method (in my opinion...Love and Logics is pretty good too). I guess with Love and Logics, I found some of their solutions a little too much. Anyway, I'll stop typing.
The Love and Logic books are great. Parenting With Love and Logic. I borrowed it from the library and liked it so much I bought it to reference back to later! :)
The First Three Years of Life, Revised, by Burton White. It is packed with information about each stage and parenting strategies.
This book isn't going to help with those things, but it's still worth reading: The Three Martini Playdate, by Christi Mellors. It's a humor book, ostensibly, but actually she does articulate a serious, worthwhile parenting philosophy. Mellors points out (gently, and with humor) how far we parents have gone in the direction of making our children the center of our lives, to the extent that we ourselves no longer feel entitled to have a life of our own.
It's a beautifully written, funny book that will nudge you to think about mothering in a different way, for the good of yourself and your children.
If you decide to read some of John Rosemond's books, keep in mind that he is a psychologist who thinks that using psychology in parenting is satanic, became a fundamentalist Christian some years ago, believes in biblical-based parenting, and has views on spanking and toilet-training that many find controversial.
