Seeking a Good Parenting Book

Mostly, parenting books are only as good as the willingness of the person to follow them. One of the best I have found, because it is good advice and easy to read - much of it is in cartoon form - is How To Talk So Kids Will Listen and Listen So KIds Will Talk. By Faber and Mazlish. The companion to this is SIblings Without Rivalry, a life saver for me!

This is for kids, not necessarily babies. A baby manual is a different story! Good Luck!

"The Expectant Father" is a hoot. It's written like an owner's manuel. Funny but it does review the basics as well.

The first time I was pregnant I got my husband "The Baby Owner's Manual: Operating instructions, trouble shooting tips, and advice on first year maintenance" by Louis and Joe Borgenicht. It was very funny and informative on a basic level....step by step instructions on diapering and swaddling. It even had illustrations.
J. W

rs

your pregnancy week by week father's guide is not a parenting book but it will help him with that whole dealing with the preggo women thing and it has neat little tips for him to my baby's father LOVED it and it understood him and his feelings to. plus i believe it has the first few weeks info for when the baby and mommy come home.

What to Expect when your Expecting
What to Expect the First year
What to Expect the Toddler Years...all great books and I believe there is another one now too.

Hi -

As mentioned by Tatiana in an earlier post, the books by Armin Brott are really terrific for Dads. By a Dad for Dads. My husband really enjoyed having his own books (although I read them, too!)

Hi R. -
The first and only book my husband ever read, that I gave him, was The Baby Whisperer (he is not an avid reader by any means). It was recommended to me when I was pregnant with my first daughter and my husband and I actually read it together. He really liked the book and it is packed with awesome information - it is not written specifically for fathers, it is written for parents, or any primary caregiver. I found myself turning to this book time and again. I am now pregnant with my second and I plan on reading the book again (how soon we forget!) Good Luck!

I got "So, You're Going to be a Dad" for my husband when we were expecting our first. We have passed it on or else I could tell you the author. Its funny and fairly to the point on how to be a good husband and father during this overwhelming time.

Hi R.,

I always give "TouchPoints" by Dr. Berry Brazelton for baby showers. It is broken down into ages and stages and explains things in easy to understand dialogue. Most sections are short and easy to read. I recommend it to 1st time and 2nd, 3rd time parents.

C. T.

I love the book Why Gender Matters by Leonard Sax. I think it's a book that would appeal to a father, too.

I got my husband a book by Peter Downey called So You're Going To Be A Dad. Full of information and very funny. My husband loved it.

Off the top of my head, two I can think of would be:

The Baby Owner's Manual: Operating Instructions, Trouble-Shooting Tips, and Advice on First-Year Maintenance by the Borgenichts is different and amusing. It's set up like an owner's manual for an appliance. There's also one for toddlers that I haven't read.

There's also The Complete Idiot's Guide to Fatherhood.

http://www.amazon.com/Father-Knows-Best-Dads-Be/dp/078920...

It's a book set - I got the first three for my hubby when we were pregnant, and got the latest Toddler book for him for his birthday. He loves it. The language is better suited to guys than most parenting books, plus it focuses on what HE brings to the table. I had no idea that despite a shared responsibility for finances, my husband was losing sleep about fiscal responsibility while I micromanaged our food intake! The individual books are:

The Expectant Father, Facts, Tips, and Advice for Dads-to-Be; The New Father
A Dad's Guide to the First Year
A Dad's Guide to the Toddler Years (The New Father)
by Armin A. Brott (Author), Jennifer Ash (Author)

Another hysterical one is Be Prepared: A Practical Handbook for New Dads (Paperback). If your friend is freaked out and just needs a few tips to refresh the Boy Scout he once was, this book fits the bill!

Enjoy!