What's a Title of a Good Parenting Book?

I have 3 boys. Now ages 16, 15, 15. Lol That says it all. No matter what else you read; read "Raising Boys" by James Dobson. Love it! Every parent and TEACHER needs to read it.

V.,

Jim Fay books are great, but my favorite is Dr. Jane Nelsen, Positive Discipline. I raised my children on them!!
A.

If you want to have responsible, respectful, well-behaved children, "Back in Control" by Gregory Bodenhamer is a must read. I bought this book when my daughter was a teen, but I wish I had had it when she was two!!

http://www.borders.com/online/store/TitleDetail?sku=06717...

Hi V.!

Great question! It shows great love for your children that you want to read and learn to help you in your role as their mom. What a gift for them.

I have a couple of books I would recommend, some of which have already been mentioned in the previous responses. I will preface it by saying that my recommendations are based on my worldview, so it is possible that you will not agree with the books I recommend. I am a Christian, and I have a biblical worldview. I believe that my role as a parent is not just to shape my child's behavior, but it is to direct her heart towards God. My role is to help her see her own insufficiency and to see her need for Jesus and His sufficiency in her life.

All that to say, these books will address transforming the heart of your child, but if you have a different worldview then you can disregard my recommendations. :)

Here's what I recommend:

- Shepherding a Child's Heart by Ted Trippe

- Don't Make Me Count to Three by Ginger Plowman

- Bringing Up Boys by James Dobson

Blessings to you and your family and to the 2 precious children that are about to be a part of your family. Adoption is a beautiful thing!

Love in Christ,

Lisa :)

I have read some very good ones in the past. The most recent one I'm reading and re-reading is "Children Are From Heaven". It's from the same author that wrote "Men are From Mars, Women are from Venus". It's a great positive parenting approach that helps you access your child's personality and parent from that perspective. I really like many of the ideas and tactics in that book.

Good luck. L.

Bringing Up Boys, by Dr. James Dobson. A must have!

Any book by Dr. Kevin Leman - "Have a New Kid by Friday", "Making Children Mind without Losing Yours", etc. He's a good Christian author.

http://www.haveanewkidbyfriday.com/BookTopicParenting.aspx

Check out these:
Shepherding Your Child's Heart
Love and Logic

I second "How to Talk so Kids Will Listen & Listen so Kids Will Talk." That's a great one.

I also liked The No-Cry Discipline Solution. It's broken down into sub areas that you can use as a great resource guide too, which I like.

I also am reading Kid CEO right now and it's really good. It's written by a pastor in Grapevine and relates to the Bible, so has a big Christian theme just so you are aware of that. If that's okay with you, I HIGHLY recommend it and they had a bunch at Half Price Books in Keller too for $6.

Thanks for this post, I love reading books too and will check some of the others out! :)

ditto to shepharding a child's heart. Best book ever. He spells out some great principles!

Hands down 'Kids are worth it!: Giving your child the gift of inner dicipline' by Barbara Coloroso. It is the best parenting book I've come across. It's a book of principles for raising children to experience safely consequences for their actions and learn how to make good choices for themselves. It is alot more work than giving your child timeout etc. but I'm hopeful that it pays off at the end.

I bet you never dreamed you'd get so many responses!! I have to second Karen H who suggested The Connected Child by Dr. Karen Purvis from TCU. It is a must read for anyone adopting children. You don't say whether it's from foster care, a relative or what so I'm not sure what your children's circumstances are. But irregardless if they aren't with bio family, there has been some sort of trauma for them. Thankfully, you have stepped in to add them to your family. We are in the process of adopting 3 children ourselves and this book has helped us to understand their behaviors so much more. It is phenomonal!! Another suggestions is Beyond Consequences by Heather Forbes. There is also a yahoo group that you can join where if anyone has any questions about parenting, you can ask and get a world's wealth of information from "seasoned" parents. Just go to the Beyond Consequences web site. Hope this helps

I have really enjoyed THE POWER OR POSITIVE PARENTING.

My daughter and I recently participated in the filming of a parenting video called The READY method.

It shows you how to:
Identify your child's signals and needs.
Respond to your child in a sensitive, supportive way.
Be emotionally and physically present to your child.
Encourage your child's intellectual, social, and emotional development.
Support your child's interests and curiosity.

There is a DVD and companion book that you can pre-order at:
http://www.readymethod.com

Shepherding a Child's Heart by Ted Tripp

Hi V.,

I'm reading Shepherding a Child's Heart by Tedd Tripp. It is awesome! I hope this helps. Have a great week

S.

Two that made a huge impact on me...
The Mommy Manual by Barbara Curtis
Love and Logic by Jim Fay & Charles Fay

This is the VERY BEST book for new parents or parents of an infant. I promise you that it worked magic for my son and the book is a national bestseller. I recommend it to all moms to be (although I see that you already have some kiddos already...and congratulations on your adoption! We have a 15 year old that we adopted when she was 8).

**The Happiest Baby on the Block by Harvey Karp, M.D.
The Happiest Toddler on the Block by Harvey Karp, M.D.

also if you are expecting a new baby - this will give you some laughs!
Belly Laughs by Jenny McCarthy

My latest favorite parenting book is Attached at the Heart: http://www.theprofessionalbaby.com/?p=400
I also love the Love and Logic books! Truly brilliant!

The Connected Child by Dr. Karyn Purvis, Dr. David Cross and Wendy Lyons Sunshine. Dr. Purvis and Dr. Cross are research psychologists at TCU and specialize in adoption and attachment. The book has been a tremendous resource for us. The concepts in their book apply especially to adopted children but can also enhance your relationship with your biological children.

Good luck!

K.

Parenting with Love and Logic (highly recommend)

Dare To Discipline by James Dobson.

Parenting with Love & Logic

Grace Based Parenting by Tim Kimmel

HTH!

There is a great book - Raising Boys.

I am a believer in Love and Logic. There are tons of books and CD's. Congratulations on your growing family!

Here are two that have very practical information (below the title I have included a description from Amazon.com).

Rite of Passage Parenting by Walker Moore

t's no secret: something has happened to America's families. Dramatic shifts in our culture mean that what was once an acceptable way to produce mature, capable adults has now all but disappeared. In Rite of Passage Parenting, family expert Walker Moore explains how that happened. And after concisely assessing the problem, Moore teaches you how to build into your children''s lives the essential experiences every child needs: (1) an authentic Rite of Passage, (2) Significant Tasks, (3) Logical Consequences, and (4) Grace Deposits from parents, grandparents, and other caring adults.

Walker Moore writes from years of experience as a minister, family speaker, youth culture specialist, and father. He knows well the damage to self-reliance, self-worth, values foundation, and identity that missing out on these essential experiences can cause. In Rite of Passage Parenting, he shows you how to prevent the damage and help your children move toward adulthood in a healthy way.

If you are concerned about the effects of the current cultural chaos; if you notice in your children a lack of responsibility, the lack of a good work ethic, disrespect for authority; if you are worried that your children may experiment with false rites of passage-profanity, smoking, drugs, alcohol, body piercing, or sex-let Walker Moore show you how to provide the four essential experiences most children are missing.

Three Steps to A Strong Family by Richard and Linda Eyre

The Eyres ( Teaching Your Children Values ) are supremely qualified to write a book about families: they have nine children. And all families, they advise us, need three elements: a legal system for settling disputes and setting rules, an economy to teach financial responsibility and an identity for building strong values and traditions. Unlike many other parenting books, this one encourages parents to respect children without coddling them. Practical and clear-cut methods put much responsibility on the children, while fostering their sense of security, enabling them to become successful and independent adults. The Eyres encourage such things as establishing a "family bank" into which children can deposit or withdraw funds they have earned; and allowing children over age 8 to purchase their own clothing. The authors urge families to build habits that are both enjoyable and productive, and to hold regular meetings to which everyone contributes. Italicized comments from the authors' children--including misspellings--add perspective and a human touch. While the methods here are systematic and fun, dual-income parents may find it hard to find time to implement them.

Parenting with Love and Logic by Jim Fay. Awesome strategies!

You may not like my response but I think there are too many contradictions in parenting books....just go with your motherly instincts...btw, I think it's awesome you are adopting!!

How to Talk so Kids Will Listen & Listen so Kids Will Talk.
Love and Logic.
Bringing Up Boys.
The Happiest Toddler on the Block.

Anything by Dr Sears!

The Love and Logic books are great. Check out their web-site. http://www.loveandlogic.com/ Good luck!!

Children are from Heaven by John Gray

Healthy sleep habits for the happy child, love and logic!

Child Training Tips by Bradley (very practical!!)
Shepherding a Child's Heart by Tripp

You go girl!! God bless you!

Hi V.,

My co-author and I just wrote a wonderful book for parents of young children entitled "Come Into My World!". It is full of wonderful activities to help develop young children's minds, bodies and souls. We were on Good Morning Texas this morning promoting it. If you would like to read more about it, our website is www.LunitaCompany.com. Good luck! A.

The Mission of Motherhood by Sally Clarkson and Disciplines of a Godly Family by Kent and Barbara Hughes...both awesome Christian based books. And Don't Make Me Count to Three by Ginger Plowman.