Parenting Books

Parenting books: there are a slew of them out there and it's a rather daunting task to find the 'perfect' one for your family and as a new parent, the one that is going to tell you everything you need to know and maybe even hold your hand along the way. I've approached parenting books with a 'less is more' approach. Basically, I avoid most of them. I have a select few that have come across my path that have been enjoyable to read and helpful to me. (And of course there a million different parenting websites, forums, blogs, etc. on the interent in which you are inundated with 100,000+ different opinions on parenting. I stay clear of most of these too.)
In days of the past, most new parents had help from their own parents, siblings, aunts, uncles, friends, church family, but today, we live in a more independent society and many new parents live away from family. Therefore, our help comes mostly from books, not people. That is not to say that parents and in-laws and every woman you meet who has had a baby doesn't offer advice. They do! And most of them expect you to use their advice. You can't use everyone's advice so mostly we chalk it up to 'the old ways' and 'the new ways'. If your mom or grandma did it, then it's probably out-dated, so let's check the latest research and see what they do.

This is a list of books that I read during my pregnancy that were enjoyable and beneficial:
1. What To Expect When You're Expecting 4th Edition
2. Your Pregnancy and Childbirth: Month to Month 5th Edition
3. How to Have Your Second Child First: 100 Things That are Good to Know the First Time Around
4. Heading Home With Your Newborn: From Birth to Reality 2nd Edition
5. Bringing Up Bebe
6. How Eskimos Keep Their Babies Warm and Other Adventures in Parenting

And this is a list of books I've read since the baby was born and/or am currently still reading:
1. What to Expect The First Year
2. Twelve Hours' Sleep by Twelve Weeks Old
3. Caring For Your Baby and Young Child: Birth to Age 5
4. Supernanny: How to Get the Best from Your Children
5. Super Nutrition for Babies: The Right Way to Feed Your Baby for Optimal Health
6. The Petit Appetit Cookbook: Easy, Organic Recipes to Nurture Your Baby and Toddler
7. The Best Homemade Baby Food on the Planet
8. French Kids Eat Everything

Now this might look like a long list and you're thinking, "I thought she avoided most of them". But, 4 of these are food/cookbooks, 5 are written by doctors so they are more fact than opinion, and 3 are lighthearted and written from a parents real-life experience. So, only 2 are actually 'parenting' books, as in telling you what to do as a parent.

In the first list, 3, 5, & 6 were my favorites. They are easy reads with lighthearted stories and anecdotes. When you're pregnant, or in the early months of being a mommy, it's nice to read something that makes you laugh and helps you to see reality.

The Sleep Training book helped us tremendously and I highly recommend it. It gives some really great tips in helping your child to sleep through the night and to fall back to sleep on their own if they do wake up. It takes away the parent being a slave to their child each time their little eyes pop open.
And right now since my baby is 4 months old, I'm reading through the cookbooks. They are each interesting in their own way and exciting because I love food!

Added notes: My husband hasn't read one word of any of these books (and he never will because he isn't a reader, he prefers magazines, and I'm totally cool with that). He is famous for coming home from the office with random pieces of parenting advice and wisdom. I just nod and smile because it's either a) something I already know or b) something I'm definitely not going to do such as give my 4 month old Tylenol. (Actually once one of the women had great advice for coping with gas pains - I can admit when I don't know everything.)
I have used much of the advice given to me from experienced moms.