baby behind stacks of books
For New Parents
As a new parent, you shouldn’t necessarily feel pressured to read. However, there are various parenting books out there that WILL provide encouragement and support should you choose to pursue reading in your spare time. Maybe you have questions about a particular discipline or care issue. Turning to a published book provides a level of legitimacy and research, especially for new parents.
• What to Expect the First Year by Heidi Murkoff and Sharon Mazel. It is easy to get entrenched in pregnancy and childbirth. The ins and outs of that entire process are all consuming, especially with your first baby. This book takes new parents through the first year, and it is a comprehensive guide to many of the things you will encounter as your baby develops.
• Baby Bargains: Secrets to Saving by Denise Fields and Alan Fields. This guide is a helpful primer (make sure to buy the most updated version) on creative and practical ways to save money on baby products and gear.
• Making Children Mind Without Losing Yours by Kevin Lehman. As you develop a system and philosophy of discipline as a parent, it is a good idea to start reading about the various methodologies that exist. Dr. Lehman writes about what he refers to as “reality discipline”. There are many popular books on discipline by experts in parenting, psychology, etc. This is merely one of the many available to parents. Be sure to research and read a number of books to begin to develop your own philosophy about how you will choose to raise your children and set up your home environment.
• Disease-Proof Your Child: Feeding Kids Right by Joel Fuhrman. This is a book on nutrition gears towards family life and children of all ages. Fuhrman is a physician who wants to help families eat a nutrient-rich diet focused on chronic disease and illness prevention. It is a great guide that features scientific evidence and research-based methods which encourage parents to feed their children the right foods on a regular basis. It also provides various easy-to-make, kid-friendly recipes.
• A book on sleep training. Select a book on sleep training that fits with your instincts and desires as a new parent. Do some research online and talk with other moms. There are many books available on sleep, including The Happiest Baby on the Block, 12 Hours Sleep by 12 Weeks, On Becoming Baby Wise, and Secrets of the Baby Whisperer. Read reviews, talk with your pediatrician, and select a book to read that resonates with your family.
For Babies and Toddlers
Research shows that reading aloud to even the smallest babies contributes to their growth and development, and to their understanding of language. National Reading Month gives us the opportunity to remind parents the importance of reading aloud and its direct correlation to literacy development. Perhaps most importantly, reading to your children promotes a stronger parent child bond and instills a love of literature in your children.
Here’s a short reading list to get you started, all of which are available as board books:
• Over in the Ocean in a Coral Reef by Marianne Berkes and Jeanette Canyon. This book (and her other title, Over in the Jungle) has colorful hand-created clay images and beautifully flowing rhymes to keep babies and toddlers engaged and coming back for more.
• But Not the Hippopotamus by Sandra Boynton. All of Boynton’s books are popular with parents, and this title is no exception. Rhymes and hilarious hand-drawn illustrations create a memorable experience for your little one.
• Each Peach Pear Plum by Allan Ahlberg and illustrations by Janet Ahlberg. Beautifully written and illustrated, this board book is a classic.
• Gossie by Olivier Dunrea (part of the Gossie & Friends series). These fun books contain loveable animal characters with simple words and phrases.
• The Little Finger Puppet Board Books. Created by ImageBooks, this series consists of very small, short board books with finger puppets embedded. Babies love them, and they get to learn about various animals as well!
• The Cozy Classics series by Holman and Jack Wang. The authors have created beautiful felted scenes, each with a corresponding word, thereby condensing various pieces of classic literature, including Pride and Prejudice, Huckleberry Finn, and Great Expectations, among others. As a bonus, the authors have also created a Star Wars series based upon Episodes IV, V & VI. This series is a great way to introduce little ones to pieces of classic literature!
• My First Mother Goose by Tomie dePaola. Beloved nursery rhymes in board book form with corresponding illustrations, this book is a fantastic piece of literature for babies and toddlers!