Top 5 Books for Parents
As a therapist, and parent myself, I'm often asked if there are any resources that I recommend for parents. Below is a list of the five most recommended books on my bookshelf, along with a brief snippet of what each is about.
The Whole-Brain Child by Daniel J. Sigel, M.D., and Tina Payne Bryson, Ph.D.: This book is life-changing, practical, and offers an easy understanding of brain development, specifically in children. You learn how a the brain develops and why kids behave the way they do sometimes. It’s enlightening and this is my most recommended resource for parents.
Raising Good Humans by Hunter Clarke-Fields, MSAE: is a book about mindful parenting and how to break the cycle of reactive parenting to show up better for our children. Another easy and digestible read with real-life scenarios and prompts to help parents and caregivers learn and implement more mindful ways of parenting.
Burnout by Emily Nagoski, Ph.D., and Amelia Nagoski, DMA: This book is not geared specifically toward parenting, but in our high-demand culture, burnout can affect how we parent. This book breaks down the stress cycle and teaches ways to bring more balance and joy back into our lives.
What Happened To You by Oprah Winfrey and Dr. Bruce Perry: Written in an interview style, Dr. Perry and Oprah go deep into the topic of Trauma. It’s an easily digestible and brilliant reframe of the way we currently view trauma. The basic premise is to ask the question “what happened to you” rather than “what’s wrong with you.” Even just writing that gives me chills because that’s the base of my work, not to fix what’s wrong but to help you understand what happened and how to work with what happened rather than around it.
No-Drama Discipline The Whole-Brain Way to Calm the Chaos and Nurture Your Child’s Developing Mind by Dr. Daniel Siegel and Dr. Tina Bryson. Learn more healthy and effective ways to approach discipline. Pair this book with The Whole-Brain Child for a double hit of parenting advice!
You can find all of these books, and more, here!
I hope you find one book here that helps you on your journey to be your best self.
In (parenting) solidarity, Ryanne
