Brett’s Picks – Parenting Books |my favourite parenting books every parent should read

Parenting Books. In my talk called Parenting: Navigating Everything, I cover numerous topics in the realm of parenting such as parenting styles, time, communication, and discipline. The list below includes all the books I promote and I quote in the presentation. I will do other book lists for different topics like mental health, sex, and media etc but this one is my top picks for books on the greater concept of parenting. I have given you direct links to Amazon in Canada and the US after each book. You can find full descriptions on Amazon.

I would suggest having a parenting book on the go at all times whether its a physical book or a Kindle version. Read a chapter or even just 10 pages a day. You will easily then read around a book or 2 every month. I have put (faith-based) at the end of the book if the author has faith-based content in the book. If you want to be better parents pick up a few books to help you in this area.

1. The Collapse of Parenting: How We Hurt Our Kids When We Treat Them Like Grown-Ups – Leonard Sax (Canada) (US)
2. Trophy Child: Saving Parents from Performance, Preparing Children for Something Greater Than Themselves – Ted Cunningham (Faith-based) (Canada) (US)
3. Hold On to Your Kids: Parents Need to Matter More Than Peers – Gorden Neufeld & Gabor Maté (Canada) (US)
4. 12 Huge Mistakes Parents Can Avoid: Leading Your Kids to Succeed in Life – Tim Elmore (Canada) (US)
5. How to Raise an Adult: Break Free of the Overparenting Trap and Prepare Your Kid for Success – Julie Lythcott-Haims (Canada) (US)
6. Revolutionary Parenting: What the Research Shows Really Works – George Barna (Faith-based) (Canada) (US)
7. The Price of Privilege: How Parental Pressure and Material Advantage Are Creating a Generation of Disconnected and Unhappy Kids – Madaline Levine (Canada) (US)
8. Dr. Karyn’s Guide To The Teen Years: Understanding and Parenting Your Teenagers – Karyn Gordon (Canada) (US)
9. Free-Range Kids: How to Raise Safe, Self-Reliant Children (Without Going Nuts with Worry) – Lenore Skenazy (Canada) (US)
10. Under Pressure: Putting the Child Back in Childhood – Carl Honoré (Canada) (US)
11. Parenting Beyond Your Capacity: Connecting Your Family to a Wider Community – Reggie Joiner & Carey Nieuwhof (Faith-based) (Canada) (US)
12. The Gift of Failure: How the Best Parents Learn to Let Go So Their Children Can Succeed – Jessica Lahey (Canada) (US)
13. The Grown Ups Guide to Teenage Humans: How to Decode Their Behavior, Develop Unshakable Trust, and Raise a Respectable Adult – Josh Shipp (Canada) (US)
14. The Power of Moments: Why Certain Experiences Have Extraordinary Impact – Chip and Dan Heath (Canada) (US)
15. The 5 Love Languages of Children: The Secret to Loving Children Effectively – Gary Chapman & Ross Campbell (Canada) (US)
16. The 5 Love Languages of Teenagers: The Secret to Loving Teens Effectively – Gary Chapman & Ross Campbell (Canada) (US)
17. Secrets of Discipline: 12 Keys for raising responsible children – Ronald. G. Morrish (Canada) (US)

These are all parenting books that I have read and I found very helpful in my own parenting, as well as I use their content in my talks. If there are any great books you think I am missing please send them to me. This list will grow over time.

Added Aug 18, 2021

My book Parenting: Navigating is now available. You can find where to purchase from this link. Click here.

Disclaimer: This blog contains affiliate links to Amazon