Recommended Resources

Below are brief descriptions of resources we have read (in many cases, more than once) and found particularly helpful. The links here will take you to Amazon and, if you decide to make a purchase, will earn us a few cents. Or swing by your local library to check out the books that interest you.

Parenting

Protecting the Gift: Keeping Children and Teenagers Safe (and Parents Sane) by Gavin de Becker

This book, written by the author of The Gift of Fear, is not a fun read due to the topics it is a necessary read. I consider it to be one of the ten best books I have read on parenting. Truly helpful information, from tips to hiring a nanny or babysitter to talking with your kids about what they should do if you lose them in a store to listening to your own intuition, is delivered in a clear and thoughtful manner. This is one of the few books I recommend to all new parents.

Siblings Without Rivalry: How to Help Your Children Live Together So You Can Live Too by Adele Faber and Elaine Mazlish

If you have more than one child, you need to read this book. Rich and I decided early on that we wanted our daughters to be friends as well as sisters. The advice we gained from this book had helped us avoid difficult situations and work our way through others in a way that has strengthened the girls’ relationships to each other and to us. Well worth the read.

The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Families by Stephen R. Covey

Chances are you have heard of The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People and the impact it has had on businesses. This book, which covers the same seven habits from the perspective of the family, can have that same level of impact on your family. The processes covered by Covey can be nothing less than life changing. Really.

Your Child’s Strengths: A Guide for Parents and Teachers by Jennifer Fox

Through various jobs Rich and I were exposed to the strengths-based philosophy and thought applying it to parenting made loads of sense. We see one of our main parenting jobs to search for clues about our children’s strengths so we can help them gain experiences in the areas of their gifts. This book will show you both how to search and what to do with what you find.

Pregnancy

Mothering Magazine’s Having a Baby, Naturally: The Mothering Magazine Guide to Pregnancy and Childbirth by Peggy O’Mara, Jackie Facciolo, and Wendy Ponte

Pregnancy is an exciting and scary time. There is so much to dream about and worry over that it can become overwhelming. This book contains a great deal of helpful information without ever going into the panic mode so common in pregnancy guides.

The Expectant Father: Facts, Tips and Advice for Dads-to-Be, Second Edition by Armin A. Brott and Jennifer Ash

When we were pregnant with our eldest daughter, Rich actively searched for resources geared towards dads. There wasn’t much then and there isn’t much now. Fortunately, The Expectant Father is informative and reassuring without being belittling to fathers or mothers.

Online Classes

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