Books for motherhood. Does that sound like an oxymoron to you? It does for me. I buy SO many books for my kids, and I'm reading to them constantly, but let me tell you something: I struggle A LOT with finding time for myself to read & to grow myself. It is a major challenge for me. I love reading and I want to model a lifestyle of reading for my children, but it. is. hard. Finding time to read, is one thing, but finding time to read and not fall asleep is an entirely different battle. Despite the challenge, I want my kids to see me reading, so I'm working hard at it. I've round up some of my favorite books that I always come back to for various reasons in three different categories: infertility & pregnancy, the early years, and homeschooling. I've made this a 3-part series so that my brain isn't overwhelmed. Today, I'm tackling my favorite books on the early years.
Also in this series:
Before I really start I have to say: parenting books are not my thing. I'm NOT a big parenting book person. Parenting books are overwhelming, over the top, unrealistic, don't apply to me, make me feel worse about myself, or I just plain don't agree with the presented philosophy. All that to say, I'm very selective about what book I'm actually going to try really hard to read. I don't have a lot of time so I'm not going to waste it on just any book. Occasionally I find a gem of a book that works really well for me and these are the ones I'm sharing with you today.
This first book goes in all of the categories. I can't tell you how many copies of this book I have gifted to others, because it addresses ALL of life's issues. The Greatest Book of all time, the Bible. I like this one just because it's pretty :-) There is a devotional that goes with it that I just ordered to try.
The Mommy Brain: How Motherhood Makes Us Smarter: Despite the title of this book, I have been known to claim before that motherhood has made me dumber. Ha! What I really mean is that sleep deprivation certainly has taken it's toll on me before, but to be honest, the experience of pregnancy and motherhood has changed my brain to make me smarter and more equipped to raise children. The neuroscientist side of me absolutely loves this book and how it explains how the brain changes as a result of this motherhood experience (all based in statistical evidence). I already love the brain but every time I learn something new about it, I am even more enamored in the divine complexities of the best organ in the human body, and I am able to admire the brilliancy of The Great Creator.
Bringing Up Bebe: Perhaps I should have put this book in the pregnancy section to read before baby arrives? Yeah probably. Okay, well it's here now. I love this book for the comparison of the vast cultural differences in parenting. I would say that not only do I prefer French food, but I also prefer their parenting techniques. I highly recommend this fun and insightful book.
Loving the Little Years: The infant months are hard because you're just getting to know this new little human and you're tired. But let me tell you, it gets MUCH harder when they can talk. Their energy levels go up, they're mobile, and get this, they have their own opinions. It's like they're real little humans! What?! Sarcasm aside, the early years are really challenging. And sometimes it is hard to find joy in the mundane. This book is a great place to start if you're realizing that your tiny little human can talk, move, and form their own opinions, and you're struggling with the continuous correction and redirecting in parenting.
Daily Guidepost for the First Year of Motherhood: This is similar to the pregnancy devotional I mentioned in my list of pregnancy books, in that there is a verse of scripture & a short devotion for every day of the first year of motherhood. I liked how short it was because sometimes I needed a BIG dose of God in a short amount of time. This did the trick to make sure I was in conversation with Him while figuring out my new role as a mama. Also what is neat about this devotion, is that each day follows the development of the child to meet you where you are during that first year. I have given this as gifts to new mamas several times.
Don't Make Me Count to Three: You've seen this book before if you've been around here for a while. We love how this book presents a biblical perspective for heart training, character development, & discipline. Our main concern with disciplining in our home is addressing the heart of the child. Behavior is simply a reflection of what is going on in the heart so it is imperative for us to address the heart first with biblical principals. "Behavior is simply what alerts you to your child's need for correction. Don't allow the desire of changed behavior to replace your desire for a changed heart...Teaching children only to change their outward behavior is no more commendable than teaching a seal to jump through a hoop...When we focus on our children's outside behavior and neglect what is inside, we will cause our children to become manipulators." In order to address the heart, communication is necessary and we really appreciate how it is presented in this book.
Gentle Babies: I know I mentioned this book in the pregnancy section, but maybe that is just a testament to how much I really do like this book and use it all. the. time! I love this reference guide for my crunchy life. It's a great resource for tips on how to use oils safely with pregnancy, labor, delivery, infants, & children. I have used this also to promote a calm environment when I have a lot of little ones running around (calm for me & for them!)
There are a lot of great books out there but these are definitely my favorites right now. What others have you come across that you would add to this list or recommend for me to read?
Don't forget to check out my other book recommendations:
Obligatory Blogger Disclaimer: I was not compensated for this review; I genuinely enjoy these books.
