This blog post is all about the best first time parent books every new parent needs!
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First Time Parent Books are essential!!
It would be a disservice to yourself, your children, and your family not to read or learn from others about great parenting practices!
Buying books is an investment that can take a big chunk out of your budget, so I would never recommend a book that is not life-changing.
One thing to always keep in mind while reading parenting books is to take what you think would benefit your life, children, marriage, parenting style, etc., and leave what you disagree with!
You do not have to agree with everything a book is claiming!
This blog post reviews the best first time parent books on sleep, parenting, Christian parenting, and unhurried motherhood!
Must Read First Time Parent Books
Precious Little Sleep
Sleep will consume your brain cells when you have your first baby, especially if you don’t have the unicorn baby who miraculously sleeps when he/she is ready and sleeps for 8 to 12 hours straight.
Hahaha, I seriously don’t think there’s a baby who sleeps like that, at least not in my experience!
Precious Little Sleep, though, has all the information you need on sleep and how to understand your baby’s sleep, which is not discussed before you bring your baby home.
The most significant pointers in this book are
- Newborn Sleep
- Safe Sleep Practices
- Wake Windows & Number of Naps Recommended
- Teaching Your Baby How to Sleep – SO CRUCIAL
- Sleep Training
- Handling Nighwakings
- Naps
- Sleep Set Backs
Precious Little Sleep is loaded with great information on baby sleep. If you are a new parent, you will spend many hours on Google or buying a product that promises your baby will sleep through the night.
Having this book under your belt will save you stress, money, and late-night Google searches! Out of all of these, this is the best first-time parent books you need!
The 5 Principles of Parenting
The 5 Principles of Parenting is a book based on conclusive research. It covers everything from infancy to the teenage years and also covers uncomfortable topics.
The 5 Principles this book talks about are…
- Relationships
- Reflection
- Regulation
- Rules
- Repair
“These are the Five R’s that lead to resilience — to humans who can weather life’s storms and stay true to their values.” – The 5 Principles of Parenting
One of the sections that struck me was right at the beginning of the chapter, which talks about regulating emotions. The question is, how can we require our little ones to be self-regulated if we can’t regulate our own emotions? Isn’t that SO TRUE??
This book is an excellent science-based parenting book that I recommend you read!!
Hunt Gather Parent
Hunt, Gather, Parent is an amazing book, especially for this generation of stressed-out Mothers!
The Author, Michaeleen Doucleff, takes a trip to a small Maya village in Yucatan to explore how they parent there. She discovers motherhood is enjoyable and less stressful than motherhood in the States!
Most parents want to control everything their little ones do, even down to their emotions. Often, when they react or do something we think they shouldn’t, it leads to major conflicts ALL THE TIME.
Instead of having or wanting this control over our kids, this book covers how we can relate to our children without that control.
This book will make you slow down in motherhood and include, listen to, and understand your child deeply.
You will go from building an individualist family to a collectivist family (more of a team).
The Art of Parenting
The Art of Parenting was one of the first Christian parenting books I read, and it changed the way I raised my kids!
This book covers 5 Major sections…
- A parakeet Teaches God’s Love
- Relationships Matter
- Building Character
- What is Identity
- Mission
What I absolutely loved about this book is its straightforwardness about what every child needs. It also talks about what the parents need, and the biggest one is not having a dusty Bible!
Show your kids love even when they are unloveable.
It’s choosing self-control when you would instead yell at them, choosing to tell your children you love them every day, thanking God for your child’s preferences, etc.
This book will change the way you see and parent your little one. It is a MUST HAVE!!
8 Errors Parents Make and How to Avoid Them
8 Errors Parents Make and How to Avoid Them is a complete game changer to the way you parent. It is another Christian book that guides you through your parenting journey with a Christian perspective. You have to read this book front to back multiple times.
The Errors being…
- Shifting blame
- Low Expectations
- A Child-Centered Home
- Failing to Discipline
- Reasoning with Your Toddler
- Neglecting Your Grade-Schooler
- Disrespecting Your Teenager
- Missing Christ
The Errors are the big chapters, but there are small chapters called actions within the chapter.
For example,
Error Number 1: Shifting Blame
- Action 1: Behave like you want your children to behave
- Action 2: Be the authority
- Action 3: Stop nitpicking.
- Action 4: Prioritize your marriage.
- Action 5: Show your children that mom and dad like each other.
- Action 6: Present a united front
This is the type of book where you have to read the whole thing, or else you will be left disagreeing with everything. It balances out the “nos” with the “yes.”
The Elimination of Hurry
The Elimination of Hurry isn’t specifically about Motherhood, but it is a fantastic read for Mothers.
If you wake up daily feeling like a chicken with its head cut off, this book will help!
It covers how we always need to be busy and brag about how busy and stressed we are. There is nothing glamorous about always being busy.
A section of this book discusses the Sabbath, which is so life-giving!! Sabbath is a day that every Christian should consider implementing in their life, especially Mamas.
In our little family, we have started keeping a Sabbath for about three months now, and let me tell you, I look forward to it every week!
M Is for Mama
M is for Mama is a book to encourage Christian Mamas to stay away from the mediocrity of Motherhood.
Motherhood is one of God’s greatest calling.
Motherhood comes before everything else.
Moms shouldn’t dwell on or search for relatable memes about “how hard motherhood is” or being okay with providing their children with the bare minimum because the meme said it was fine. It’s another day of survival, so they say.
Moms should focus and turn to Christ first and read the Word instead of relying on the standards of the world for motherhood.
This book truly applies scripture to motherhood and doesn’t twist it to fit into today’s narrative.
First Time Parent Books You NEED
First-time parent books are invaluable resources for new parents. They are especially helpful if you grew up in an environment you do not want to emulate!
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