Top 20 Parenting Books 

Are your children more influenced by their friends than by you? Are they struggling with peer pressure, screen time, or staying connected in a digital world? In Hold On To Your Kids, bestselling author and renowned physician Gabor Maté and child development expert Dr Gordon Neufeld reveal why modern parenting feels harder than ever - and what you can do about it. WINNER OF THE US NATIONAL PARENTING PUBLICATIONS GOLD AWARD  THE INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLER 'A visionary book…one to be taken very seriously' Peter A. Levine Ph.D., bestselling author of Guiding Your Child Through Trauma 'Bold, wise and deeply moral. [Maté] is a healer to be cherished' Naomi Klein, bestselling The Shock Doctrine ------- Today's children are increasingly looking to their peers, rather than their parents, for direction in their values, identity, and codes of behaviour. But this 'peer orientation' can interfere with healthy development, leading to anxiety, disconnection, and behavioural challenges. In this groundbreaking parenting book, acclaimed physician and bestselling author Gabor Maté joins forces with clinical psychologist and child development expert Dr Gordon Neufeld to explain the cause of this breakdown of parental influence and offer practical advice on how to rebuild a strong, healthy relationship with your child. Hold On To Your Kids will show you how to: Strengthen your bond and reconnect with your child Help children resist peer pressure and social media influence Build trust, authority and security at home Support your child's emotional wellbeing and mental health Raise confident, resilient children This updated edition also includes a new chapter on post-pandemic parenting and youth mental health. Blending child psychology and real-world advice, this book will empower parents to help their children thrive in the digital era and become a true source of contact, security, and warmth for their kids. Praise for Hold On To Your Kids: 'Maté's book will make you examine your behaviour in a new light' Guardian 'Brings us genuinely new ideas and fresh perspectives on parenting' Dr Mary Pipher, psychologist and bestselling author of Reviving Ophelia 'Full of easy tips for avoiding calamity' The Times 'Has the power to change, if not save, the lives of our children.' US National Post

'A wonderful book' Richard Osman 'So clear and true ... Helpful for all relationships in life' Nigella Lawson 'A fascinating read on the emotional baggage we all carry' Elizabeth Day ______________________________________________________________________________________ How can we have better relationships? In this Sunday Times bestseller, leading psychotherapist Philippa Perry reveals the vital do's and don'ts of relationships. This is a book for us all. Whether you are interested in understanding how your upbringing has shaped you, looking to handle your child's feelings or wishing to support your partner, you will find indispensable information and realistic tips in these pages. Philippa Perry's sane, sage and judgement-free advice is an essential resource on how to have the best possible relationships with the people who matter to you most. Featuring exclusive new chapter on sibling relationships. _____________________________________________________________________________________ 'It gave me hope as a new parent' Babita Sharma 'This has genuinely had such a positive impact on my life and my relationship with my daughter' Josh Widdicombe 'She writes with an inquisitive elegance rarely found in parenting guides ... it is forgiving and persuasive' Hadley Freeman, the Guardian 'Philippa Perry is one of the wisest, most sane and secure people I've ever met' Decca Aitkenhead, Sunday Times Magazine The Book You Wish Your Parents Had Read has sold over 1.3 million copies worldwide since publication, BBVA March 2024 Philippa Perry, Sunday Times bestseller, October 2023

David Coleman writes with the authority of experience and the clarity parents usually need most. The advice is grounded, reassuring and focused on what adults can actually do to help rather than simply worry better.

Every child feels afraid sometimes, but anxiety does not have to take over their life. Drawing on decades of clinical experience, Coleman explains how to spot the early signs of anxiety and respond with calm, practical support.

For parents, teachers and caregivers looking for clear help rather than vague reassurance, this is an especially useful guide.

Ideal for readers who:

• Enjoy parenting books grounded in practical emotional support
• Like the sound of helping children and teenagers manage fear before it takes over
• Would value guidance rooted in family life, classrooms and the everyday situations anxiety can dominate
• Want a book that feels reassuring, evidence-based and actionable

'should I be worried?' is a question that pops into the heads of most parents of young children every day. Often several times per day.

It may be a concern that a newborn is crying too much, that a toddler isn't gaining enough weight, or that a school-going child has developed a strange rash.

Each developmental stage seems to present new questions and new things to worry about.

Paediatric consultant, and mother of two, Dr Niamh Lynch is here to help.

In this practical, accessible guide, Dr Niamh takes you through each stage of early development and shares her expertise on the most common topics she discusses with parents in her work as a doctor - and the ones that were at the top of her mind in her own first years as a parent.

Your go-to guide to your child's health, Should I Be Worried? is an antidote to panic and worry, one that will give you the information you need, when you need it, and the confidence to follow your instincts.

Chapters include:

Week-to-week/Month-to-month guide to early development and illnesses

Tummy Troubles

Fits, Faints & Funny Turns

Teething & Teeth

Skin & Rashes

Developmental Differences

Is This Something Serious?

Getting Ready for Hospital Visits and Doctors' Appointments

A to Z (of the most searched-for health conditions for babies and children)

Ideal for readers who:

• Want practical child-health advice that calms rather than alarms.
• Like books built around the everyday question every parent asks at 2 a.m.
• Would value guidance that runs from newborn worries to school-age symptoms.
• Prefer clear, trustworthy reading that helps you decide what matters and what can wait.

As a parent of a highly sensitive child, it's often difficult to know how to respond to their emotions. You might feel overwhelmed, frustrated or unsure of how to handle your child's big feelings. Up to 30% of children are highly sensitive. They are reflective, perceptive and highly attuned to their environment, but they are frequently misunderstood and labelled as 'shy' or 'fussy' when, in fact, they simply experience the world more intensely than others. This thoughtful and practical guide offers parents expert advice on how to support their sensitive child through meltdowns, anxiety and other overwhelming emotions. Learn how to set effective boundaries while navigating challenges like separation anxiety, school stress and social interactions. Packed with actionable tips, this book will empower you to better understand your child and help them thrive in a world that can sometimes feel too much.

New updated edition. Congratulations, you're having a baby. Yes, that's right, you're expecting too! David Caren delivers a long 'overdue' practical, straight-talking pregnancy guide for Irish expectant dads - all from a dad's perspective. Combining real-life experiences from a fraternity of Irish fathers, tried-and-tested tips and expert views, with highlights including: Testing, Testing: Scans and Checks What's Up, Doc? Monitoring Mum Prams, Trams & Automobiles: Choosing the Right Wheels Lights, Camera (Maybe?), ACTION: The Delivery Gone with the Sleep: Surviving Sleep Deprivation Accessible, entertaining, reassuring - everything an expectant and new dad needs to know! Fully reviewed and updated.

Steve Biddulph's Raising Boys was a global phenomenon. The first book in a generation to look at boys' specific needs, parents loved its clarity and warm insights into their sons' inner world. But today, things have changed. It's girls that are in trouble.There has been a sudden and universal deterioration in girls' mental health, starting in primary school and devastating the teen years.Raising Girls in the 21st Century is both a guidebook and a call-to-arms for parents. The five key stages of girlhood are laid out so that you know exactly what matters at which age, and how to build strength and connectedness into your daughter from infancy onwards.Raising Girls in the 21st Century is both fierce and tender in its mission to help girls more at every age. It's a book for parents who love their daughters deeply, whether they are newborns, teenagers, young women - or anywhere in between.Feeling secure, becoming an explorer, getting along with others, finding her soul, and becoming a woman - at last, there is a clear map of girls' minds that accepts no limitations, narrow roles or selling-out of your daughter's potential or uniqueness.All the hazards are signposted - bullying, eating disorders, body image and depression, social media harms and helps - as are concrete and simple measures for both mums and dads to help prevent their daughters from becoming victims. Parenthood is restored to an exciting journey, not one worry after another, as it's so often portrayed.Steve talks to the world's leading voices on girls' needs and makes their ideas clear and simple, adding his own humour and experience through stories that you will never forget. Even the illustrations, by Kimio Kubo, provide unique and moving glimpses into the inner lives of girls.Along with his fellow psychologists worldwide, Steve is angry at the exploitation and harm being done to girls today. With Raising Girls in the 21st Century he strives to spark a movement to end the trashing of girlhood; equipping parents to deal with the modern world, and getting the media off the backs of our daughters.Raising Girls in the 21st Century is powerful, practical and positive. Your heart, head and hands will be strengthened by its message.

A word-of-mouth bestseller which has become one of the best loved and most successful books in the parenting field. With around 20% new material, Steve Biddulph's Raising Boys includes some startling new research on what helps - and what harms - boys.In this expanded and updated edition, Steve Biddulph shares practical and honest advice to parents so they can recognise the different stages of boyhood and learn how to raise happy, confident and kind young men.Boys need to be parented in a different way from girls with their own very special psychological and physical make-up. Home, society and education have failed boys badly - and these failures lead to unhappy men who cannot fully become happy, responsible, emotionally-confident adults.While it is essential that boys spend more time learning about manhood from their fathers, Biddulph updates his classic to include helpful information for mothers and single mothers with baby boys.This extended edition explores some important topics: How ADHD may be caused by stress in the first year of life. Whether boys should start school later than girls. How important it is to let boys cry, and how crying helps avoid violence, suicide, and risky behaviour. Two completely new stages of boyhood we didn't know about: the FULL ON FOURS and the EMOTIONAL EIGHTS. Help for single mothers raising sons. How to choose a sport that does more good than harm. What we can do about boys and binge drinking. What science can tell us about teenage boys and driving - and how we can keep our sons safe.Raising Boys offers parents real-life situations, thought-provoking insights, humour and help.

As featured in The Guardian, How to Raise Kids Who Aren't Assholes is a clear, actionable, sometimes humorous (but always science-based) guide for parents on how to shape their kids into honest, kind, generous, confident, independent, and resilient people . . . who just might save the world one day. As an award-winning science journalist, Melinda Wenner Moyer was regularly asked to investigate and address all kinds of parenting questions: how to potty train, when and whether to get vaccines, and how to help kids sleep through the night. But as Melinda's children grew, she found that one huge area was ignored in the realm of parenting advice: how do we make sure our kids don't grow up to be assholes? On social media, in the news, and from the highest levels of government, kids are increasingly getting the message that being selfish, obnoxious and cruel is okay. Hate crimes among children and teens are rising, while compassion among teens has been dropping. We know, of course, that young people have the capacity for great empathy, resilience, and action, and we all want to bring up kids who will help build a better tomorrow. But how do we actually do this? How do we raise children who are kind, considerate, and ethical inside and outside the home, who will grow into adults committed to making the world a better place? How to Raise Kids Who Aren't Assholes is a deeply researched, evidence-based primer that provides a fresh, often surprising perspective on parenting issues, from toddlerhood through the teenage years. First, Melinda outlines the traits we want our children to possess - including honesty, generosity, and antiracism - and then she provides scientifically-based strategies that will help parents instill those characteristics in their kids. Learn how to raise the kind of kids you actually want to hang out with-and who just might save the world.

*A New York Times bestseller!* An urgently needed guide to help parents understand their teenagers' intense and often fraught emotional lives - and how to support them through this critical developmental stage - from the New York Times bestselling author of Untangled and Under Pressure In teenagers, powerful emotions come with the territory. And with so many of today's teens contending with academic pressure, social media stress, worries about the future, and concerns about their own mental health, it's easy for them - and their parents - to feel anxious and overwhelmed. But it doesn't have to be that way. With clear, research-informed explanations alongside illuminating, real-life examples, The Emotional Lives of Teenagers gives parents the concrete, practical information they need to steady their teens through the bumpy yet transformational journey into adulthood.

Reclaim quality family time and establish healthy tech habits with expert help from Dr K, as featured on Diary of a CEO. Is your child spending too much time playing video games? Are games causing conflict and arguments? Whatever brings you here, I can help. Written to empower parents with knowledge and practical advice, this guide from the foremost expert on video game psychology provides skills, offers hope and sets out a clear road map to building healthy gaming habits that will equip your child for a fulfilling future. How much should I let them play? How do I get them to be interested in anything else?! Video games and managing screen time are a modern parenting problem with no blueprint and a rapidly changing landscape. Harvard-trained psychiatrist and former gaming addict, Dr Alok Kanojia - Dr K to his millions of followers - offers a proven, tested plan to help parents define, set and reinforce healthy boundaries around screens and video games. From communication strategies and advice on dealing with behavioural issues to the neurological reasons behind why tech is so addictive, How to Raise a Healthy Gamer is essential for parents of children of all ages. Based on Dr K's own experience with gaming addiction and his neuroscientific and psychiatric expertise, this is an accessible and engaging eight-week, step-by-step program covering how to react when your child becomes irritable, rude, or seemingly directionless around screens. Specific advice is also offered for parenting neurodiverse children, including those with ADHD and autism. 'The book you've been looking for - not only for your child but for yourself as well!' - Edward Hallowell, M.D., author of Driven to Distraction and ADHD 2.0

In this pioneering, practical book for parents, neuroscientist Daniel J. Siegel and parenting expert Tina Payne Bryson explain the new science of how a child's brain is wired and how it matures. Different parts of a child's brain develop at different speeds and understanding these differences can help you turn any outburst, argument, or fear into a chance to integrate your child's brain and raise calmer, happier children. Featuring clear explanations, age-appropriate strategies and illustrations that will help you explain these concepts to your child, The Whole-Brain Child will help your children to lead balanced, meaningful, and connected lives using twelve key strategies, including: Name It to Tame It: Corral raging right-brain behavior through left-brain storytelling, appealing to the left brain's affinity for words and reasoning to calm emotional storms and bodily tension. Engage, Don't Enrage: Keep your child thinking and listening, instead of purely reacting. Move It or Lose It: Use physical activities to shift your child's emotional state. Let the Clouds of Emotion Roll By: Guide your children when they are stuck on a negative emotion, and help them understand that feelings come and go. SIFT: Help children pay attention to the Sensations, Images, Feelings, and Thoughts within them so that they can make better decisions and be more flexible. Connect Through Conflict: Use discord to encourage empathy and greater social success.

The accessible and practical parenting book for fathers-to-be about pregnancy, birth and what to expect during the first 6 weeks with your new baby, from a man who has been through it all (multiple times). 'Written in a light, informative tone but backed with expert advice' The Guardian From buying buggies to cutting the cord, the life of a first-time father will throw up new experiences every day. The Expectant Dad's Survival Guide is here to tell you everything you need to know during your partner's pregnancy and the first few weeks of your new life as a dad. Combining expert advice from midwives, psychologists and obstetricians with first-hand accounts, it contains essential tips and information about: What your partner is going through What's going on with your baby What the hell you should be doing every step of the way Featuring practical tips, what-to-do explanations and fascinating facts, this survival guide will ensure you're armed and ready for your role as a new dad. From discovery to delivery and beyond, this is a must-read for all fathers-to-be. 'Very supportive and encouraging' ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ 'Really helpful hints, tips and guidance' ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ 'Was much less nervous after reading this' ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ 'Funny, honest and witty' ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐

Forget unrealistic childcare manuals - this is the book you really need to help you cope brilliantly with those first chaotic days and months ahead.As a health journalist and mother-of-three, Lucy Atkins is familiar with both the medical aspects of childbirth and baby development, and the reality of day-to-day life as an exhausted first-time mum or dad. In her feisty, humorous style, she begins with that first mind-blowing day and addresses the issues unique to the first-time parent who stares at their newborn and thinks "Where are the instructions?"Anticipating the questions and concerns of all new mothers-Why does my baby cry so much? Will I ever lose all this weight? Am I a bad parent because…?-the book provides practical advice and level-headed reassurance. It addresses the needs of the baby and, very importantly, those of the parent during the first year of their baby's life.Contents include:Starter's orders - the equipment and kit you really need, as opposed to what the department store tells youHello - how to cope with the first few hoursStart - coming home, bonding, how to survive the first few daysSleep - for everyone!Cry - why your baby cries, what to do, why you'll want to cry, tooEat -breastfeeding, supplemental feeding, moving to solids, nutritionGrow - baby's physical and mental developmentPlay - yes, you two actually can have funThrive - health considerations for baby and parentLive - adapting to your new life, the changing mother-father relationshipWork - coping with being at home and with going back to workAlso includes information on single parenting, and on adopted, multiple and special needs babies.The First-Time Parent is on your side, and reassures that you can cope brilliantly with your new baby and your new life.

'Funny, honest and most importantly really, really useful.' - Helen McGinn, author of The Knackered Mother's Wine ClubSo, you're losing your sh*t with your kids. You scream, you shout, you snap at them. You're cranky and irritable more often than you'd like to admit. You know how you want to parent; you want to be a calmer, more rational and intentional parent, but no matter how hard you try, you can't help it. You keep losing your sh*t.Just remember: YOU ARE NOT A BAD PARENT.How to Stop Losing Your Sh*t With Your Kids is as honest and compassionate as it is pragmatic about helping you work through your sh*t to be a more present and positive parent. Increasingly relevant to today's parents, who are more overloaded, overwhelmed, and overworked than ever before, Carla Naumburg has the antidote to the feelings of complete despair and rage. How to Stop Losing Your Sh*t With Your Kids is a simple, accessible and humorous guide to more effective and mindful parenting.'This book is life-changing; it really will stop you from losing your sh*t with your kids!' - Esther Walker

___ 'A BRILLIANT BOOK' - PHILIPPA PERRY, AUTHOR OF THE BOOK YOU WISH YOUR PARENTS HAD READ ***THE MULTI-MILLION COPY BESTSELLER*** How to Talk so Kids Will Listen and Listen so Kids Will Talk is the go-to guide designed to transform your relationship with your child. - Learn how to set clear boundaries and engage your child's co-operation - Find out how to overcome a pattern of arguments - Swap ineffective punishment for positive parenting - Prioritise a respectful and sympathetic approach to conflict resolution Including accessible and helpful case studies, How to Talk So Kids Will Listen and Listen So Kids Will Talk is packed with practical advice for parents and carers. What readers are saying about How to Talk So Kids Will Listen and Listen So Kids Will Talk . . . 'Great book with many helpful examples' 'I read this book and it opened my eyes' 'I wish everyone knew about it' 'I've just ordered the whole series' 'I can't recommend it highly enough'

Leading psychotherapist Stella O'Malley has walked many miles on 'Planet Teen'. She understands difficult teenagers - she was one herself, and as a psychotherapist she has spent many hours working alongside unhappy adolescents. Stella takes parents inside the teenage brain and provides practical advice for each of the key milestones teenagers need to tackle during adolescence to become happy, healthy adults. You will learn how to navigate many issues, including anxiety, obsession with technology, body confidence and the sexual self. Rather than always looking to 'fix' the situation, you will instead be empowered to know when and how to intervene and when to allow your teen to work it out for themselves. Ultimately, you will understand your teen better and learn to rekindle joy in your relationship.

We can't always be there to protect our kids as they make their way in the world. What we can do is equip them with the tools they need to ensure they have a positive social experience. Based on many years' experience counselling bullies and targets, Stella O'Malley offers concrete strategies to empower children and teenagers to deal confidently with bullying and dominant characters. She identifies effective ways for families to cope when bullying occurs, including approaching the school authorities, communicating with the bully's parents and tips to tackle cyberbullying. Stella's common-sense approach will help your child, tween or teen to develop their emotional intelligence and will provide relief for families navigating the rapidly changing social environment, both online and in school. 'Bully-Proof Kids is the handbook for Irish parents to deal with bullying and exclusion.' DR MARY O'KANE, EARLY YEARS 'A vital life raft for parents, teachers and children being bullied' Jennifer O'Connell

'Among the most successful parenting resources of all time' iPaper 'A shining alternative to high-stress modern parenting, and families from New Delhi to New York will shout with joy' Heather Shumaker, author of It's OK Not to Share and It's OK to Go Up the Slide DISCOVER THE PARENTING SECRETS OF THE HAPPIEST PEOPLE IN THE WORLD What makes Denmark the happiest country in the world -- and how do Danish parents raise happy, confident, successful kids, year after year? This upbeat and practical guide reveals the six essential principles that have been working for parents in Denmark for decades: - Play: essential for development and well-being - Authenticity: fosters trust and an 'inner compass' - Reframing: helps kids cope with setbacks and look on the bright side - Empathy: allows us to act with kindness towards others - No ultimatums: no power struggles or resentment - Togetherness: a way to celebrate family time, on special occasions and every day A revealing and fresh take on parenting advice, The Danish Way of Parenting will help parents from all walks of life raise the happiest, most well-adjusted kids in the world.

IThe bestselling guide for understanding how your family made you, and how you can make yourself even better. 'Excellent' - Brendan O'Connor, RTÉ Radio One 'I loved it' - Sìle Seoige, Ready to Be Real * * * Our early years at home are when we lay down the blueprint for being a partner, parent, sibling, friend, colleague, neighbour, and even a citizen. Home is where we become who we are. Even the best of childhoods is imperfect. And if there were difficulties - whether due to simple personality clashes, or issues such as authoritarian parenting, family break-up, illness, loss or addiction - it may be an ongoing struggle to manage our moods and emotions, though we may have no idea why. Psychotherapist Richard Hogan has seen it all when it comes to how the early years shape us - and he knows we can work on ourselves to rewrite the blueprint. In this book he draws on extensive research and thousands of conversations in the therapy room to explain how. Packed full of eye-opening and liberating ideas, fascinating case studies and practical tools, Home is Where the Start Is also includes a remarkable account of Richard's own challenges as a child and teenager. He knows exactly what it's like to face the past squarely, grapple with the legacy of childhood unhappiness and work on creating a better future. Home is Where the Start Is will help you become the best version of yourself you can be. And it is an invaluable source of advice for parents to give your child the best possible start. * * * 'Filled with articulate and fundamentally encouraging advice' - Sunday Independent 'A book of hope' - RSVP 'An essential guide for anyone who wants to break free from the cycles of family dysfunction' - Irish Examiner 'Refreshing . . . for everyone who's interested in simply living better, with a little more stress and a lot more joy' - Anglo-Celt

THE #1 SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER 'This book has changed my life' Joe Wicks 'As a parenting support book this is in a class of its own . . . It is perhaps the most helpful book for parents of children of any age' Professor Peter Fonagy, CEO Anna Freud National Centre for Children & Families 'This is a book that will change lives' Dr Suzanne Zeedyk, Infant Psychologist 'This book is absolutely brilliant! I love that it is about parenting a healthy brain' Dr Guddi Singh, Paediatrician and Health Campaigner Want to know the secret to tackling tantrums and tears, stopping squabbles in seconds AND lay the foundations for your child's good mental health in the process? In There's No Such Thing As 'Naughty', mum to two young children, journalist and children's mental health advocate Kate Silverton shares her groundbreaking new approach to parenting under-fives that helps to make family life so much easier and and certainly a lot more fun! Kate's unique strategies, easy-to-follow scripts and simple techniques will enable you to manage those tricky everyday challenges with ease - and help you to enjoy the strongest bond possible with your child, both now and in the years ahead. Endorsed by leading figures in the field of children's mental health, at the heart of the book is a simple and revelatory way to understand how your child's brain develops and how it influences their behaviour. Rooted in the latest science - explained really simply - this engaging, accessible and warm parenting guide will redefine how you see and raise your children, with a new understanding that for under-fives, there can be no such thing as 'naughty'. There's No Such Thing as 'Naughty' was a Sunday Times bestseller w/c 03.05.21. It was in the Top 10 for 4 consecutive weeks.