Parenting is hard, but there are books and resources to help you parent with confidence! Check this list to find the best positive parenting books for your situation – anger, anxiety, siblings, toddlers, teens, friendships and more.
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Reading, researching, and exploring ways to improve your parenting is a great goal.
But, as you look for parenting resources, I encourage you not to lose sight of the fact that you are the perfect parent for your children!
Sure, you may not BE perfect all of the time, but you have more insight, knowledge, and intuition about what your kids need than any book out there!
Moving beyond books.
Sometimes, you can read every book on the market and still have no idea what to do
If you’re not feeling very confident right now, or if there are some challenges that you just can’t seem to overcome, I’d love to meet with you for an online Parent Coaching session.
Best Positive Parenting Books
This is in no way an exhaustive list of parenting resources. There are TONS of great books out there! I only recommend resources that I have read and fit with my understanding of parenting, mental health, and imperfection. This list is updated as I find new parenting books to share – check back often!
(If you have a book you think should be added to this list, please send me an email and I’ll check it out.)
General Parenting
- It Starts With You, by Nicole Schwarz
- Positive Parenting for Imperfect Families (e-book), by Nicole Schwarz
- Positive Parenting Made Simple (e-course), by Nicole Schwarz
- Communication for Imperfect Families (e-course), by Nicole Schwarz
- Parenting Toddlers & Preschoolers (e-course), by Nicole Schwarz
- Discipline without Damage, by Vanessa LaPointe
- No Drama Discipline, by Dan Siegel and Tina Payne Bryson (There is a workbook too.)
- The Whole-Brain Child, by Dan Siegel & Tina Payne Bryson (There is a workbook with this one as well.)
- The Yes Brain, by Dan Siegel & Tina Payne Bryson
- Parenting from the Inside Out, by Dan Siegel
- How to Talk So Kids Will Listen, and Listen so Kids Will Talk, by Adele Faber & Elaine Mazlish
- Peaceful Parents, Happy Kids, by Laura Markham
- An Essential Guide to Positive Parenting, by Rebecca Eanes
- Raising Human Beings, by Ross Greene
- Playful Parenting, by Lawrence Cohen
- Hold on To Your Kids, by Gabor Mate and Gordon Neufeld
- The Awakened Family, by Shefali Tsabary
- The Happy Kids Handbook, by Katie Hurley
- Play, by Stuart Brown
- The Gentle Parent, by LR Knost
- Shame Proof Parenting, by Mercedes Samudio
- Gifts of Imperfect Parenting (audio book only), by Brene Brown
Books for Parents of Kids with “Big Feelings”
Supporting kids who struggle with anger, anxiety, ODD, aggression, trauma, etc.
- The Explosive Child, by Ross Greene
- Lost at School, by Ross Greene (for parents and teachers or other school professionals)
- Self-Reg, by Stuart Shanker
- The Deepest Well, by Nadine Burke Harris (A great resource for those wanting to learn more about ACEs)
- Beyond Behaviors, by Mona Delahooke
- Sensory Processing 101, by Dayna Abraham
- Parenting Through the Storm, by Ann Douglas
- Social and Emotional Regulation in Early Intervention, by Mona Delahooke
- Freeing Your Child From Anxiety, by Tamar Chansky
- Freeing Your Child from Negative Thinking, by Tamar Chansky
- How to Parent Anxious Toddlers, by Natasha Daniels
- The Opposite of Worry, by Lawrence Cohen
- The Coping Skills Workbook for Kids, by Janine Halloran
- Growing Up Mindful, by Christopher Willard
Books about Siblings
- Siblings Without Rivalry, by Adele Faber & Elaine Mazlish
- Peaceful Parents, Happy Siblings, by Laura Markham
Books about Teens
- Brainstorm, by Dan Siegel
- Getting to Calm, by Laura Kastner
- Untangled, by Lisa Damour
- Under Pressure, by Lisa Damour
- The New Puberty, by Julianna Deardorff
- How to Raise and Adult, by Julie Lythcott-Haims
Books about Toddlers and Preschoolers
- No Bad Kids, by Janet Lansbury
- Elevating Childcare, by Janet Lansbury
- Getting to Calm, the Early Years, by Laura Kastner
- Rest, Play Grow, by Deborah McNamara
- Twelve Alternatives to Time Outs, by Ariadne Brill
- Being There, by Erica Komisar
- How to Talk so Little Kids will Listen, by Joanna Faber
- How to Parent Anxious Toddlers, by Natasha Daniels
- The No-Cry Sleep Solution (for newborns OR toddlers), by Elizabeth Pantley
Books about Friendships
- Little Girls Can Be Mean, by Michelle Anthony
- Queen Bees and Wannabes, by Rosalind Wiseman
- No More Mean Girls, by Katie Hurley
- Odd Girl Out, by Rachel Simmons
Books about Screentime
- Screenwise, by Devorah Heitner
Books for You!
- Yell Less, Love More by Sheila McCraith
- Self-Compassion, by Kristin Neff
- Dance of Anger, by Harriet Lerner (and other titles: Dance of Connection, Dance of Fear, etc)
- 10% Happier, by Dan Harris
- Meditation for Fidgety Skeptics, by Dan Harris
- The Road Back to You, by Ian Cron
- Gifts of Imperfection, by Brene Brown
- Daring Greatly, by Brene Brown
- Rising Strong, by Brene Brown
- Braving the Wilderness, by Brene Brown
- Hands-Free Mama, by Rachel Macy Stafford
- Hands-Free Life, by Rachel Macy Stafford
- Only Love Today, by Rachel Macy Stafford
- Of Mess and Moxie, by Jen Hatmaker
- For the Love, by Jen Hatmaker
- A Million Little Ways, by Emily Freeman
- The Next Right Thing, by Emily Freeman