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Hand-picked books for more purposeful living

Welcome, book lover! You've reached the home of hand-picked suggestions lists you can share with family and friends, plus ideas on why and how to ask for books in lieu of cards or presents.
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Suggestion lists are hand-picked selections for sharing with family and friends when you request books in lieu of cards or gifts. Share this list.

Parenting books

Parenting

Parenting. Now this is a task to be approached with humility, always ready to learn fresh wisdom. If ever we dare to pat ourselves on the back and think, “I’ve got this whole parenting business under wraps; don’t know what your problem is …” Whoa, our own offspring will be the first to cut us down to size. Probably in a spectacularly loud and embarrassing fashion and probably when we’re running late and probably in line at the grocery store (ask me how I know). Not because they’re manner-less meanies (though, they may play that part some days), but because it’s just what they do at this stage of life. They push (buttons — the metaphorical ones and the big red ones), they pull (hair and the loose threads on sweaters), they stretch us (seemingly beyond the limits of sanity) as they learn and grow and find their way. 

Is there a job more demanding or more important than parenting? I’d argue no on both counts. So if ever there was an area in life in which we could all stand to study up, this must be it. To that end, here is a collection of books for parents to educate, to entertain, to sympathize and ultimately to encourage.

  • What to Expect the Second Year by Heidi Murkoff

    What to Expect the Second Year

    by Heidi Murkoff

    View on Amazon
  • Future Men by Douglas Wilson

    Future Men

    by Douglas Wilson

    View on Amazon
  • No More Perfect Moms by Jill Savage

    No More Perfect Moms

    by Jill Savage

    I first read this book as part of a moms study group, and it was excellent fodder for discussion. The text is full of reality checks and encourages us to be honest with ourselves and others. The author attacks what she terms the "perfection infection," which certainly hit home for me as a long-time perfectionist.

    View on Amazon
  • Praise Her in the Gates: The Calling of Christian Motherhood by Nancy Wilson

    Praise Her in the Gates

    by Nancy Wilson

    View on Amazon
  • Bringing Up Boys by James C. Dobson

    Bringing Up Boys

    by James C. Dobson

    View on Amazon
  • What to Expect the First Year by Heidi Murkoff

    What to Expect the First Year

    by Heidi Murkoff

    You probably have What to Expect When You're Expecting, but do you have the next two books in the series? They're equally excellent.

    View on Amazon
  • The New Dare to Discipline by James C. Dobson

    The New Dare to Discipline

    by James C. Dobson

    View on Amazon
  • Shepherding a Child's Heart by Tedd Tripp

    Shepherding a Child’s Heart

    by Tedd Tripp

    View on Amazon
  • Baby Love: Healthy, Easy, Delicious Meals for Your Baby and Toddler by Norah O'Donnell

    Baby Love: Healthy, Easy, Delicious Meals for Your Baby and Toddler

    by Norah O'Donnell and Chef Geoff Tracy

    I had a ton of fun with this book. The best part of making baby food is that it almost always turns out perfect (that's mostly down to the fact that you're going to puree it, so accomplishing the finer points of cooking technique -- not so crucial in the end). The second best part is the colors: deep blues from berries, bright aqua from edamame, the richest shade of orange you can imagine from carrots. Oh, and did I fail to mention this part: It's also good for baby!

    View on Amazon
  • The New Strong-Willed Child by James C. Dobson

    The New Strong-Willed Child

    by James C. Dobson

    View on Amazon
  • Family Driven Faith: Doing What It Takes to Raise Sons and Daughters Who Walk with God by Voddie Baucham Jr.

    Family Driven Faith

    by Voddie Baucham Jr.

    View on Amazon
  • Parenting by God's Promises by Joel R. Beeke

    Parenting by God’s Promises

    by Joel R. Beeke

    View on Amazon
  • Don't Make Me Count to Three by Ginger Hubbard

    Don’t Make Me Count to Three

    by Ginger Hubbard

    View on Amazon
  • Instructing a Child's Heart by Tedd and Margy Tripp

    Instructing a Child’s Heart

    by Tedd and Margy Tripp

    View on Amazon
  • Parenting Without Borders: Surprising Lessons Parents Around the World Can Teach Us by Christine Gross-Loh

    Parenting Without Borders

    by Christine Gross-Loh

    This is a really fun book. It'll challenge your culturally-defined assumptions of how parenting should be done. (Did you even know that much of what you believe to be "right" parenting is derived from your culture and often is thought of as wrong in other countries? Consider co-sleeping, for example.) Writing from a U.S. perspective, the author compares American parents' strategies, goals and habits to the norms of other countries in the areas of sleeping, feeding and teaching.

    View on Amazon
  • Family Shepherds: Calling and Equipping Men to Lead Their Homes by Voddie Baucham Jr.

    Family Shepherds

    by Voddie Baucham Jr.

    View on Amazon
  • Standing on the Promises: A Handbook of Biblical Childrearing by Douglas Wilson

    Standing on the Promises

    by Douglas Wilson

    View on Amazon
  • Bringing Up Girls by James C. Dobson

    Bringing Up Girls

    by James C. Dobson

    View on Amazon
  • Parenting by Paul David Tripp

    Parenting

    by Paul David Tripp

    View on Amazon
  • Father Hunger: Why God Calls Men to Love and Lead Their Families by Douglas Wilson

    Father Hunger

    by Douglas Wilson

    View on Amazon

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