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New parent? Try these best books on pregnancy and best books on babies.
Emotions running high? Try these best books on emotional intelligence.
Wish you had more time with your family? Try these best books on productivity.
But otherwise, whether you’re a new parent or an experienced mom or dad; whether it’s one kid or two kids or three; whether they’re babies or toddlers or teens – look no further.
You’ll find every parenting book below stuffed with practical, life-changing research, information and advice on how to help children (and help parents) thrive.
The 50 Best Parenting Books Ever Written
Why these best parenting books and not others? To stay objective, I rank all my book recommendations by what’s most loved (Goodreads rating), what’s most popular (Goodreads review count) and what’s proven timelessly relevant (first publication date).
This isn’t a whimsical list. It’s a data-driven, crowdsourced collection of the best parenting books ever published as decided by book lovers just like you. (Note: To maximise diversity, I only include the top ranking book from any series in a list.)
And if you think something's missing? I LOVE book recommendations so if there are any other best parenting books that you think deserve mentioning, email me and I’ll be sure to include them in the next round of updates.
Until then, enjoy this ultimate list of the 50 best parenting books of all time...
Books 1-10: The Top 10 Best Parenting Books of All Time
The top 10 best parenting books of all time are...
1. How to Talk So Kids Will Listen & Listen So Kids Will Talk - Adele Faber (Summary)
Published 1996 // 286 pages // Rated 4.3 over 26,100 reviews on Goodreads
2. For the Children's Sake - Susan Schaeffer Macaulay
Published 1984 // 165 pages // Rated 4.4 over 3,600 reviews on Goodreads
3. The Five Love Languages of Children - Gary Chapman (FREE Summary)
A concise, actionable and time-tested guide to helping you understand your children more deeply and communicate more effectively so they always feel valued and loved - by best-selling author, pastor and marriage counsellor, Gary Chapman.
Published 1995 // 224 pages // Rated 4.2 over 18,000 reviews on Goodreads
4. Shepherding a Child's Heart - Tedd Tripp
Published 1995 // 212 pages // Rated 4.2 over 10,900 reviews on Goodreads
5. Siblings Without Rivalry - Adele Faber
How to Help Your Children Live Together So You Can Live Too
Published 1987 // 288 pages // Rated 4.2 over 8,600 reviews on Goodreads
6. Between Parent and Child - Haim G. Ginott
The Bestselling Classic That Revolutionized Parent-Child Communication
Published 1965 // 256 pages // Rated 4.3 over 1,800 reviews on Goodreads
7. Raising Your Spirited Child - Mary Sheedy Kurcinka
A Guide for Parents Whose Child is More Intense, Sensitive, Perceptive, Persistent, and Energetic
Published 1991 // 496 pages // Rated 4.2 over 6,200 reviews on Goodreads
8. The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Families - Stephen R. Covey
Published 1996 // 390 pages // Rated 4.2 over 8,900 reviews on Goodreads
9. Parenting With Love and Logic - Foster W. Cline
Published 1990 // 271 pages // Rated 4.1 over 11,600 reviews on Goodreads
10. Hold On to Your Kids - Gordon Neufeld
Why Parents Need to Matter More Than Peers
Published 2004 // 352 pages // Rated 4.2 over 3,800 reviews on Goodreads
Books 11-50: The Best Parenting Books to Read Next
Here are the next best parenting books from my database...
11. Parent Effectiveness Training - Thomas Gordon
The Proven Program for Raising Responsible Children
Published 1970 // 384 pages // Rated 4.2 over 1,500 reviews on Goodreads
12. Simplicity Parenting - Kim John Payne
Using the Extraordinary Power of Less to Raise Calmer, Happier, and More Secure Kids
Published 2009 // 256 pages // Rated 4.2 over 8,800 reviews on Goodreads
13. Adult Children of Emotionally Immature Parents - Lindsay C. Gibson
Published 2015 // 201 pages // Rated 4.4 over 4,700 reviews on Goodreads
14. The Blessing of a Skinned Knee - Wendy Mogel
Using Jewish Teachings to Raise Self-Reliant Children
Published 2001 // 304 pages // Rated 4.2 over 3,700 reviews on Goodreads
15. The Power of Positive Parenting - Glenn I. Latham
A Wonderful Way to Raise Children
Published 1994 // 397 pages // Rated 4.3 over 600 reviews on Goodreads
16. The Conscious Parent - Shefali Tsabary
Transforming Ourselves, Empowering Our Children
Published 2010 // 300 pages // Rated 4.3 over 3,600 reviews on Goodreads
17. How to Really Love Your Child - D. Ross Campbell
Published 1977 // 144 pages // Rated 4.2 over 900 reviews on Goodreads
18. The Gifts of Imperfect Parenting - Brené Brown
Raising Children with Courage, Compassion, and Connection
Published 2013 // Rated 4.6 over 3,200 reviews on Goodreads
19. The Attachment Parenting Book - William Sears
A Commonsense Guide to Understanding and Nurturing Your Baby
Published 2001 // 192 pages // Rated 4.2 over 3,200 reviews on Goodreads
20. Delusions of Gender - Cordelia Fine
How Our Minds, Society, and Neurosexism Create Difference
Published 2005 // 338 pages // Rated 4.1 over 8,100 reviews on Goodreads
21. Playful Parenting - Lawrence J. Cohen
Published 2001 // 320 pages // Rated 4.1 over 3,600 reviews on Goodreads
22. Our Babies, Ourselves - Meredith Small
How Biology and Culture Shape the Way We Parent
Published 1998 // 320 pages // Rated 4.2 over 1,900 reviews on Goodreads
23. Nurture Shock - Po Bronson
New Thinking About Children
Published 2008 // 352 pages // Rated 4.0 over 23,500 reviews on Goodreads
24. The Second Shift - Arlie Russell Hochschild
Published 1989 // 322 pages // Rated 4.1 over 1,700 reviews on Goodreads
25. Unequal Childhoods - Annette Lareau
Class, Race, and Family Life
Published 2003 // 343 pages // Rated 4.2 over 2,600 reviews on Goodreads
26. Parenting From the Inside Out - Daniel J. Siegel
Published 2003 // 272 pages // Rated 4.1 over 3,100 reviews on Goodreads
27. Last Child in the Woods - Richard Louv
Saving Our Children from Nature-Deficit Disorder
Published 2005 // 310 pages // Rated 4.0 over 10,000 reviews on Goodreads
28. Bringing Up Boys - James C. Dobson
Published 2001 // 288 pages // Rated 3.9 over 6,500 reviews on Goodreads
29. Elevating Child Care - Janet Lansbury
A Guide to Respectful Parenting
Published 2014 // 150 pages // Rated 4.3 over 1,900 reviews on Goodreads
30. Parenting for a Peaceful World - Robin Grille
Published 2005 // 442 pages // Rated 4.4 over 200 reviews on Goodreads
31. The Collapse of Parenting - Leonard Sax
How We Hurt Our Kids When We Treat Them Like Grown-Ups
Published 2015 // 304 pages // Rated 4.3 over 2,700 reviews on Goodreads
32. Dear Parent - Magda Gerber
Caring for Infants With Respect
Published 2003 // 240 pages // Rated 4.3 over 300 reviews on Goodreads
33. The Tech-Wise Family - Andy Crouch
Everyday Steps for Putting Technology in Its Proper Place
Published 2017 // 224 pages // Rated 4.3 over 3,400 reviews on Goodreads
34. How to Raise an Adult - Julie Lythcott-Haims
Break Free of the Overparenting Trap and Prepare Your Kid for Success
Published 2015 // 368 pages // Rated 4.1 over 6,900 reviews on Goodreads
35. The Self-Driven Child - William Stixrud
The Science and Sense of Giving Your Kids More Control Over Their Lives
Published 2018 // 384 pages // Rated 4.4 over 2,000 reviews on Goodreads
36. It's OK Not to Share - Heather Shumaker
And Other Renegade Rules for Raising Competent and Compassionate Kids
Published 2012 // 400 pages // Rated 4.3 over 900 reviews on Goodreads
37. How Children Succeed - Paul Tough
Grit, Curiosity, and the Hidden Power of Character
Published 2012 // 256 pages // Rated 3.9 over 22,100 reviews on Goodreads
38. Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother - Amy Chua
Published 2011 // 237 pages // Rated 3.6 over 49,800 reviews on Goodreads
39. Raising Freethinkers - Dale McGowan
A Practical Guide for Parenting Beyond Belief
Published 2009 // 269 pages // Rated 4.2 over 1,300 reviews on Goodreads
40. Why Gender Matters - Leonard Sax
What Parents and Teachers Need to Know about the Emerging Science of Sex Differences
Published 2005 // 336 pages // Rated 4.0 over 2,300 reviews on Goodreads
41. The Child, the Family, and the Outside World - D.W. Winnicott
Published 1964 // 256 pages // Rated 4.0 over 200 reviews on Goodreads
42. Free-Range Kids - Lenore Skenazy
Giving Our Children the Freedom We Had Without Going Nuts with Worry
Published 2009 // 195 pages // Rated 3.9 over 4,600 reviews on Goodreads
43. The Opposite of Worry - Lawrence J. Cohen
The Playful Parenting Approach to Childhood Anxieties and Fears
Published 2012 // 304 pages // Rated 4.3 over 500 reviews on Goodreads
44. The Danish Way of Parenting - Jessica Joelle Alexander
What the Happiest People in the World Know About Raising Confident, Capable Kids
Published 2014 // 224 pages // Rated 4.0 over 5,000 reviews on Goodreads
45. All Joy and No Fun - Jennifer Senior
The Paradox of Modern Parenthood
Published 2014 // 320 pages // Rated 3.9 over 10,100 reviews on Goodreads
46. Peaceful Parent, Happy Siblings - Laura Markham
How to Stop the Fighting and Raise Friends for Life
Published 2015 // 352 pages // Rated 4.3 over 900 reviews on Goodreads
47. The Secrets of Happy Families - Bruce Feiler
Improve Your Mornings, Rethink Family Dinner, Fight Smarter, Go Out and Play, and Much More
Published 2013 // 292 pages // Rated 4.0 over 4,200 reviews on Goodreads
48. Parenting Beyond Belief - Dale McGowan
On Raising Ethical, Caring Kids Without Religion
Published 2007 // 290 pages // Rated 4.1 over 1,700 reviews on Goodreads
49. The Six Stages Of Parenthood - Ellen Galinsky
Published 1980 // 382 pages // Rated 4.0 over on Goodreads
50. How Not to Hate Your Husband After Kids - Jancee Dunn
Published 2017 // 289 pages // Rated 4.1 over 3,800 reviews on Goodreads
More Book Recommendations
Enjoyed this list of the best parenting books of all time?
You'll also like TAoL's other book recommendations...
More Best Books of All Time (by Type)
These are some lists of overall best books to read...
More Best Nonfiction Books (by Topic)
These are some lists of best nonfiction books to read...
More Best Fiction Books (by Genre)
These are some lists of best fiction books to read...
Or, you can read all my book recommendations.
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