Best gentle parenting books

So far I’ve read Good Inside and Peaceful Parents, Happy Kids. What other gentle parenting books do you all recommend?

Thanks!

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I like Duct Tape parenting as being about recognizing your child’s autonomy while also having boundaries.

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I enjoyed How to Talk So Little Kids Will Listen, plus its grade school counterpart How To Listen So Kids Will Talk.

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Whole Brain Child, How to Raise your Spirited Child (if applicable), How to Talk so Kids will Listen.

ETA honorable mention to Simplicity Parenting, it’s not exactly the same vibe but very good framework.

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Ready Set Go is a great book for a gentle parenting approach to potty training.

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The explosive child

How to Talk So Kids Will Listen (and Listen So Kids Will Talk) is OG authoritative parenting from the dark ages (aka: the 80s). This book qualifies for elder millennial/Oregon Trail generation status (some examples address why spanking shouldn’t be the go to strategy) and should be considered the Last Universal Common Ancestor of everything that came after. This book sat on the shelf in my childhood living room for years.

How to Talk So Little Kids Will Listen is the younger ages version, written a generation later (by the daughter of the author of the original), with more accessible examples for people who either have younger kids, have already heard of not spanking, or both. This book will sit on the shelf in my living room for years to come, though I may eventually dabble in the other one for the “listen so kids will talk” portion.

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Oh you’re completely right that this is the one I’ve (mostly lol) read.

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Thanks all! I’m going to look into these. I’ve also ready how to talk so little kids will listen, though it probably wouldn’t hurt to read it again as it’s been a couple years.

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I’ve read the explosive child and the whole brain child, too. So that leaves the spirited child. My library has the version from the early 90s. Hmm, I might want the updated edition (still from 2015 but that’s 25 years newer than the version my library has).

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Just did an interlibrary loan request :grin:
And put a hold on my library’s copy of simplicity parenting.

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How to be at your best when your kids are at their worst wasn’t totally my jam, but I know a couple people who loved it. YMMV.

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Hunt Gather Parent was one of those books that I rolled my eyes a lot during but I do think about it and it has influenced some of my parenting choices.

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Agree. Parts made me angry- yes how nice it would be to have COMMUNITY what an IDEA- but also parts have stuck in my brain since I read it 2+ years ago now. And some people straight up love it, no caveats lol.

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I think that’s the author who advocates making a public playground in your front yard….like that’s GREAT except when someone falls from your attractive nuisance. FWIW the best community building exercise I’ve had so far was roof squirrels.

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That’s basically the only parenting book that I’ve read :rofl:. Everything else I’ve given up on after the first chapter. Well, that, Precious Little Sleep, and Emily Oster’s writing. I think I need a conversational style with my parenting books otherwise I tune out.

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How old are “little kids”? I have a copy and my kid is 6, should I hurry up and read it?

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I think it’s 2-7? There’s age overlap at the ends of each, so the original might be more useful. I’ve not actually read it despite it sitting in the living room as I grew up, lol

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I just checked and it’s actually the original that I have, so I guess I should read it soon but I don’t have to rush :joy:

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I found this new (2016) one at the library and I’m really enjoying it so far. Basically the useful stuff out of most parenting books without as much fluff to read through.

The author does have a note in the introduction that many strategies are meant for two and up and points out a few that are good for under two, but overall a very accessible distillation of authoritative parenting advice.

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