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Books About Parenting

Books About Montessori (Education and Parenting)

Books About Parenting

How to Talk So Kids Will Listen and Listen So Kids Will Talk (Mazlish and Faber)

This book has cartoons!  It breaks it down to how to figure out the words to use to support your child's emotional expression in the moment, and how to inspire children to hear and respond to your messages.  Great for busy parents with short reading opportunities.  Keep it by the nursing chair, in the bathroom, by the bed to catch a minute or two here and there.

Siblings Without Rivalry (Mazlish and Faber)

More cartoons!  Very straightforward, bite-sized chunks and easy-to-follow examples.

The Continuum Concept (Jean Liedloff)

A must-read for the conscious, modern parent.  This book examines the evolutionarily-based expectations of babies and children, and helps to explain why children have the needs they do.  This book will bring you back to the ancient roots of parenting, and how they apply to us today.

Real Boys (William Pollack, Ph.D) 

This book uncovers the reality behind our culture's "Boy Code," sharing the research-backed potential of boys to be connected, empathic, considerate, supportive, and loving.  Dr. Pollack delves into the hurt that the myths of boyhood cause so many boys, and the long-term effects of those hurts on the grown men that come from those boys, and on our culture as a whole.  This book is for parents, teachers, and anyone else who has relationships with real boys.  

The Vital Touch: How Intimate Contact With Your Baby Leads To Happier, Healthier Development (Sharon Heller)

A wonderful, deeply inspiring book about the importance of touch in the earliest years.

Unconditional Parenting (Alfie Kohn)

Alfie Kohn is an outspoken critic of modern education and a researcher of human nature.  This book is a strong indictment of our current cultural use of competition, rewards, praise and punishment to motivate children and adults, with ideas about how to do things another way.  It is firmly founded in research from a variety of sources, including the business world, schools, and families, and is a must-read for conscious parents wanting to move beyond time-outs, gold stars, and "good work!"s in their relationships with their children.

Hold On to Your Kids (Dr. Gordon Neufeld and Dr. Gabor Mate)

This is a scientific explanation of why so many children end up focussed on peers rather than parents, and how to reverse the trend.  This book observes that children of all ages need their relationship with their parents to be the strongest connection they have.  It points out and explains aspects of parenting in today's culture that most of us are not aware of and that can help us create a firm foundation to maintain long-term relationships with our children in today's peer-focussed world. 

Kids Are Worth It! (Barbara Coloroso)

Great delineation of three styles of parenting: authoritarian, permissive, and the healthy alternative to both.  Very helpful, with lots of examples to help us recognize areas that could use tweaking or revising.

The No-Cry Sleep Solution (Elizabeth Pantley)

Lots of tips to help gently empower your child (and yourself) to better sleep.

The Baby Sleep Book (Dr. William Sears)

Great scientific explanation of why certain sleep scenarios work better for some babies, and lots of tips on how to gently help your little one sleep better. 

Click here to buy these books from Self Connection Books (Calgary).  10% discount applies to all Full Circle Parenting visitors.  (Link coming soon!)

Books About Montessori 

Montessori: The Science Behind the Genius (Angeline Lillard)

Thoroughly-researched exploration of many basic Montessori principles and why and how Montessori education works.  This book sites many studies in various fields and is very readable, as well. 

Montessori Today (Paula Polk Lillard)

Good overview of Montessori philosophy and methodology and how it applies today.

The Absorbent Mind (Maria Montessori)

It was once explained to me that Montessori's books were mostly created from her lectures and notes taken at her lectures by students.  They are also translated from the Italian.  They are quite dense and not particulary easy to read, but her insights are fascinating.  If you want to delve into Montessori's own work, I recommend this book as a starting point.

From Childhood to Adolescence (Maria Montessori)

This thin book discusses Montessori philosophy and methodology for 6-12 year olds, and touches on the adolescent as well.  It includes quite a bit of information about the foundational information that Montessori guides for 6-12 year olds present to the children.  Montessori's perspective on chemistry, math, history, and other traditional "subjects" is inspired and inspiring.  Again, a dense book which is not super reader-friendly, but which is fascinating nonetheless.

Click here to buy these books from Self Connection Books (Calgary).  10% discount applies to all Full Circle Parenting visitors.  (Link coming soon!)

The Michael Olaf Company catalogues incorporate an excellent overview of Montessori philosophy and contain many items that can be ordered for use in the home environment. There are two catalogues:

The Joyful Child, about children ages 0-3

Child of the World, about children ages 3-12

To order catalogues, go to www.michaelolaf.com or call 1-888-880-9235