I’m not quite going to hit 2011’s mark of books read (almost 150) but I’m going to come close (almost 125!).  I track my reading on Goodreads.  So if we’re not friends there, you should join me!

Here are my favorite parenting/childbirth non-fiction books of 2012
(with edited reviews from what I posted on Goodreads through the year).

Parenting:

Playful Parenting by Lawrence J. Cohen:  Immediately, this book helped me treat Ellie differently and even helped me play better with a friend’s child just after reading it.  I particularly liked his emphasis on understanding what children are truly expressing underneath their [often annoying] requests for us to play with them. His chapter on discipline is particularly useful to me – I like his balance between setting clear limits for children and also allowing them the autonomy they need to learn and grow.  I am also grateful that Ellie already has “non-parents” in her life to play with her, something he stresses is crucial for every child to have.  His emphasis on staying connected (or reconnecting after disconnecting) with our children is so important.  I think his approach to parenting is helpful for parents of all children, even pre-teens/teens who may not want us to “play” with them per-se but still need us to come alongside, love, and connect with them.

Parenting Is Your Highest Calling And Eight Other Myths That Trap Us in Worry and Guilt by Leslie Leyland Fields: This was a particularly freeing book for me. I thought she did a really nice job of navigating through the varying parenting philosophies without approving/condemning of any of them necessarily and showing how important it is to read Scripture to see God’s truth clearly.  (The author is also an Alaskan and a foodie!)

Brain Rules for Baby: How to Raise a Smart and Happy Child from Zero to Five by John Medina:  This book will be a book I recommend to other parents – a succinct, easily readable presentation of peer-reviewed research in a really helpful format. The conclusion and practical tips at the end are a great summary of the book. I especially appreciated the section about raising moral kids. (Hint: pay attention to their emotions.)

How Children Succeed: Grit, Curiosity, and the Hidden Power of Character by Paul Tough:  This book says much of what I intuitively felt while teaching – i.e. it’s not just the academic stuff that determines success. Teachers (no matter how excellent) cannot ensure success. Any teacher will tell you this but administration on up through the federal government puts such stress on teacher excellence, denying other factors that play into whether or not children will succeed.  So this was a gratifying book to read as a teacher but also a really helpful one to read as a parent.  Highly recommended to parents, teachers, or anyone who wants to help kids succeed.

Homesick and Happy: How Time Away from Parents Can Help a Child Grow by Michael Thompson: I picked up this book from the “new non-fiction” shelf at the library, more out of disgust than interest but am now completely converted! I thought it was going to be talking about little kids (as in, anti-attachment parenting) but it’s actually a really compelling case for sending your kids away from you to camp (or something similar), when they’re old enough and ready to leave you. Reading this made me realize how very formative my years at Tanalian Bible Camp were for who I am today. The information about homesickness and how to prepare your kids for handling it was particularly effective.

 Childbirth:

Ina May’s Guide to Childbirth by Ina May Gaskin:  This pregnancy’s reread, it was still helpful, inspirational, and insightful. I highly recommend it to anyone who is interested in either delivering a baby without medical intervention and/or anyone who needs to understand what a woman might experience in natural childbirth.

Gentle Birth, Gentle Mothering: The wisdom and science of gentle choices in pregnancy, birth, and parenting by Sarah J. Buckley:  This book was instrumental in the choices that Nik and I made regarding our first pregnancy with Ellie and how and where Ellie was born. I would consider this required reading for anyone who is expecting a baby. I’m so glad that I read it when I did (at around 21 weeks pregnant). Reading it, along with a couple other books, drastically changed the course of our pregnancy – for the absolute BETTER.  I skimmed it more this time, having already made many of the decisions that she provides great information about. But it was still helpful – particularly in reminding me about the incredible way that a woman’s body is created in order to birth a baby (particularly the exquisitely timed hormonal cascade that culminates in delivery).

Adventures in Tandem Nursing: Breastfeeding During Pregnancy and Beyond by Hilary Flower:  A really helpful book for anyone who is still breastfeeding when she becomes pregnant again with lots of good information about what to expect.  It’s still useful even if you don’t plan to nurse the older child after the baby is born.  There is also plenty of help for managing nursing two children at once.