The Blessings of a Skinned Knee by Wendy Mogel

My first choice comes with a caveat. It is an incredible parenting book but is written using Judaism – the religion – as it’s base. I am not Jewish and not recommending Judaism, but I found the parenting advice so incredibly practical, down to earth, and helpful that I am recommending it as a book I wish every parent would read. I definitely wish I had read it while my child was still at home. You won’t be disappointed. I would love to have some book discussions on this book. “Nationally known clinical psychologist and lecturer Wendy Mogel’s sage reflections on raising children in a world where entitlement and competition abound have struck a chord with thousands of readers. In a culture whose values are often at odds with the ones parents wish to uphold and instill, The Blessing of a Skinned Knee points the way to raising self–reliant, compassionate and ethical children.”

Raising Self-Reliant Children in a Self-Indulgent World: Seven Building Blocks for Developing Capable Young People by Jane Nelsen Ed.D.

The Gesell Institute books.

They have been around for 30 plus years but are the best reference books for what to expect as children grow and learn at each age. There is a book for 1 year olds, 2 year olds, and 3 year olds and so on up to age 15. They tell you which year it’s normal for kids to develop tics, which years they argue about everything, which years they are obsessed with fairness and which years they are clumsy and accident prone. The books are practically free on Amazon.com.

Brain Rules by John J. Medina

Well written, witty entertaining book filled with great info on the latest research on how the brain works. Here are some examples: Did you know that when we’re asleep, the brain is not resting at all. It is almost unbelievably active! It’s possible that the reason we need to sleep is so that we can learn. Sleep deprivation reduces the brains ability to learn by 30 % the first day and 60 % the second day. Makes you think about bed time for your kids, huh! And how about this: Taking a nap might make you more productive. In one study, a 26-minute nap improved NASA pilots’ performance by 34 percent.Did you know that aerobic exercise just before math increased 4th grade kids’ learning rate by 106%? And that exercise cuts the risk of dementia in half? I’d like to bet that reading this book would change your family and your life in positive ways.