Amazon Affiliate Links
Book Recommendations
Rest Play Grow: Making Sense of Preschoolers (Or Anyone Who Acts Like One)
by Deborah MacNamara, PhD
Rest Play Grow is our ‘parenting bible’ at my home. It explains in detail what (and why) to expect from children in the ages of roughly 0-7 years of age, based on brain and psychological development. It helped us explain why we as adults were the way we were, by going back to how our childhood aligned with (or not) with Rest Play Grow. If you can only buy 1 parenting book - this is the one!
The Awakened Family: How to Raise Empowered, Resilient, and Conscious Children
by Shefali Tsabary, PhD
If you are using parenting as a spiritual tool / tool for personal growth; this book is a gem. This, together with Rest Play Grow, would be my ideal, complete parenting library.
There is a reason Dr. Shefali was invited by Oprah on her TV show many times over. Her clarity is impressive, and when following her on social media you also see a very real, humble personal story with her teachings. Her teaching may nail it over and over, like all of us, she is human. :)
Emotional Intimacy: A Comprehensive Guide for Connecting with the Power of Your Emotions
by Robert Augustus Masters
I had been looking for this book and this author my whole life. The wisdom about each emotion is so affirming and returned trust in my being. This book also clarifies what healthy and unhealthy versions are of ALL emotions. It turns out all our emotions have wisdom, all of them can go awry, and the clarity with which it is explained in this book is outerwordly. This book comes not only with theory and references to personal experience, but also with exercises to get in touch with emotions we perhaps have a harder time connecting with.
The Mindful Breastfeeding Book: Preparing you for calm and connected
by Anna Le Grange
A great book preparing everyone not only for success in the breastfeeding journey, but for the parenting journey at large. This book reminds parents to trust themselves and their baby first and foremost. I highly recommend this for families and birth workers alike. If you buy only one breastfeeding book, make it this one.
Ina May's Guide to Breastfeeding
by Ina May Gaskin
This book has all the breastfeeding wisdom in detail. A great go-to for learning all there is about breastfeeding. This has all one would expect from a text book on breastfeeding.
Reclaiming Childbirth as a Rite of Passage: Weaving ancient wisdom with modern knowledge
by Rachel Reed
Birth is a beautiful opportunity to reclaim our power as women. And it is also one where this power can be reduced greatly. This book is both a great preparation for birth, and a wonderful resource to make sense of a past birth - whether positive or negative. I love how she weaves physiologic birth with modern day birth culture and the rite of passage wisdom, with the result that women can be empowered by their birth, no matter what it looked like. No matter the birth, you will find aha moments in this book.
The Wild Edge of Sorrow: Rituals of Renewal and the Sacred Work of Grief
by Francis Weller
Parenting comes with all the emotions, including deep grief at times. If you’re looking for a way to understand the journey of grief as a sacred one, and that there is so much beauty in the hardship of grief, turn to this book. It is a beautiful ‘light’, that resonated deeply for me after experiencing deep grief.
Women Who Run With The Wolves: Myths and Stories of the Wild Woman Archetype
by Clarissa Estes Pinkola
Becoming a mother, also called matrescence, is quite the journey in our modern day culture. If you have ever wondered if there is something wrong with you, with the world, or with your motherhood (or woman) journey; look no further. What a beautiful, deep, all-in book, returning trust to and in women. There wasn’t a single story I couldn’t resonate with, after reading Clarissa’s wise interpretation of these myths.
My Grandmothers Hands: Racialized Trauma and the Pathway to Mending Our Hearts and Bodies
by Resmaa Menakem
This book is a must-read if you are interested in racism in America from the perspective of trauma and body-centered psychology. This translates over to all Western Nations and beyond, and to racism of skin colour, orientation and beliefs, and beyond. I assume, as parents, that this is a topic we all wish to better understand.
Parenting Tools
Ergobaby Omni Classic (formerly OMNI 360)
All-Position Baby Carrier for Newborn to Toddler with Lumbar Support and Cool Air Mesh.
I don’t know what else I would recommend to buy for the first few months. However, having the ability to keep baby close, while doing all that needs to be done both at home and out and about, is life saving in the first few months. If your budget allows for it, I would buy 2, so each parent has straps set up for their body shape. (We spent a lot of time going back and forth in adjusting straps.)
I am now an Amazon Affiliate
While I prefer people buy products from locally owned small businesses, the reality is that not all of us have these stores accessible. When we need to buy through a big company like Amazon, we may as well support someone in their small business effort! If this resonates, please help me out by buying via these links - this earns me around 5% in commission.
Below are some of my most favourite books and tools. I’ve read these books and used these tools myself, and they are above and beyond others in the same categories. My description is my own, using my own language (and may not be a 100% accurate reflection of language used in the book).
