Someone recently asked in the forums which parenting books were the best. What are those books that you must have on your shelf? I was surprised at the number of mothers who said that parenting books were not worth their time because they are not geared specifically towards their child. Personally, I’m a big fan of Dr. Sears and have many of the things from the Dr. Sears Parenting Library. Of course, as you probably would’ve guessed, I also have a few breastfeeding books. But the common response of “trusting your gut” reminded me of how and why I began to read Dr. Sears’ books to begin with.
You’re Not Going to Co-Sleep Are You?
When I was 8 months pregnant with our first baby, our pastor and his wife invited us over for dinner. At some point during the dinner conversation our pastor turned to us and began to warn us of the dangers of co-sleeping, ending with, “I hope you’re not going to be one of those parents.” We solemnly promised we wouldn’t be, we didn’t want babies in our bed with us, and we had no problems listening to babies cry when the issue is they simply want their way.
Then along came Elizabeth. She was born with the belief that I was the all night buffet bar. She didn’t take a pacifier or a bottle. We tried both. Relegated to status of all night buffet, I began to read “The Complete Book of Christian Parenting” by none other than Dr. Sears. At this point, I was already sleeping on the couch where I fell asleep while nursing her. . .was it really that horrible to bring her back to bed with me?
That was the beginning of our foray into attachment parenting. What grew out of common sense and gut instinct became a well researched, growing conviction that parenting babies in this way makes a lot of sense.
So Are Parenting Books Worth It?
I highly recommend at least one medical reference book and if you’re committed to breastfeeding, a good breastfeeding reference book. While not absolutely essential, they are handy to have around. But I have to agree with many moms when they post that trusting your instinct is often the best way to go.
Valorie Delp shares recipes and kitchen tips in the food blog, solves breastfeeding problems, shares parenting tips, and current research in the baby blog, and insight, resources and ideas as a regular guest blogger in the homeschooling blog. To read more articles by Valorie Delp, click here.
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