August 4, 2016

Reading: Favourite Parenting and Childhood Books I would recommend to read

As you can tell from my blog I’m pretty militant and hard-headed in my views, but these books and seeing different perspectives from readers have helped me bend a little in my views. I still hold steadfast to what I believe in, but I am starting to see other angles to things I previously thought silly.

So, here are the books I have truly enjoyed thus far as a parent. I have read about double this, but these are the only ones I thought were useful.

I’ll add more as I read more. The rest of them felt like horse crap.

COMPLETE LIST

GENERAL

These books are questions that answer the whole gamut of questions from: Why is my toddler not eating? … to … Why is my baby regressing AGAIN when he/she has been sleeping through the night!?

I like their no-nonsense approach, and it is extremely handy to know that you aren’t the only one experiencing it for the first time.

What to expect: The First Year

What to expect: The Second Year

PARENTING

I am not a fan of self-help books normally, because I used to think it was a bunch of hokey, until I started reading these books. Out of all the ones I have read, these are the ones I’d really recommend for both parents to read.

It is not easy to be a parent, and it is harder to know how to reach equality in the home when it feels so damn unequal sometimes (on both sides!). These books can certainly help both of you understand each other better.

I myself have used the techniques in both books, and my relationship has improved almost over night from my efforts.

Even if you don’t have children, these are excellent books on equality in the home.

Getting to 50/50: How working parents can have it all

Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus

Fair Play

GENDER-SPECIFICS

It is very stylish these days to pretend that boys and girls are the same, and while I am a big fan of equality between genders, I apply it more to the idea that girls are able to do the same jobs as boys, and boys are able to do the same jobs as girls.

Everyone learns how to cook, sew, fix things (with tape or glue at least), and to be self-sufficient, regardless of gender.

I would say that Baby Bun is more sensitive than the stereotypical toddler boy, and certainly more introverted/quiet, and there is a little girl playmate we visit who is much more active than he is, and very outgoing.

That said, I am definitely seeing a marked difference in my son versus other playmates, both girls and boys, in terms of personality, and these books are absolutely hitting it on the head in some of the behaviours I see.

BOYS

Strong Mothers, Strong Sons

Raising Boys

GIRLS

Note: I don’t have a little girl so I didn’t read them, but they are by the same authors whom I find to be excellent in the boy versions.

Strong Fathers, Strong Daughters

Raising Girls

FOOD/NUTRITION

I don’t believe that French kids eat everything because I have seen French kids reject plenty at the table here in Canada and in France.

It seems that ketchup is universal, and even French kids have looked plaintively at their parents at our dinner table in Paris and said: “Ketchup?”

My partner replied jokingly: “We aren’t in America here!”

Not only that, I have seem some French kids turn up their noses at what Asian kids eat, and Asian kids doing the same to what French kids eat!!

Each culture is different, and has its own delicacies. What I really am more concerned about, is not whether my son can eat a fish eyeball or stinky cheese, but that he is willing to TRY different foods, have an open mind, care about what he eats, where it comes from and appreciate how things are made (and all the work that goes into the process).

French Kids Eat Everything

GLOBAL PERSPECTIVE

Every country, culture and family has their own way of doing things. I loved reading about all the different ways it happens, and if you really want to read more on this topic, Cup of Jo has an excellent parenthood series of parents around the world, although it is called: Motherhood from around the world.

I love that kids in Denmark are left in their strollers to sleep in fresh air outside alone while their parents shop and do things, just as much as I equally love how American parents get down on their knees in the playground to play with their children, while French ones sit back & let them play alone and independently while they read a book.

I think all of these things are both good and bad, and I myself am trying to work from a mix of perspectives rather than ascribing to one only.

Case in point: I let my toddler sleep in our bed with us and he will do so until he decides he no longer wants to. He may be 10 before this happens but apparently this is a common thing worldwide.

I feel less like a crunchy granola muncher now.

How Eskimos keep their babies warm