Three top tips about parenting (and all other advice books).

1. Check the credentials of the author and make sure you are comfortable with them.
2. With a problem/issue in mind check out a few different books to see which one/s ‘feel’ right. It is OK, in fact good, to feel challenged, but sometimes the ideas the author puts forward are just not right for you.
3. Parenting books are optional. They can inspire, engage, educate and help you feel connected with other parents. Alternatively they may make you feel inadequate depending on how what is happening for you emotionally and what individual struggles and problems your family is dealing with. In these situations particularly, it may be more beneficial to talk one on one with someone and get some targeted advice.

I like the books of Michael Carr-Greg, Andrew Fuller and Steve Biddulph because they tend to have some humour and practical advice. They are easy to pick up and dip and out of them, which is great for busy mums. I also think collections of stories where you here different voices around motherhood are great. (There are a couple of these in the below recommendations).

A couple of books that target particular behaviours are Bully Blocking by Evelyn Field (just be aware there is bad language in parts of it as she writes about what children have said when bullying other children). There are a range of strategies in here that can be used depending on the situation and the personality of your child. Sexts, Texts & Selfies by Susan McLean who is an expert in cybersafety is worth looking at for some understanding of what your children face in the digital world.

I asked some of my colleagues to recommend their favourite parenting book and have listed some of those below. They are in no particular order, and are quite varied in their style and content. The bigger, more complex ones might be great for holiday reading.

Towards Parenthood by Bronwyn Leigh and others. Recommended by Dr Tess Crawley from https://www.facebook.com/DrTessCrawleyAssociates/?ref=br_rs.

Raising an emotionally intelligent child by John Gottman; Getting to Calm; The Launching Years; Wise Minded Parenting by Laura Kastner; and The Drama of being a Child by Alice Miller. Recommended by Natalie Turvey from https://www.facebook.com/DropOfLifePtyLtd/?ref=br_rs.

No Drama Discipline by Daniel Siegel. This is recommended by both Dr Hayley Quinn from http://www.quinntessentialpsychology.com and Natalie Turvey.

Momma Zen by Karen Miller; and Everyday Blessings by Myla and John Kabat-Zinn.  These two are all very much about mindful parenting, self compassion and compassion
Love Wisdom Motherhood by Jessica Rowe. A compilation of stories of the transition to Motherhood.  
The Whole Brain Child by Daniel Siegel.. The Whole Brain Child is great in developing parenting skills but also empathy and compassion. (It was also recommended by Patricia Gee from Gallagher Psychology and Natalie Turvey.)
The above were all recommended by Amiee-Jade Pember A Community Psych at New Directions Psychology Service in Ballajura, WA. The comments about the books are all hers.

Parenting by Kathy Walker. Recommended by http://karepsychology.com.au..

Women who run with the Wolves. Recommended by Jamie Lee from https://www.facebook.com/30daysofgratitudeapp/. Jamie says “I love this book because it has the stories of women from around the world and different cultures to highlight our strength and stories that we carry with us. This book isn't specific to parenting but I love the story about the women that will protect her child but also nurture her child.” ​ ​

If you have your own favourite to share,  you can do so below.  

This week I practiced my strength of bravery and took on board the challenge of posting 5 vlogs in 5 days. I chose the theme of communicating with your children, and particularly teens, as this is a challenging area for many families. Mine included!  

​Now, these vlogs aren't perfect (as it is the first time I have done this). However, I have had feedback that the content is useful. They explore why we communicate with our children, whether our communication is parent or child centered, how we can set the scene for communication by making ourselves available, layering a conversation and how to respond when your teenager actually does talk to you!

I have posted a link to one of the videos below.  You can find the five of them at 
bit.ly/2vO8Iai.

I would love if you commented on what you found useful, and what else you would like me to vlog on.

Positive Young Minds will also be running practical workshops where the ideas in the videos will be expanded on and you have the opportunity to practice some mindful communication skills.  If you are interested drop me an email at youngminds.psychology@gmail.com.