Thinking parenting Blog
My 2021 top picks for thought-provoking books
I get sent a lot of books by publishers to review but I don’t always get a chance to put them on the blog. I enjoy reading (when I find the time!), so I also buy a lot of books. To spread the...
Gender inclusive books for tweens and teens
It is so important that children and teens read books that include a diverse array of characters – so that they can find themselves and their own thoughts represented in positive ways. And...
Top 10 books for teaching children about sex
Talking to children about bodies and bits and how they fit together isn’t always easy. The earlier you start and the more relaxed you are about it, the easier it will be (see Talking to...
Play ideas for busy parents
Let’s face it, the pandemic has been more than a little challenging for working parents with young children. What with homeschooling and lockdowns and blurred boundaries between work and home,...
Books to help kids recover from lockdown
Regular readers will know that I advocate snuggling up with a story as a brilliant way to raise sensitive issues with children indirectly and engage them in thinking about ideas. So you won’t...
Best books to teach children social skills (2-7yrs)
The absolute best way for children to learn social skills is through practice. Young children needs lots of opportunities to play with other kids – older, younger and the same age. There will...
Books to help children with anxiety
Children who are worried or anxious don’t always find it easy to express those feelings in words. Reading storybooks together with children is a great way to open up discussions and introduce...
8 Books for talking to children about emotions
It takes time for children to learn to recognise and manage their feelings. Talking to children about emotions can help this process. Talking is usually best done when everyone is calm and no-one...
Children’s books on lying
Lying is an issue that every parent comes up against at some time or other. All children experiment with lying (see Why do children lie?). That’s perfectly normal and – although it can be...
Book Review: The Incredible Teenage Brain
*This review contains affiliate links It’s not often that I wholeheartedly recommend a parenting book. I can usually find something I disagree with… Or that I think could have been...
Book Review: The Board Game Family, by Ellie Dix
*This review contains affiliate links If you are looking for a way to tear your kids away from their tablets and consoles in order to have some quality family time, then board games are a great...
Children’s books about divorce and separation (2-7yrs)
Helping children through divorce and separation isn’t easy and there are no pain-free solutions. Being strong and calm and rational at a time when emotions are running away from you can be a real...
Children’s books that celebrate diversity
Differences really matter to children. Young children have to make sense of the world in a very short space of time. To do that, they use a lot of categorical thinking in which they allocate people...
Book Review: He’s Not Lazy (by Adam Price)
*This review contains affiliate links If you have a teenage son who is not doing as well as you think he should be at school, you must read He’s Not Lazy: Empowering your son to believe in...
Books for helping children manage friendship problems
Learning how to recognise a good friend (and to be one) is an important part of childhood. All children experience some ups and downs in friendships. Parents can play an important role in helping...
Children’s books about sibling rivalry
Sibling conflict can really spoil family time. Constant bickering or relentless competitiveness can really wear on parents’ nerves. Yes, there are parenting strategies you can use to tackle...
Books for boys who dare to be different
Children’s books are jam-packed with gender stereotypes. Boys play football, fight dragons, get into trouble and marry princesses. If you want to offer the boys in your life a slightly wider...
Best brave novels to inspire your teenage daughter
Have you read any Young Adult fiction recently? Because, seriously, YA fiction is where it’s all happening. Strong characters, gripping plots, imaginative worldscapes – the best YA books...
Storybooks for children about working mums
A client recently asked me to recommend books she could read with her little one about going back to work. But I could only think of one book. I can recommend lots of books for helping children cope...
Books on parenting teenagers
The teenage years can be a bit of a shock. Logically, of course, you know they are coming. But it’s impossible to predict exactly how your lovely, loving child will change when they hit the...
Books to help children cope with change
Change can be difficult for children. Children’s life experiences are much more limited than ours so they may not have learnt strategies for facing change confidently. And they often...
Children’s books about shyness
Reading books with children is a great way to start conversations about topics they might find difficult. Whether you have a shy child or just want to help your confident child develop empathy,...
Top 10 starting school books (for preparing children for school)
Getting ready to start school has very little to do with the alphabet and lots to do with practical and emotional preparation (see School readiness skills for pre-schoolers). Their first day at...
Books for raising confident girls
Little girls often have a bit of a thing about princesses. Which can be a problem if your aim is to raise your daughter to believe she can be anything she wants to be (rather than encouraging her...
Talking to children about sex, bodies and relationships: resource list
Lots of parents find talking to children about sex, bodies and relationships difficult. But not talking about those topics can send out a powerful message. Feeling that certain bits of their body...
Book review: The Psychology of Babies (Lynne Murray)
*This review contains affiliate links Give me a baby and I can’t help experimenting on her. Sticking out my tongue to see if she will copy, striking up a ‘making-faces’...
Best books for raising empathetic boys
A quick glance through the shelves of the children’s section in the library is enough to know that the majority of male figures in children’s stories adhere firmly to gender stereotypes:...
Book Review: The Teenage Brain (Frances E. Jensen)
*This review contains affiliate links If you are a bit of a brain geek (like me) and a parent of teenagers (or nearly-teens) then this is the ideal book for you. It charts the changes that take...
Books for preparing toddlers for new babies
Books are a great tool for preparing toddlers for new babies. There is so much about babies that toddlers can’t anticipate and sustaining a sensible focused conversation with a toddler is...
Triple P parenting self-help workbooks
Triple P parenting self-help workbooks are an ideal solution for parents who want to learn more about positive parenting but who can’t attend a parenting course. The books cover all the same...