Parenting Books

Dr. Meg Meeker uses her own child psychology experience and references clinical studies to prove her thesis that daughters rely heavily on their father as a role model for self-esteem, values, and personal and relationship decision-making. Must read for fathers with daughters.

Stanford professor Carol Dweck provides great data support to show how people focused on continuous improvement and learning from failure develop and achieve more in life than those focused only on results or perfection, or who've been designated 'gifted' by others. She gives good examples of how false praise serves only to de-motivate people to achieve higher goals. Great read.

Po Bronson has an engaging, easy to read writing style. Citing field studies, the authors break 2010 parenting conventional wisdom or shed new light on topics like 'growth mindset' (see Carol Dweck's book), importance of sleep, why parents don't talk about race, why kids lie, the myth of 'gifted program' selection, why siblings fight, why teenage rebellion/argument is healthy, why too involved parenting doesn't create angels, and other good topics.