The Perfect Companions: 7 Favorite Books for New Parents
Becoming a parent is an exciting journey, filled with joys, challenges, and moments you never wish to forget.
As you enter into this new world, it’s easy to become overwhelmed by the sheer number of books available to new and expecting parents. You barely have time to complete the ever-growing to-do list before the baby arrives or maybe you’re looking for a gift other than the go-to classics.
Where do you start?
In this blog post, I’ve curated a list of my all-time favorite parent books to provide you with new classics, helpful tools for the newborn and toddler years, and some just for laughs.
Whether you're a book lover looking to expand your library or a new parent seeking guidance, you'll find something in this list.
So, let's dive in!
The Sanity-Saver:
The Everyday Mother
This book is my number one baby-shower and new parent gift. By tracking your baby’s feeding, sleeping, and yes, pooping patterns, you will easily determine what is normal for your child, be able to communicate efficiently with all caregivers, keep track of tummy time, and even track how much water you are drinking each day. That way, when you go to your pediatrician with a question, you can confidently answer theirs.
The Everyday Mother is especially helpful with multiple children (and twins!) because it gets harder to remember all the things after the first child. The creator, Jackie Mangiolino, is extremely relatable to parents in the throes of the newborn stage because every day there is a “5 star poop” category to celebrate (IYKYK).
I personally used the 3 month mini tracker with my second child and the 6 month tracker with add-on pages with my third. There are sweet little notes you can write to yourself or your baby because those precious memories of the early days will fade.
Teresa’s Tip: Use code BATERESA for a 10% discount.*
*This is a referral code and I will get a benefit from you using it. I only recommend products I’ve personally used; this one is worth the upgrades.
The Essential:
Happiest Baby on the Block
If you only have time to read one book, read this one. Happiest Baby on the Block gets you through the fourth trimester, those first 3 months of life as your baby transitions from birth and the cozy space he/she was accustomed to, to the outside world. You’ll be able to understand and soothe your baby faster after reading this book. Our copy was a gift to us and I’ve read and re-read it for each of my three children.
The Essential Part 2:
Happiest Toddler on the Block
Go ahead and just gift this one to new parents, the first birthday has a way of sneaking up on you!
If you only have time to read one book as your baby approaches their first birthday, read this followup to Happiest Baby on the Block. Learn to become an ambassador to your young toddler and help them (and yourself!) navigate the thrilling/tiring/overwhelming years of toddler-hood. You’ll be more equipped to handle and avoid tantrums.
Teresa’s Tip: The author uses three broad categories for personalities: easy, shy, and spirited. We have one of each (in the order of first being easy, second is shy, and third is spirited). This is a book I have read and re-read for each child. The “spirited” category is a fun child with big highs and big lows, I’ll be keeping this at my beside for a few years; a reminder we are in this together!
For Home Setup:
The Purposeful Child: A Quick and Practical Parenting Guide to Creating the Optimal Home Environment for Young Children
Along with Happiest Toddler on the Block, this short and sweet book follows the theme of setting your home and your young child up for success. Young children can be especially frustrated because they are younger, shorter, and slower than everyone in the family. Creating a home space that enables safe independence, will make them proud and help avoid (some) frustration during this stage.
Teresa’s Tip: We set up child appropriate dishes and anytime snacks on a shelf they can reach even from age 1. At dinner time, we practice using glassware by washing/reusing yogurt glass cups. The Oui Yogurt by Yoplait has a cup with a wide base (very stable), is short (less likely to tip), with a small opening that is perfect for little hands. I’d like to thank my husband for the yogurt cup idea.
Just for Laughs:
Hatched!: The Big Push from Pregnancy to Motherhood
This book was a gift and honestly had me cry-laughing because it’s spot on to the trials and tribulations of expecting and new mothers. The chicks add another layer of hilarity and I still pick it up whenever I need a laugh.
For Bedtime:
Mother Bruce
If you’re looking for a bedtime story other than Goodnight Moon, Mother Bruce is about a grumpy bear that is a gourmet chef. His life is upturned by some goslings. The story is funny and the illustrations are cute.
We received this book as a gift from my high school book-buddy 😊.
For Cultivating Conversation:
Journey
If you’re looking to hear more of your child’s inner thoughts, look through Journey with them and ask questions about the illustrations. Journey is a wordless story and it’s so interesting to hear what they notice and consider when looking through the pages. Perfect for ages 2 and up.
This was another gift from my high school book-buddy; she has been great at stocking our library.
I hope my selection of favorite books for new parents offers new bedtime favorites and provides you with valuable recommendations for your parenting journey.
Don’t forget to seek support beyond the pages of a book. Join local parenting groups, engage with online communities, and surround yourself with fellow parents who can provide wisdom, understanding, and a listening ear; we are all in this together.
Happy reading!
