I love reading! Even if it’s only 15 minutes per day, 3 times per week, I am amazed at how many books I can get through in a year!

It brings me so much joy and it helps me live a more intentional life when I apply principles I am learning.

My mom read aloud to me when I was little and her mom read aloud to her (and her 5 younger siblings). I remember laying on her lap on our living room couch and watching her beautiful lips move as she skillfully engaged me in each story.

Her gift of investing time sacrificially in me through reading aloud lit a fire and passion for an insatiable love of learning. I am so grateful!

I hope to pass this along to our children as well.

The Bible is the only living word, so that is in a category of its own. Other than that, here are my other top ten favorites when it comes to parenting.

I’ll put these in the same order as I read them, though you can start wherever is best for you in your own unique season of life! As I reflected on my favorites, I discovered the theme here is a mixture of biblical and practical:

*At The Savvy Sauce, we will only recommend resources we believe in! We also want you to be aware: We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.

Baby Bargains by Denise and Alan Fields

I was given this gem after a conversation with my sister-in-law, Tammy, when I was pregnant for my first time. Mark and I were waiting until birth to discover the gender, and I mentioned to Tammy I didn’t know where to begin with purchasing clothes and baby products. She must have sensed my overwhelm because she went out and bought me a copy of Baby Bargains that very day! I eagerly read it cover-to-cover!

This saved us money and time as we used the baby products recommended to pass down through all four daughters. Even more beneficial was the confidence it gave me as a first-time mom!

Practical solutions have always been empowering, so if you want to save time, money, or increase your confidence as a parent, I highly recommend this book!

Because products are always changing, the Fields frequently come out with revised editions to stay relevant.

2. Finding Your Purpose as a Mom by Donna Otto

After I became a new mom, life drastically changed! Can you relate?

For me, the year prior to having our first daughter, I left the private practice as a marriage and family therapist in San Diego and packed my bags to travel the country with my husband. He was selected to be a corporate employee for Chick-fil-A as he pursued the path to own his own franchise. More on that from Inside Scoop on Chick-fil-A.

We moved 6 times in 12 months, made friends across the United States, and enjoyed a sweet season of sharing one vehicle, riding to work together, and working hard 6 days a week, side-by-side in pursuit of a dream!

The month he was selected to own his own franchise, we took a pregnancy test and discovered we were expecting our first baby!!! I worked at his Chick-fil-A right up until I started having contractions. The joy that ensued after becoming parents was indescribable.

I loved our little girl instantly . . . aaaaaand life drastically changed.

I suddenly was at home all day instead of interacting with adults morning, noon, and night. I now had a little 8 lb beauty who needed my care around the clock.

When I am feeling uncertain, knowledge equips me and inspires me to live intentionally.

“The one who gets wisdom loves life; the one who cherishes understanding will soon prosper.” Proverbs 19:8 (NIV).

When we were visiting my parents one weekend, I was browsing their bookshelf and came across this resource. I was instantly intrigued and asked to borrow it. I liked it so much, I invited 11 other ladies to read it alongside me as part of a summer mom’s gathering group!

There is something so valuable about learning from a mentor who is at least one life phase ahead of you. I found this book to be a treasure in that season.

3. For the Children’s Sake by Susan Schaeffer Macaulay

One of those 11 ladies who I met with that summer is the one who recommended this book. Her name is Heather and she is witty, insightful, and has the most impressive vocabulary! (I sometimes have to look up words after we hang out together).

I admire the way she and Kyle are raising their kids so I gladly welcome any parenting book recommendations she sends my way!

I ended up reading this book at least twice and I found it to be transformational in the way I chose to parent our toddlers at the time, though it works for parenting children of all ages.

Susan skillfully shares ways to not only change our paradigm as to how we view our children, but she also provides clear examples of ways we can share the delightful parts of life with our eager children.

She reminded me that water is always stimulating for kids, outdoor play without the intrusion of adults constantly present is beneficial, and the rhythm of soothing bedtime stories provides much security.

It is a grace-based and intentional approach and I look forward to reading it many more times for gentle reminders!

4. Honey for a Child’s Heart by Gladys Hunt

The previous book inspired me to read aloud more to my children, so my next step was to come up with a reading list my daughters and I would both enjoy!

It can take a lifetime to collect worthwhile titles, and I had many visits to the library where we scooped up random books in a hurry, only to find a little more time invested on the front end would have made the entire process more enjoyable for everyone involved.

I decided to again seek wisdom from a more seasoned woman, one who happened to be an author.

This resource gave me confidence to order all sorts of books from our library I never would have encountered. And many of the titles recommended have now become our favorites!

Also, there were a few books she recommended that I had read in my own childhood, so it was a good reminder to add those to our reading list as well.

If you are just getting started with reading to your children or if you simply need some fresh ideas, I recommend this book. As an added bonus, you will get some warm encouragement from a mom who has gone before you.

5. Personality Plus for Parents by Florence Littauer

I came across this book through Karen Stubb’s Recommendation. I originally discovered Karen through another sweet sister-in-law, Cady, and now Karen is a go-to of mine for motherhood advice. Check out her episode here: Self-Care in Motherhood.

Parenting can go so much smoother when we understand our children’s temperament and our own temperament!

“Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it.” Proverbs 22:6 ESV.

The author lays out how each of these temperaments interact together with all the parent-child combinations and I found it to be super practical . . . which is one way to my heart!

I enjoyed this book so much, I eventually hosted Florence’s mentee as a guest on The Savvy Sauce for these episodes:

Understanding Temperaments to Improve Your Relationships, Part 1

Understanding Temperaments to Improve Your Relationships Part Two

And to keep the fun going, I recorded Parenting All Temperaments with Jenny Boyett.

Each of these guests were a joy to glean parenting wisdom from and pairing these podcast episodes with this book helped the lessons to sink in deeply so I could start applying them more seamlessly.

6. 5 Love Languages of Children by Gary Chapman & Ross Campbell, M.D.

This one I listened to as an audiobook, which totally counts! Many parts of our brain have to be activated to make sense of an audiobook, so learning is maximized and I complete mindless tasks while listening . . . win-win!!!

Dr. Gary Chapman is best known for his original book, 5 Love Languages and you can learn more from him as a guest on The Savvy Sauce Podcast here: Five Love Languages.

In this book version for kids, I appreciate him teaming up with a medical professional who also had years of experience with children.

There were simple and applicable take-aways from each chapter, and I like how it helps me focus intently on loving my children effectively.

7. The Mommy Manual by Barbara Curtis

I enjoyed Heather’s other recommendation so much, I asked her for more! She told me about this resource and it was another home run!

I can’t wait to have a conversation with Barbara in Heaven someday. She was the mother of twelve children (yes, you read that correctly) and her sage advice fills every page.

I agree with this encouragement from her, “I can say with assurance that you will look back on the times you have spent reading to your children as some of the best-spent hours of your life.” (pg. 183)

8. In This House, We will Giggle by Courtney DeFeo

Years ago, I heard Courtney DeFeo on a different podcast and I thought, if I ever start my own podcast, I would like to interview her!

That dream became a reality for episode 1 Finding Your Purpose as a Mom. She was such a hit, we invited her back for Ideas for Spreading Generosity.

In her book, there are 12 virtues she unpacks. This makes it manageable to focus on one per month.

She has so many creative ideas and I can’t recommend this book enough!

9. Memory-Making Mom by Jessica Smartt

I cannot remember how I discovered this book, but I’m assuming it’s from simply asking around to discover friend’s book recommendations, which reminds me:

I really hope you will leave your favorite recommendations in the comments below! I am always looking for my next favorite book

And joy really does feel doubled when it’s shared!!!

However I happened upon this book, I am very thankful I did!

I remember being slightly skeptical, fearing it would add a heap of guilt onto a growing list of things to try where I am falling short as a mom. That fear was completely unfounded!

Jessica graciously shares ways to make everyday feel like a memory by writing in a non-judgmental, friendly kind of way.

For instance, she writes, "Jesus knew it. On His last evening with His disciples, He didn’t take them to the temple to squeeze in one last reading of the Torah. He didn’t do one final whirlwind miracle healing tour. No, on Jesus’ last evening with His friends, they ate dinner. A reclining, savoring sort of dinner (Luke 22:7-39)”

She highlights areas of life we experience in our everyday rhythms and then she breathes life into them, sharing ways to make it memorable, even showing how sick days can be prime grounds for memory making!

10. The Read Aloud Family by Sarah Mackenzie

And finally, I come to my most recent addition to this list.

That same trusted voice, Heather, originally recommended The Read Aloud Revival Podcast. This podcast and eventually, this book, gives me the motivation I need to read aloud to our children more and more.

I only have 7 years of experience with parenting, but reading aloud is one of my favorite memories and one hobby with instant positive feedback.

It has supported our kids academically, but that is really just a side benefit.

My days feel better spent when we’ve chosen to read aloud, we have more interesting conversation when we share a good book together, and my children have developed empathy through reading various stories.

If you want to understand what I mean, check out these two episodes:
Promoting a Family Culture of Reading with Blogger, Megan Kaeb
Inspiring Your Children to Be Readers, Part 2 with Blogger, Megan Kaeb.

The Read Aloud Family is a motivating and practical read I will return to over and over, with great joy each time! I hope the same is true for you!

I can’t resist adding a few honorable mentions: The Read Aloud Handbook (especially the first half) by Jim Trelease, Moms On Call Book Series by Jennifer Walker and Laura Hunter, Give Your Child the World by Jamie C. Martin and 80 Tips on Motherhood by Karen Stubbs.

Now, I would absolutely love to hear your list!

Is there a favorite parenting book you recommend? Maybe you have your own top ten list? Is there one that spoke to you in a personal way in a season where you really needed that wisdom

Please share here so we can all benefit from your recommendation!

Happy reading, friends

Much Love,

Laura

About The Savvy Sauce

Practical chats for intentional living

A faith-based podcast and resources to help you grow closer to Jesus and others. Expect encouragement, surprises, and hope here. Each episode offers lively interviews with fascinating guests such as therapists, authors, non-profit founders, and business leaders.

They share their best practices and savvy tips we can replicate to make our daily life and relationships more enjoyable!