10 Books every Father should Read
To be honest, becoming a father is one of the things that scare me the most in life.
Watching my dad go around trying to make life easier for us gives me apprehensions that I might not be able to do enough when I have my own kids. I know I’m not being paranoid because fatherhood is officially one of the hardest things in life.
However, one thing that gives me assurance is that I am sure there are countless books that have been written specifically to help me, other soon-to-be dads and current dads make the best of our journey to and through fatherhood. Books are awesome like that, they help with everything.
Sunday was Father’s Day so I decided to crawl the web, compare several lists to create a list of the best books to help one become a better Father.
Dude, You're Gonna Be A Dad by John Pfeiffer
There are approximately 3,712 ways for a guy to look stupid during pregnancy — this book’s here to help you avoid all(most) of them. And here’s your first hint: Focus on what you can be doing for her rather than what’s happening to her.
She’s pregnant. She knows that. You know that. And her 152 baby books tell her exactly what she can expect. Your job is to learn what you can do between the stick turning blue and the drive to the delivery room to make the next nine months go as smoothly as possible. That’s where John Pfeiffer steps in. Like any good coach, he’s been through it. He’s dealt with the morning sickness and doctor visits, painting the baby’s nursery and packing the overnight bag, choosing a name, hospital, and the color of the car-seat cover. All the while he remained positive and responsive — there with a “You’re beautiful” when necessary — but assertive during the decision-making process (he didn’t want to wind up with a kid named Percy). And now it’s your turn.
Fatherneed by Kylie Pruett
Fathers have always parented differently than mothers. In Fatherneed, Dr. Kyle D. Pruett shows mothers and fathers why that difference is so important to a child’s physical, cognitive, and emotional development.
Drawing on more than two decades of highly acclaimed research at the Yale Child Study Center, and backed up by true stories from actual families, Fatherneed is the essential how-to guide for women and men who wish to promote engaged fathering. This book will help enable fathers to give their children the skills they need to develop into happy and healthy adults. Step by step, Dr. Pruett specifically addresses what a father can do to prepare his marriage, his house, and his emotions for his child’s needs, from infancy through the toddler years, childhood, adolescence, and young and mature adulthood.
Man vs Child by Doug Moe
Moms have hundreds of parenting advice books willing to tackle the more cringe-inducing questions of parenthood. But what about books for the other half of the equation: the dads? Man vs. Child is a funny, fresh take on the parenting guide, written from the dad’s perspective.
Author and popular Upright Citizens Brigade performer Doug Moe knows first-time fathers are as worried about being terrible at their new terrifying jobs as new moms are. But while most modern fathering guides center on men’s oafish parental failings, Man vs. Child forgoes condescension in favor of fresh and irreverent wit. This guide for first-time dads tackles funny but important questions, like how to be a good dad without becoming a BabyBjörn-wearing tool in the process, or what to do if your child loves your iPad more than they love you. From caring for a newborn to dealing with a kid on the verge of adolescence, author Doug Moe breaks fatherhood down into survival lessons like “Time to Decide About God” and quizzes that ask dads to reflect on hilarious parenting questions like “Is My Child Too Annoying for This Restaurant?”
BeDADitudes by Greg Popcak
Internationally known marriage and family expert Greg Popcak draws on more than twenty years as a counselor as well as his own experience as a father to show how the Beatitudes can be viewed as a practical guide to understanding the love of God and applying that love to being a better father.
In the first book to uniquely focus on the Beatitudes and fatherhood, Greg Popcak helps you stop focusing on yourself and instead focus on God, learning how to be the father God wants you to be by becoming a servant leader in your home.
As a father of three children, Popcak realized that Jesus’ call to be humble in the first Beatitude — Blessed are the poor in spirit — stands in direct opposition to what modern men learn growing up. Instead, they are taught they should live a life of unbroken success, defined by promotions at work and beautiful wives and honor students at home.
The Catholic author, speaker, counselor, and radio host will show that when you practice meekness, you will connect with your family by asking them questions and listening closely to their responses. By practicing mercy, you come to know your own sins, the difficulties that lie on the path to sainthood, and how your family needs to hear about God’s grace in their lives.
Being a Dad Is Weird by Ben Falcone
Though he’s best known for his appearances in the movie Enough Said, as well as his hilarious role as Air Marshall Jon in Bridesmaids, Ben Falcone isn’t a big shot movie star director at home. There, he’s just dad. In this winning collection of stories, Ben shares his funny and poignant adventures as the husband of Melissa McCarthy, and the father of their two young daughters. He also shares tales from his own childhood in Southern Illinois, and life with his father — an outspoken, brilliant, but unconventional man with a big heart and a somewhat casual approach to employment named Steve Falcone.
Ben is just an ordinary dad who has his share of fights with other parents blocking his view with their expensive electronic devices at school performances. Navigating the complicated role of being the only male in a house full of women, he finds himself growing more and more concerned as he sounds more and more like his dad. While Steve Falcone may not have been the briefcase and gray flannel suit type, he taught Ben priceless lessons about what matters most in life. A supportive, creative, and downright funny dad, Steve made sure his sons’ lives were never dull — a sense of adventure that carries through this warm, sometimes hilarious, and poignant memoir.
Stories My Father Told Me
In a world driven by power, money, and the pursuit of personal success, Helen and her father Elia have given us a glimpse of an intact society stretched to the limit, yet surviving with all the strands of its fabric securely in place. Their deceptively simple work carries a profound message for our time.
24 full-color plates of original artwork by the established Arab American artist Helen Zughaib accompany her father Elia Zughaib’s family stories of his childhood in Syria and Lebanon in the 1930s.
Helen’s art in review: “Like dreaming in color.” “Her perfectly patterned visual images create a path of radiance.” “Her images magically carry us into distant places of beauty, joy, devotion, and love.”
In counterpoint to Helen’s artwork, Elia Zughaib’s stories portray with rich cultural detail the traditions and lifestyle of a previous era. Evocative, full of wisdom and humor, they offer fascinating glimpses into Syrian and Lebanese Christian traditions, folk culture, and daily life.
We’re Pregnant by Adrian Kulp
Being a great first-time dad doesn’t mean being perfect; it means approaching and participating in the pregnancy experience with confidence. From easy-to-understand stats on the mommy and baby to discussing and designing a birthing plan, We’re Pregnant! The First-Time Dad’s Pregnancy Handbook provides all the need-to-know information with in-depth suggestions on how to be an ideal partner, and become a fully prepared parent.
This standout among pregnancy books gives you the month-by-month tools needed to prepare for a newborn’s arrival. Featuring must-ask questions for the doctor, milestone trackers, and more, this approachable, action-oriented handbook also takes you beyond the due date, offering fundamental information on how to plan and perfect your own daddy daycare.
This essential pregnancy guide provides stress-relieving advice, including:
- Dad-to-be datebook―Track weekly milestones and pregnancy vitals for the mommy and baby.
- Building a nest―Keep your relationship healthy by setting family goals like creating a fun pregnancy announcement or planning a relaxing trip.
- Newborn baby love―Learn how to thrive as new parents with useful tips on everything from bottle temperature to bonding with your newborn.
We’re Pregnant! The First-Time Dad’s Pregnancy Handbook will help first-time dad become a pro parent.
The Expectant Father by Armin A. Brott, Jennifer Ash
Since it was first published several years ago, The Expectant Father has become the indisputable leader in its field. It is an information-packed, month-by-month guide to all the emotional, financial, and yes, even physical changes the father-to-be may experience during the course of his partner’s pregnancy. Incorporating the wisdom of top experts in the field, from obstetricians and birth-class instructors to psychologists and sociologists, The Expectant Father is filled with sound advice and practical tips for men, including how to afford a pregnancy; how to juggle work and family roles; how to make sense of your conflicting emotions; what childbirth classes don’t teach you; ways to support and encourage your partner throughout the pregnancy; how to start a college fund; how pregnancy affects your sex life; how to deal with the obstacles society places in the way of involved fathers. In the revised and expanded second edition, authors Armin Brott and Jennifer Ash incorporate the latest statistics; update the Resources section to include the many relevant websites that have appeared since the first edition was published; introduce information for adoptive fathers-to-be; address the special concerns of fathers who are expecting twins, triplets, or more babies; and much more. The new edition, like the first, is illustrated with delightful cartoons that will keep even the most anxious fathers-to-be chuckling.
From Dude to Dad by Chris Pegula
From Dude to Dad gives you the need-to-know essentials on pregnancy, birthing, and parenthood, and how it’s okay to be scared out of your mind. You’ll learn what the expecting mom is going through during each trimester, how you can be the best partner and dad-to-be, and how to immediately start bonding with baby.
Be prepared for the arrival that will ultimately change your life in the best way possible.
Make sure you get yourself at least 2 of these books, I will do the same. Happy Fatherhood!
