Parents, Read These Books When You Need to Disconnect and Recharge
Summer is winding down, and we are headed straight into back to school season. For the parents of little ones, it may seem like there is barely a moment of reprieve. Parenting isn’t an easy job, and it never stops. For the mom, dad, or parent figure who could use a refuel in the parenting department, we have gathered a few books just for you. Sometimes, you need a helping hand, advice from someone who understands, or just a moment to process and recharge from the daily grind.
These books are sure to help you feel seen and known along your parenting journey and perhaps even give you some much needed reprieve.
1. “What Happened to You?: Conversations on Trauma, Resilience, and Healing” by Oprah Winfrey and Bruce D. Perry, MD, PhD
This book is meant to be a thorough and introspective read. A combination of personal narratives and scientific research, “What Happened to You?” explores the impact of our early childhood experiences on who we become as adults. Oprah Winfrey and renowned brain and trauma expert Dr. Bruce Perry dive into deep conversation about approaching trauma with a new lense — understanding what happened to us in our pasts; they also explain how this process leads to greater empathy and understanding for ourselves, our behaviors, and other people.
2. “Sippy Cups Are Not for Chardonnay: And Other Things I Had to Learn as a New Mom” by Stefanie Wilder-Taylor
Consider this an approachable guide for new moms. Author Stefanie Wilder-Taylor offers witty and sometimes biting advice that is contrary to the well-intentioned but often disheartening modern-day parenting guides and case studies. In her short essays, Stefanie offers encouraging and practical parenting advice that encourages women to live fully and make their own choices responsibly.
3. “Be a Happier Parent or Laugh Trying” by Betsy Kerekes
As a parent, if you have never been given the advice to laugh more, insert author Betsy Kerekes into your reading rotation. Another approachable and practical read for parents, Betsy offers countercultural advice that, instead of emphasizing being a better parent, suggests the key to being a good parent is to be a happier parent.
4. “To Have and to Hold: Motherhood, Marriage, and the Modern Dilemma” by Molly Millwood
In “To Have and to Hold,” clinical psychologist and author Molly Millwood explains how attachment theory illuminates the patterns and behaviors of our closest relationships. Molly shares her own experience with early motherhood and how that vulnerable time brought up issues of identity, control, autonomy, and dependency. She offers advice for new moms on how to reclaim their identities and explains the connection between a woman’s wellbeing as a mother and the wellbeing of her relationships.
5. “It Didn’t Start with You: How Inherited Family Trauma Shapes Who We Are and How to End the Cycle” by Mark Wolynn
In this guide from trauma to healing, author Mark Wolynn explains how traumatic experiences can be passed down from generations. Readers will gain insight about how emotional legacies are often encoded in everything from gene expression to everyday language, and how they largely impact our emotional and physical health.
What books have helped you recharge in your parenting journey? Share them with us @meetcopper so we can continue to share them with our Copper Community.
