For the latest info on the SCSP Parenting Book Club, go here!
I’ve never actually been in a book club, and I have a really hard time finishing a book before it’s time for it to go back to the library, so really, why not start a book club where I’m the host?! <sarcasm and laughter, but here we go, anyway!>
This idea started out because I have so many parenting books on my to-be-read list, but somehow they never make it to the top of the list. Having a book club is just the kind of motivation I need to actually read the books I already want to read.
Then I had the thought that you all would be the *perfect* group to have a parenting book club with, because I know that you all love your kids and you want to love and teach them to the best of your abilities, just like I want to do with mine! There’s always so much we can learn about how to do both of those things better. I don’t know about you, but I find this parenting gig to be TOUGH, so I’m always looking for ways to improve myself so that parenting feels little easier for me haha.
The books I choose will always be related to parenting in some way or another, but there will still be a big variety! We’ll read books on discipline, technology, hobbies, values, and so much more!
The general format for the book club will be as follows:
Each quarter, I’ll announce the books for the next 3 months in a post on Instagram.
At the beginning of each month, I’ll remind you about which book we’re doing that month, both in an Instagram story and in a newsletter email.
At the end of each month, I’ll publish a blog post covering my top takeaways from the book.
Sometime during that same week, I’ll go live on Instagram to talk more about my takeaways, and to give you all a chance to chime in as well! Anyone who wishes will be able to write a comment on the live or come live with me to share your insights. Everyone will benefit from more voices sharing their different perspectives!
So with all that being said, here’s the lineup of books for the next three months!
September:
The Self-Driven Child: The Science and Sense of Giving Your Kids More Control Over Their Lives by William Stixrud & Ned Johnson
Summary: “Instead of trusting kids with choices . . . many parents insist on micromanaging everything from homework to friendships. For these parents, Stixrud and Johnson have a simple message: Stop.”
With the start of the school year, it seemed like the perfect time for this one!
October:
How to Talk so Kids Will Listen & Listen so Kids Will Talk by Adele Faber and Elaine Mazlish
Summary: “In this international bestseller, discover the number one practical guide to family life. Parenting experts Adele Faber and Elaine Mazlish provide effective step by step techniques to help you improve and enrich your relationships with your children. Learn how to break a pattern of arguments, cope with your child's negative feelings, engage your child's co-operation, set clear limits and still maintain goodwill, express your anger without being hurtful, and resolve family conflicts peacefully”
I’ll specifically be reading “How to Talk so Little Kids Will Listen,” mostly because that’s the one I accidentally bought, and also because it applies to me, as it’s geared for kids 2-7, and I have kids who are almost 2 and almost 5.
November:
Teaching Your Children Values by Linda & Richard Eyre
Summary: “One of the greatest gifts you can give your children is a strong sense of personal values. Helping your children develop values such as honesty, self-reliance, and dependability is as important a part of their education as teaching them to read or how to cross the street safely. The values you teach your children are their best protection from the influences of peer pressure and the temptations of consumer culture. With their own values clearly defined, your children can make their own decisions -- rather than imitate their friends or the latest fashions. In Teaching Your Children Values Linda and Richard Eyre present a practical, proven, month-by-month program of games, family activities, and value-building exercises for kids of all ages.”
We won’t be doing a book in December because that’s a pretty crazy month for most people, but we’ll get back to it in January!
So who’s in?! Which book are you most excited for??
And if you have any book suggestions or book club ideas, send them my way. I’m definitely winging this and could use all the help I can get! :D