Parenting should be classified as a certified skill on a resume. It&rsquos not a task for the weak. You've always got to be on your toes. There is so much to do - grocery runs, laundry, dishes, cleaning, running errands, school drops, uniforms, education curriculum, homework, activity time, exercise, nutrition checks, health check-ups, daily work schedule and whatnot. Well, the list is endless. While you accomplish these daily tasks like a boss, it always feels like you can do more for your children.
So, what is it that you can do above and beyond the regular stuff to provide a more present, aware, kind and nurturing environment for your child?
1. How to Talk so Kids Will Listen and Listen so Kids Will Talk by Adele Faber and Elaine Mazlis
One of the best books on building a positive home for children, this international bestseller is the ultimate practical guide in developing a better relationship with your child. Adele and Elaine had a huge impact on their lives with their years of workshops with Dr. Haim Ginott, a late child psychologist and parent educator. These learnings and their life changes and experiences took the form of this amazing book. The book is a clear, concise guide with cartoons and illustrations, exercises and role-playing chapters on how to help the child understand and regulate their emotions, how a parent can acknowledge these emotions, and how both can reduce daily conflicts amongst them.
2. No-Drama Discipline: The Whole-Brain Way to Calm the Chaos and Nurture Your Child's Developing Mind by Daniel J. Siegel and Tina Payne Bryson
A New York Times bestseller, this fascinating book has detailed and effective explanations for different situations that parents might have experienced with their children. The focus is on understanding the behaviour of the little ones, how their brain functions, and how they are still learning the necessary skills of regulating emotions and behaving effectively in different situations. This gives a great insight into their inner world and how parents can regulate themselves and communicate better when their children are not at ease, throwing tantrums and are simply unwilling to cooperate. The key is to learn how to calm the chaos and nurture the child&rsquos developing mind. BookChor recommend this one to be one of the best parenting books for child development.
3. Positive Parenting by Dr. Navniit Gandhi
A Hindi translation of the book &lsquoDear Parents&rsquo by the same author, this fascinating book on parenting discusses around 30 or more real-life difficult situations that parents face with their children. The book is written around the Indian context and talks about the problems parents and children face living in an Indian family setup. Every chapter has a difficult situation being posed by a parent, and the author answers it effectively with her perspective as a counsellor. The tone is more conversational rather than a step-by-step approach to answering the problems. The answers are simple, easy to understand, and every parent would be able to relate them to their life situations. One of the top parenting books India has to offer.
4. Simplicity Parenting: Using the Extraordinary Power of Less to Raise Calmer, Happier, and More Secure Kids by Kim John Payne and Lisa M. Ross
In this highly resourceful book on the dos and don&rsquots of parenting, Kim John Payne discusses simplifying the process, rather than hovering over children and letting anxiety take the front seat. Payne is the founding director of the Simplicity Parenting Institute and the Centre for Social Sustainability. He has also worked as a school and family counsellor and consultant for more than thirty years. In this famous book, he advises parents to minimise distractions and sensory overload for their children. The idea is for them to experience boredom from time to time, have minimal toys in front of them while the rest of them are stacked comfortably in the chest, and have minimal or low screen time alone. The author focuses on introducing more bonding time with the kids with family story times, a set routine so that the child knows what they can expect during their day and week, and has time off from constant activities and schedules. A child is supposed to have fun while going about their everyday life, not be distracted and overwhelmed with loads of information. BookChor recommends this book to be one of the top 10 parenting books for positive discipline.
5. What To Expect - The First Year by Heidi Murkoff
The world&rsquos best-selling guide to how to take care of a baby in its first year of life, this book has become a lifesaver for so many new mothers. No one knows what goes on in taking care of a baby until one has birthed one. It takes a lot in prepping for the baby already, and when the baby has arrived, there is so much that goes into taking care of both the mother's and baby&rsquos health. Heidi Murkoff talks about the ways to take care of the little one, dividing the advice, instructions and guidance by age in months and additional sections on what is required to keep the baby safe, keep the apartment baby-proof and the main things to tackle while taking care of the baby. The information is easy to navigate and understand. BookChor recommends it to be one of the best parenting books for child development.
6. The Five Love Languages of Children by Gary Chapman and Ross Campbell
This detailed yet simple book on parenting talks about the different love languages that parents can use to communicate with their children. Gary is a noted Baptist minister, and Ross was a clinical psychiatrist for more than 30 years. Both of them vouched for the magical effects of unconditional love on any human being, especially children. They say that children&rsquos emotional tanks need to be full for them to be regulated, present and be their best human, innocent selves. Parents fear spoiling their children when unconditional love is talked about in terms of different love languages. But the authors reiterate that there can never be enough unconditional love. The children have their different ways of being loved, but all they need are the basics - a need to be loved, valued and taken care of. BookChor recommends this simple yet evocative book to be a great contender on the list of books on building a positive home.
7. The Five Principles of Parenting: Your Essential Guide to Raising Good Humans by Dr Aliza Pressman
You don&rsquot have to raise perfect children by a set rule book, all you have to do is raise a good human being - that&rsquos the premise of this amazing book on parenting. Dr. Aliza Pressman has worked with healthcare providers and families as a developmental psychologist for nearly two decades. In this book, she talks about the five principles that parents need to get fluent in to raise good humans: Relationships, Reflection, Regulation, Rules and Repair. These five Rs lead to resilience - to humans who can weather life&rsquos storms while staying true to their values. This book is vouched to be a great choice among the many parenting books for teenagers and children out there.
8. The Rules of Parenting by Richard Templar
Richard Templar (pen name of Richard Craze), a British author, makes use of his astute observations on human behaviour and understands the difference between people who struggle to get things done and those who effortlessly glide towards success. These observations find their way into his Rules titles, including the Rules of Parenting, one of the top-most positive parenting books of all time. Templar talks about a set of golden behaviours that parents can use to help their children enjoy life, look after themselves, and be kind and caring. Parents can do this while enjoying the whole experience themselves as well. There&rsquos no need to be a perfectionist. There are no perfect parents or perfect kids. Just use these golden rules to increase the chances of bringing up happy and healthy children. The idea is to remain sane, keep your sense of humour, while being an imperfect yet great parent who values happiness over a perfect life.
9. Raising Our Children, Raising Ourselves by Naomi Aldort
One of the books that has made it to the best parenting books 2025 list is this amazing read by Naomi Aldort. This book on parenting talks about validating the child&rsquos emotions in a true sense without dramatising the situation or parents adding their reactions and history around the subject being discussed. Naomi says that neither child nor parent must dominate. The idea is to relinquish control, let the authenticity prevail and give the agency to the child to express their anguish freely without being judged. Naomi offers her SALVE formula - separate yourself from the child&rsquos emotion with self-talk, give attention to the child, listen to what the child is trying to say or indicate through their actions, validate their emotions and empower them to get out of their discomfort on their own and trust them. Truly, a great way to relinquish control and let the toddler/child/teen thrive and act responsibly without facing any painful measures.
10. ABCs of Parenting by Gouri Dange
Another one on the list of the best parenting books for child development is Gauri Dange&rsquos ABCs of Parenting. Devoid of any jargon or judgment, the book has simple chapters from A to Z on a variety of topics like apologies, bullying, sex education, personality, privacy, punishment, money, meal time, kindness, waistlines and more. The situations and advice are simple and illustrate the everyday scenarios that the kids might experience at school, playtime or with their friends and relatives. There are no-judgmental pieces of advice on every topic for a parent to handle the situation in a balanced way or empower their children to handle the situation on their own.
So, which book do you like on the best parenting books 2025 list by BookChor
