Best Parenting Books I've Ever Read - One Easy/One Toughie

Hi, All and Welcome ILCW'ers! I'm so delighted to participate in ILCW and am learning so much from fellow bloggers. Today, I was inspired by a book loving blogger from ILCW who wrote about how consumerism and excess affects our parenting and purchasing choices. Powerful stuff, kind of scary to recognize this in yourself or acquaintances, and in our popular culture. The antithesis of living within your means, sad to say. However, it did motivate me to share a couple GREAT Books, well, the second book is actually part 2 of a series, but I'm jumping ahead.

To preface this, I will tell you I have probably read just about every Parenting book on the Planet, including Your Baby and Child by Penelope Leach and Dr.Spock, etc. etc. If you are looking for diaper rash or breast feeding advice, well, those are great. The two books I Highly Recommend (not just for Parents BTW) are ones that deal with the "Emotional Diaper Rash" if you will.

How to Talk So Children Will Listen and Listen So Children Will Talk by Farber and Mazlish.
Whether your kid is two or twenty, this book is incredibly helpful.
Example from this book: Don't pepper your child with questions when they get home from school or whatever activity, just say "Welcome Home" and give them some time to transition to share their day. This book has great "vignettes" which are short, sweet, and to the point.

Protecting the Gift (Keeping Children Safe and Parents Sane in an Unsafe World) by Gavin DeBoecker (Security consultant/profiler for FBI, Secret Service, celebrities)
This is a follow up to his first book, Protecting the Gift. The first 30 pages are painful to read because the author makes you examine your worst fears, child abduction by a stranger. However, when you finish this book, you feel incredibly empowered to equip your child with the skills to help them trust their instincts for survival which we all possess.
Example: when going to a store with your child, rehearse with them, where will we meet if we get separated? Who is safe to get help from? It's safer for the child to choose who s/he seeks help from. Point out the employees in their colored smocks and also women with children are usually safe people to seek help from. You learn most predators are men. Not an Easy Read, Sorry. But again, I learned so much and Nothing Kills more people than Denial.

Well, onto Cheerier things, I hope today finds you and your loved ones happy and well. Thanks so much for stopping by. I appreciate it and any other great reads that you can recommend.