The Top 10 Books I Recommend

A favorite author of mine, Tracy Gillett of Raised Good, just published a book, and it inspired me to compile for you this list of 10 books I most recommend.

So here you go:
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  1.  The Continuum Concept, by Jean Liedloff

You've likely heard me talk about this book before. A lot. It was my parenting bible. My mind was blown open when I first read it and I never read another parenting book after it. I just went to work figuring out how to apply this evolutionary and proven approach into my Western life. It illustrated for me what is possible when human beings' needs are met, something that a part of me always intuited, and it provided the blueprint I needed to parent my children from this beautiful perspective. Most of what I teach when it comes to parenting is based on this book. If you also resonate with it, check out my page of Continuum Concept resources.
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  2.  Nonviolent Communication - A Language of Life (also know as NVC,) by Marshall Rosenberg 

I believe anyone who's ever going to be in a relationship, including with themselves, or will ever interact with anyone could benefit from this book. Just like The Continuum Concept, it helped me understand what human beings need and how they function. I find its teachings invaluable in understanding the causes of people's feelings and behaviors, in learning how to properly meet children's (and everyone else's) needs, in learning to communicate effectively, in developing the magical skill that is empathy and even in resolving triggers and healing emotional wounds. It's the only book that I recommend to EVERYONE who works with me, and I even offer a program that's primarily based on it.

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  3.  Clean Parenting - The Peaceful Parent's Essential Guide, by.... ME!!!! Eliane Sainte-Marie

My gift is in making peaceful parenting WORK (you can read loads of testimonials of this here.) This happened in my family and now also in the families with whom I work, through setting a healthy foundation of seeing everyone as valuable and worthy individuals who are innately good, focusing on meetings needs, treating children as well as ourselves respectfully, being clear leaders, and much much more. This book is full of information to help you create your healthy parenting foundation. 

​Buy this e-book now for $9.97: 
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​Though I haven't read the following 2 books, I have read many of the authors' articles and fully endorse their approaches when it comes to parenting toddlers and older children. Many of my clients have found them helpful because they provide lots of practical guidance in parenting toddlers.
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  4.  No Bad Kids, by Janet Lansbury

Loads of practical advice and examples in respectfully parenting toddlers.

CAVEAT: I highly recommend this book but I do not agree with Janet's or RIE's (the parenting approach she's trained in) perspective when it comes to parenting babies, because of the reasons described in this article. So PLEASE read The Continuum Concept for guidance on caring for babies.
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  5.  Trust Me I'm A Toddler, by Sam Vickery

Sam is also a Continuum Concept mom who is highly effective in putting it into practice and writing about it.

  6.  Hold On To Your Kids, by Gordon Neufeld and Gabor Maté

Though I also haven't read this book, many of my friends, clients, and fans of The Continuum Concept have told me that it was one of their favorites, even life changing, and in complete alignment with what I teach. Some even found it MORE valuable than The Continuum Concept, which to me is the biggest endorsement for a book that I could get!! 

I'm also a HUGE fan of Gabor Maté's work. (This video just blew me away a few weeks ago, providing a whole new understanding of myself, and is already influencing my work.) I used to have as a goal to be interviewed by Oprah, but I now aim to one day give a talk with Gabor Maté. ☺

  7. The Lost Art of Natural Parenting, by Tracy Gillett

Through running my Parenting For Wholeness Facebook page and reading tons of parenting articles to share with my peeps, there's one author I've come to love. You guessed it: Tracy Gillett, founder of Raised Good, and the person who inspired this post.

So I got really excited when she shared with me a few weeks ago that she's finally published a book! I highly recommend her writing. She's deeply attuned to what babies and children need, writes with a warmth that feels like a hug, is deeply grounded in truth and can be a wonderful guide in the lost art of natural parenting. (To be honest, I really wish I could write like her and get a bit jealous whenever I read her articles.)

  8.  Siblings Without Rivalry, by Adele Faber and Elaine Mazlich

I often say that anyone who has a child who will ever interact with another child should read this book. Few things are as infuriating as children fighting, which you KNOW if you have more than one child. My 3 children very rarely fought, and in addition to my focus on meeting needs and having a healthy, connected and supportive relationship with them, this book is what I attribute that to. The perspective it presents and the approach it teaches are THAT powerful.
If you enjoy that book, you might also want to get these authors other book, 'How To Talk So Kids Will Listen And Listen So Kids Will Talk.'

In dealing with sibling issues, I'm also guessing that Laura Markham's newish book, Peaceful Parent, Happy Siblings, is great, because I love a lot of her articles. I've just not added here as an official recommendation because I haven't read it nor have parents talked to me about it.

  9. The Presence Process, by Michael Brown

As part of the intensive work I do with parents in my Clean Parenting™ program, we tease out areas where their parenting needs to be fine-tuned from triggers, wounds and baggage that need to be addressed through inner work. And for people who want to do that work on their own instead of through different types of (effective!) counseling or other programs that I offer, I always recommend this book, along with NVC (see above) processes. It provides a good understanding of what's needed in order to release triggers and heal emotional wounds, as well as a step-by-step process for doing it on your own.

Below is a recording of a conversation my dear friend and fellow Parenting for Wholeness coach Kristen and I had where I provided her some guidance in using the book for her healing.

​  10.  The Power Of Now, by Eckhart Tolle:

This list wouldn't be complete without including the only book I've read more often than The Continuum Concept (I think I'm up to 10 times.) It's not one I often recommend, because its impact on me is hard to put into words, and I'm not even sure what to say about it here. Just read the book description and get the book if it speaks to you.
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NOTE: I do not recommend Eckhart's other popular book, A New Earth. I found it flat and devoid of the incredible aliveness that I experience in almost every sentence of The Power Of Now. It's hard for me to believe the same author wrote those 2 books.
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I want to make it clear that this list is in no way comprehensive.

I haven't read any parenting book (besides re-reading The Continuum Concept numerous times) in over 20 years. I'm sure there are many other wonderful books that also fully align with my work.

If you know of other books that support parents in parenting peacefully and effectively and raising whole children, please post them in the comment section below!
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I hope you've found value in this list, as well as some of the additional links.

Lots of love,

If reading books isn't enough for you to live your parenting ideals with your children, and to experience the ease and harmony I promise you is possible through peaceful parenting, check out my Clean Parenting™ program!
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I have a new group starting August 7th, and still have 9 available spots in it. Email me if you're interested!

Here's what one mom wrote to me after completing that program:
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​ "I feel like you saved me and now I can finally be the parent I want to be and raise my daughters to be whole and happy.

Thank you for making a huge difference in my life and the life of my children. I will be forever grateful to you for sharing this life-changing information with me. You put me on the path to have a wonderful, healthy life with my daughters and I just cannot begin to thank you enough. You have given me the greatest gift and I will cherish it always."

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