As for actual parenting books, I have a great reading recommendation. In spite of the clumsy title, Emotional Muscle by Kerry and Jack Novick neither guilt-trips parents nor condescends to them, like so many patenting manuals do.
The book was written by psychoanalysts who run a daycare where they help parents and children navigate the complexities of emotional growth from birth to age 5. There is not an ounce of theory or terminology in Emotional Muscle. The book is written in an extremely accessible way but it’s inspired by the latest advances in psychoanalytic theory.
Every time I sat down to read this book, I wept because the many parents described in it are all such wonderful, loving people who are ready to change and grow for the sake of their children. Of course, I was also pregnant and hormonal, so that added to the weepiness. But the book offers such a comforting, feel-good glimpse into what life would be like if everybody followed psychoanalytic principles of emotional competence that it’s really touching.
I got tons of useful suggestions from this book and will keep consulting it for years to come.
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