Latest Parenting Books Help Parents Understand Kids Better in Social Media, Post-pandemic Realities

parenting books Lisa L. Lewis Donna Jackson Nakazawa Katie Lier Dr. Becky Becky Kennedy Good Inside

By Jo Anne Hubert , Parent Herald Sep 21, 05:54 am

Photo: (Photo : Pexel/ Perfecto Capucine)

While there is no one perfect instruction manual for parenthood, parents can surely get guidance and learnings on how to be better at parenting through books.

The New York Times recently released a list of new titles for parenting that promises reassurance, advice, and solidarity, especially now that the children are back to school and parents are worrying if they are okay.

Judith Newman, who wrote the article and is the author of the book "To Siri With Love: A Mother, Her Autistic Son and the Kindness of Machines," can attest to how helpful all these new books are.

Four New Titles for Parenting

1. A PARENT'S GUIDE TO MANAGING CHILDHOOD GRIEF: 100 Activities for Coping, Comforting, & Overcoming Sadness, Fear & Loss

Everyone went through the pandemic, and children and teens, the vulnerable ones, were highly affected, especially by the sudden isolation and losses.

The Covid Collaborative stated that about six million children worldwide lost their parents or caregiver to COVID. Thus, though not COVID-specific, this book, written by Katie Lier, counselor and play therapist, shows parents how they can help and support their children to cope, especially since kids of different ages and genders handle grief differently. The book consists of clever craft activities that parents and children can do to process loss.

2. THE SLEEP-DEPRIVED TEEN: Why Our Teenagers Are So Tired, and How Parents and Schools Can Help Them Thrive

Newman narrated how her teenage sons were still doing anything during the pandemic summer whenever she woke up at 3 a.m. Now that school and waking up early are back, she said the transition has been ugly. Thus, this book, written by journalist Lisa L. Lewis, discusses the science behind why adolescents need as much sleep as they had when they were younger. The book revealed that almost 70 percent of American adolescents lack sleep, resulting in a high risk of everything from poor performance in school to suicide. Even a small increase in sleep can reap so many benefits.

Along with writing this book, Lewis fought and won for a later high school start time in California. This book will also awaken you to become a "sleep activist" in your community.

3. GIRLS ON THE BRINK: Helping Our Daughters Thrive in an Era of Increased Anxiety, Depression, and Social Media

Author Donna Jackson Nakazawa based her book on the statistics found between 2016 and 2020, stating that girls were 48 percent more likely to be diagnosed with depression and 43 percent with an anxiety disorder than boys of the same age. Children these days are growing up in a world of insecurity about everything from school to climate to future employment, plus social media that is giving off a lot of information that makes children scared, insecure, and doubtful but so little on the context.

Nakazawa describes the environmental and physiological "toxic stressors" on girls and then provides simple but powerful ways to fight them off. She also emphasizes why it is so beneficial to keep kids away from specific online influences as long as the parents can. She gives parents a step-by-step program on how to do this.

4. GOOD INSIDE: A Guide to Becoming the Parent You Want to Be

The concept that children are all "good inside" even in their monstrous moments is very trendy among parents these days. All thanks to "Dr. Becky" of Instagram, who currently has 1.3 million followers.

Becky Kennedy, a psychologist, a mother of three, and the author of this fourth book, shares that her mission is to rethink how parents raise their children. Her book is labeled the "parenting manual you've always wanted."

The author has sparked a parenting revolution over the years. She has created an empowering and effective approach to parenting that models connecting with children instead of correcting them. Switching parents mindsets from "consequences to connection." Kennedy emphasized that parents need to connect to their kids at all costs, even in the kid's worst moments. Connecting regulates the child's behavior, validating their emotions and guiding them to make better decisions.