Help me pick which book to start with

[Somertyme]

I have really gotten into studying GD/GBD lately, and am finding it fascinating. This is pretty much how my parents raised me and I want to do the same for my son. I really want to get my mind around it though and be able to explain it to others. I know there is a list of books here already, but I guess I'm wanting advice on where to start (I have ordered Crystal's book, but it hasn't come yet). I do prefer Christian books, but am willing to read secular ones as well. I have a few that have been recommended elsewhere, but I'd like opinions on them before I order any.
Easy to Love, Difficult to Discipline,
Secret to Parenting by Anthony Wolf,
Becoming the Parent You Want to Be,
Kids, Parents, and Power Struggles,
Playful Parenting,
Love & Logic
Positive Parenting

If you have any opinions (good or bad) to share on these, or any others that you really liked, please let me know. I'm all ears! :D TIA!

[greenemama]

personally, i wish i'd started with clay clarkson's heartfelt disicpline. (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1578565839/sr=8-1/qid=1143152903/ref=pd_bbs_1/102-2538393-9184168?%5Fencoding=UTF8) :)

Easy to Love, Difficult to Discipline is good but it assumes you're already committed to things, like non-punitive parenting. it's hard if you're just learning the lingo -- i actually started it and then went back to it later.

Playful Parenting, make sure you get the right one. (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0345442865/sr=8-1/qid=1143152944/ref=pd_bbs_1/102-2538393-9184168?%5Fencoding=UTF8) (by cohen, not weston) :) very good, very, very helpful, especially now that henry is getting older.

haven't read the others. you might like sears' discipline book, (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0316779032/sr=8-1/qid=1143152978/ref=pd_bbs_1/102-2538393-9184168?%5Fencoding=UTF8) too.

happy reading!

[siberian]

I just picked up "Adventures in Gentle Discipline", which is my first GBD book! It has a lot of humor in it, so if you like to laugh at life's trials you may like this one.

[Somertyme]

Thanks. I actually have ready "Heartfelt Discipline", and really enjoyed it. I had forgotten about that one :) I did see "Adventures in Gentle Discipline in a LLL catalog. I'd definately enjoy the humor. Oh, and I have a bunch of Sears' stuff, but haven't read the Discipline Book yet, so I'm sure that one is good.
Any other comments on the books I listed? Anyone?

[lumpofclay]

I don't see this on your list, but I recommend Families Where Grace Is In Place. It's a fabulous book. Given your little one is still so little, you have time to fill your mind with general concepts (found in books like FWGIIP) before starting in on the "how-to" books. Does that make sense?

[lavender mom]

I really liked Easy to Love, Difficult to Discipline. I asked the same question as you several months back and everyone recommended it. They were right. :grin I thought it was great and it tops my list. Like you, I was raised in a house that tended towards grace rather than punishment oriented parenting. I've found that I'm not enjoying the "foundational" books as much, perhaps because the concept of grace based parenting (even though it wasn't called that) is already so ingrained in me from my own upbringing. I find I am wanting more of the "how" that comes with the practical books rather than the "why" that comes with the foundational books. But then that could also have something to do with the fact that I was in a rough place with my 3 y.o. when I started spending time here, and I needed answers ASAP! Thank goodness the mamas here were able to help me through! :phew

I haven't read it yet, but a trusted friend recently recommended Becoming the Parent You Want to Be. She said it was a great foundational book that allowed you to shape your parenting according to your own goals.

I haven't read Positive Parenting, but I read her classroom book and found her suggestions there rather impractical to implement. I would imagine her parenting book might be better.

I just finished Biblical Parenting. One of my favorite things I took away from Crystal's book was a deeper understanding of "The Five Steps." She had lots of the "practical" that I was craving. :yes

I got a lot of good information about honoring my child's emotions from John Gottman's Raising An Emotionally Intelligent Child.

[Somertyme]

I really appreciate the suggestions. "I'll add Families Where Grace is in Place" to my list. Lavender Mom, your comments on various books were helpful. I had kind of decided that I would start with "Easy to Love, Difficult to Discipline" because I hear about it a lot. I enjoy both the foundational and the how-to type books, but I think my main reason for wanting to read the more philosophical stuff is mostly to be able to share it with others. My son is still very young, but I really enjoy the study of GDB/GD, and like to read the practical advice and think it all through. I know I can't be completely prepared, but I want to have as many tools as possible. Were/are you a teacher (you mentioned that you read the classroom version of P.D.)? I taught for 3 years, and I think that that is another reason that this topic interests me so much. Thanks again.

[lavender mom]

Were/are you a teacher (you mentioned that you read the classroom version of P.D.)?

Yeah, I was an elementary school teacher. I think that plays into the whole gentle dicipline thing too, you know? While classroom discipline philosophies aren't always free of punishment, they are free of spanking. Whenever the topic of spanking comes up, I think to myself, I was able to handle a group of 30 five to seven year olds without laying a hand on them, I should certainly be able to manage 2 of my own children without resorting to spanking.

Jane Nelson (author of Positive Discipline) is going to be speaking in my home town in a couple of weeks. I'm really looking forward to hearing what she has to say, and seeing if her parenting ideas are more practical than I found her classroom ones to be.

[akmyilee]

Grace Based Parenting by Tim Kimmel. I am only half way though it and I LOVE IT!

[HomeWithMyBabies]

Grace Based Parenting by Tim Kimmel.

This was my first book, I just finished it last week and I really enjoyed it.