Ask me to recite just about any Dr. Seuss book (or Fancy Nancy, or Eric Carle) and I’ll probably be able to do it from memory. Do you want to know the lyrics to a Veggie Tales song? How about the Imagination Movers? It’s all stored in my head, and I don’t think it’s ever going to get purged.

Once my kids find something they like, whether it’s a certain book, song or movie, they never seem to grow tired of it. I know this is fairly common among babies and children, and I also know that it helps the kids learn. I get it, but that doesn’t mean I have to like it.

I’ve been reading the same Diego book every night for the past couple of weeks. The suspense as to whether Diego will indeed save the baby sea turtles has long since been lost on me, but every time we read it my kids sit in hushed anticipation to find out what happens next. I’ve also had They Might Be Giants: 123 in my car’s CD player for a straight week now, and any time I change it I get a stern tongue-lashing from my kids in the back seat who want their music back.

I keep reading Diego and keep listening to They Might Be Giants in the car because I know that the kids love them. I also know that it won’t be long before they get passionate about a different book or CD, and although we’ll undoubtedly read the book over and over and listen to the CD over and over, it will also pass someday soon.

Besides, every so often I do manage to talk them into trying something different and they actually take to it. They were initially iffy about the Olivia books but now they love them, and I saw some scowls when I first slipped a swing CD into the stereo at home but now they dance like crazy when I turn the music on while I cook.

Repetition is a necessary evil, I’m afraid, but it could be a lot worse. At least my kids pick music I enjoy and books that are clever. I don’t know what I would do if their music of choice was something horrible and I was stuck in the car along with two kids who like singing along with vigor.

When I had my daughter last October, it was the first time I’d been around a baby in nearly two decades.

While I did a lot of research on pregnancy and childbirth my nine months of pregnancy, for some reason I was so caught up in the adventure of “having” a baby that I didn’t think about what it would be like to raise a baby. Just as I turned to pregnancy books before my little one was born, I turned to parenting books in the first few weeks after her birth.

Here is a short list of the titles I would recommend, buy for close friends and keep on my bookshelf for years to come.

1. What to Expect the First Year by Heidi Murkoff – Just like What to Expect When You’re Expecting, this conversational tome is comprehensive and well-organized. While the authors recommend and rely on pediatrician’s advice more often than my personal philosophies would prefer, the book literally covers every topic a new parent could need. I turn to the book each month to see how my daughter is doing regarding milestones, and frequently throughout the month for parenting tips and tricks. I plan to build the entire library of “What to Expect” titles in the coming years.
2. No-Cry Sleep Solution by Elizabeth Pantley– This practical book outlines a gentle, effective way to start your newborn on the path of sleeping through the night. Didn’t start early? The book also offers techniques to help infants over four months old to begin falling asleep on their own and sleeping through the night. Pantley is not against co-sleeping, but does offer tips for parents who want to break that cycle of having the baby in bed with them. The book also addresses the psychological factors behind night-time feedings, asking mothers to decide if they are ready, emotionally, for their baby to sleep through the night or if they’re still craving that late-night, quiet contact.

 

3. How to Raise a Healthy Child in Spite of your Doctor by Robert Mendelsohn – For those looking for an alternative medicine/natural health approach to child-rearing, this book provides practical advice and solutions. Mendelsohn asserts that there’s rarely a reason to involve your pediatrician and gives you the knowledge to diagnose and treat many common ailments. I’ll be referring to this book in many instances before I call my baby’s doctor.

 

4. Anything by Dr. Sears – The “Dr. Spock” of our generation, Dr. Sear’s volumes are comprehensive, informative and authoritative. He advocates attachment parenting, but also teaches balance in the family and a common sense approach to parenting. As the father of eight children, including noted author and pediatrician Dr. Robert Sears, his advice can be trusted.

 

5. The Nursery Collections – or any other comprehensive volume of children’s nursery rhymes and short stories. I know the first time I was faced with singing a classic like “The Wheels on the Bus” to my daughter, I completely blanked on the words. While my sister assured me the baby doesn’t care if I’m singing the right lyrics or even in tune, it bothered me! A collection of rhymes and songs will save your sanity and give you a constant arsenal of baby entertainment.

 

6. Dr. Seuss Books – For a limited time you can receive TWO FREE Dr Seuss books and a FREE TOTE BAG from Babies Online. You can find more baby freebies right here at Babies Online including free baby & parenting magazine offers and more!

Readers, what are your favorite parenting titles?

While I barely got a greeting on my first Mother’s Day from my husband this past May (sniff), I don’t intend to let my husband’s first Father’s Day go unmentioned as retaliation. Yes, I’ll probably get him a card, and treat him to a dinner or lunch. I also scoured the Internet looking for special Father’s Day songs we could sing to him come Father’s Day morning. Well, I’ll sing to him and our daughter will probably squeal being only 10 mos. and all.

I found a great site that has lyrics suited to Father’s Day but to the tunes of classics like Twinkle Twinkle Star or other well-known songs. Here’s an example:

To the tune of (take me out to the ballgame.)
oh i love my daddy.
and my daddy loves me.
he picks me up and gives me piggy back rides,
we run, jump and play, oh we have a good time.
oh i really love my daddy,
let’s shout three times, hooray,
oh i love, love love my daddy so especially on father’s day

It’s quite cute, isn’t it? I think I’ll try to make up my own song as well. Let’s give it a try:

Daddy, Daddy you’re funny
You make goofy faces at me
Makes me laugh and makes me smile
Cuddles me more than once a while
Daddy, Daddy you’re so sweet
Having you is such a treat!

I am proud to say that I have a husband who is a sucker for all these mushy cute stuff! It would be great to have our daughter memorize songs that honor fathers as she grows up. I can’t help but be reminded of the fact that restaurants and shops are buzzing when Mother’s Day rolls around, but is business as usual on Father’s Day. I hope to teach my Dad to honor her father, and recognize his contribution, as we all should for our deserving fathers.