If you’re looking for books and parenting tips to help your kids grow into curious, confident readers, you’re not alone. The art of reading real books—yes, with actual pages—is fading fast… Many of us wish it weren’t. We long to help our children fall in love with books—and not just on a Kindle.
A great way to spark a child’s interest in reading is by offering books they’ll be excited to explore. Once their curiosity grows, you can introduce more thought-provoking titles, like Wisdom for Heaven on Earth by John E. Wade II, a book on spiritual and political structure.
Another strategy? Set the example yourself. Children who see their parents reading are more likely to become readers, too.
But be honest—when’s the last time you read a book cover to cover? Aren’t you more likely to scroll social media?
Books and Boasting on Facebook
If you’ve ever taken one of those viral quizzes listing the “Top 100 Books Everyone Should Read,” you’ve probably seen some pretty suspicious scores posted by your Facebook friends.
This phenomenon inspired a witty article at The Federalist called The Top Ten Books People Lie About Reading. It opens with a poem by Joseph Bottum titled Reading by Osmosis, featuring this gem:
Mark Twain, Hart Crane,
and Ursula K. LeGuin—
We’ve mastered their books with a difficult trick:
We’ve read them outside in.
It’s a fun, insightful read—and a great one to bookmark next time someone claims to have “devoured” Ulysses.
Functional (and Dysfunctional) Baby Clothes
New parents quickly learn that not all baby clothes are created equal. Some styles make diaper changes a nightmare. Others restrict babies from crawling or playing freely.
That’s why this smart list of baby clothing pitfalls is worth a look. Long dresses, for example, might look cute—but they can trap a baby’s knees when crawling, leading to frustration and even tumbles.
Happily, blogger Shanna Keller also recommends clothing styles that actually make sense. Her post is a must-read for anyone building a baby registry or layette.
Creative Kids and the Value of Books and Parenting Tips
Many parents wonder whether their child might be gifted or creative. Instead of guessing, check out Carolyn Gregoire’s viral post, 18 Things Highly Creative People Do Differently.
The article—which inspired the book Wired to Create co-authored with Scott Barry Kaufman—explores traits that set creative thinkers apart. It turns out that behaviors we sometimes label as “quirky” (like daydreaming or keeping odd hours) are actually creativity indicators.
Take Frank Lloyd Wright, for instance. He famously woke at 3 AM to sketch architectural ideas. So if your child keeps asking for water at that hour… maybe you’re raising the next great designer!
You’ll find yourself nodding in recognition as you read. “My kid does that!” Or even, “I do that.”
Screen Time: A Word of Warning
Finally, a cautionary tale about infants and screens. In her powerful essay, 10 Reasons Why Handheld Devices Should Be Banned for Children Under the Age of 12, pediatric occupational therapist Chris Rowan outlines the serious dangers of early tech exposure.
Both the American Academy of Pediatrics and the Canadian Society of Pediatrics recommend zero screen time for children under two. Still, many parents hand their phones to toddlers or let babies pretend to talk on them.
The risks? They’re sobering: delays in speech and language development, disrupted sleep, and even behavioral issues. This study links handheld device use in young children with significant speech delays.
If your child insists on holding a phone, try giving them a toy phone—or an old device with the battery removed. It might not be the same, but it’s safer.
These expert-backed books and parenting tips can help you raise creative, tech-savvy kids who love to read and explore the world offline.