Summer Reading for Parents

Summer is here, the kids are home, the schedule has loosened and it’s a great time to have some reading time for you and your kids. This summer, we're challenging you to invest some of that reading not only with beach reads you'll forget by August, but with books that will genuinely reshape how you parent. Check out this week’s blog post for four great suggestions.

If you’re looking for great books that will encourage, challenge, and equip you as a parent, here are four powerful reads to add to your summer list. Each one speaks to the realities parents are facing today from anxiety and technology to spiritual habits and healthy relationships.

The Anxious Generation by Jonathan Haidt

If you’ve ever wondered why anxiety, loneliness, and emotional struggles seem to be increasing in kids and teens, this book gives thoughtful insight into what today’s generation is facing.

Jonathan Haidt explores the impact of smartphones, social media, and screen-centered childhoods in a way that is both eye-opening and practical. Parents may not agree with every point, but this book creates important conversations about technology, independence, play, and what kids truly need to thrive.

This book is a must-read book for every parent!

The Worry-Free Parent by Sissy Goff

Parenting in an anxious world can feel overwhelming. Sissy Goff brings encouragement, wisdom, and practical tools for helping kids navigate fear and worry while also helping parents manage their own anxiety.

This book is warm, relatable, and deeply hopeful. Instead of parenting from fear, Goff encourages parents to create homes filled with connection, resilience, and peace.

This book is particularly great for parents who recognize that their own anxiety is affecting their parenting, or anyone raising a child who struggles with worry and fear.

Habits of the Household by Justin Earley

This book is incredibly practical for busy families trying to build meaningful rhythms at home. Justin Earley focuses on simple daily habits: mealtime, bedtime, work, play, and prayer. He shows how simple ordinary routines can shape a family’s spiritual life.

Rather than adding pressure, this book reminds parents that discipleship often happens in small, consistent moments. Summer is the perfect time to reset family rhythms and think intentionally about the culture you want to create at home.

This is best for parents who want to be more intentional about the spiritual and relational culture of their home, regardless of where they are on their faith journey. If The Anxious Generation asks "what are we doing to our kids?", Habits of the Household answers "what could we be building instead?"

Wired for Intimacy by William Struthers

This book takes a thoughtful and honest look at how pornography affects the brain, relationships, and spiritual life. While the topic can feel uncomfortable, it is one many parents cannot afford to ignore in today’s digital world.

William Struthers approaches the conversation with both scientific insight and compassion, helping readers better understand the challenges many people face and why healthy conversations about sexuality and integrity matter.

Parents, we need wisdom and confidence to guide conversations about technology, purity, and healthy relationships in an age of constant digital access. Read this book before your kids are teenagers. Better yet, read it now.

This book is for every parent of school-age children. This topic is not optional anymore, it’s a must-have conversation.

Summer often gives families space to slow down just enough to reflect on what matters most. These books can help you think intentionally about your home, your habits, your conversations, and the kind of faith you hope your children carry into their future.

So grab a highlighter or your headphones, find a shady spot by the pool while your kids play, and invest in your own growth this summer too. Your family will benefit from it for years to come.

 

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