What are the best books for single mums and dads? Are there any great reads by single parents? Or diverse family stories to help your kids feel represented? Book recommendations – whether they’re empowering reads for newly single parents or beautiful picture books that help explain separation to kids – are constantly being swapped on the Frolo app, so we thought we’d gather them all together in one handy list.
Books for adults
Books written by frolos
How To Be a Happy Single Parent by Frolo founder Zoë Desmond and writer Rebecca Cox is a practical and inclusive guide for all single parents, whatever your family set-up, tackling the issues that face all new single and solo mums and dads, from finances to childcare and looking to the future covering topics related to dating and holidays. With single parent stories from well-known single parents in a host of different situations, there will be a situation that you can relate to, and advice to guide you in building a life you love for you and your children.
Order your copy of How To Be a Happy Single Parent here.
And it's not just Zoë and Rebecca, frolos are a pretty accomplished bunch – plenty more single parents have written books about their experiences. Moving, relatable, funny and insightful – every one of these is well worth a read:
- How To Fall Apart by Liadan Hynes
- Tender: The Imperfect Art Of Caring by Penny Wincer
- Going Solo: My Choice to Become a Single Mother Using a Donor by Genevieve Roberts
- Block, Delete, Move On: It's Not You, It's Them by Lalalaletmeexplain
- Get Divorced, Be Happy by Helen Thorn
- Play Groups & Prosecco, The (Mis)Adventures of a Single Mum by Jo Middleton
- Confessions of a Single Mum: What It’s Like When You’re Expecting The Unexpected by Amy Nickell
Self-help books
Even if, previously, self-help books weren’t your cup of tea, they can provide real solace and motivations when you’re adjusting to life as a single parent. Here are some frolo favourites:
- The Unexpected Joy of Being Single by Catherine Gray
- The Self Care Revolution by Suzy Reading
- The Buddha In Me, The Buddha In You by David Hare
- You Can Heal Your Life by Louise Hay
- The Chimp Paradox by Steve Peters
- The Subtle Art Of Not Giving A F*ck by Mark Manson
Books about separation and divorce
Separation and divorce can be a confusing, as well as emotionally difficult, process. If you’re not familiar with the legal terminology and the different stages involved it can seem pretty overwhelming. Frolo recommend these books to guide you through the process emotionally and practically:
- Surviving Separation And Divorce by Ruth Clements
- Uncoupling by Sara Davison
You can read our detailed and informative Family Law Q+A with Laura Naser here.
More books about dating and relationships
If you’re thinking about dipping a toe into the waters of dating as a single parent – or you’ve been dating with limited success – consider reading up on the topic:
- Love Factually by Laura Mucha. Laura interviewed hundreds of people about love over 10 years to write this book. Expect lots of facts about love and some nice stories
- Modern Romance by Aziz Ansari
- It’s Complicated (But It Doesn’t Have To Be) by Paul Carrick Brunson is all about dating and confidence
- Attached by Amir Levine and Rachel Heller. This book will help you learn about your attachment style
- Trapped In The Mirror by Elan Golomb
- Gaslighting: The Narcissist’s Favourite Tool of Manipulation by Dr Theresa J. Covert
For advice from an expert, check out our Q+A with dating coach Lydia Davis, where she answers questions from frolos about dating as a single parent.
Parenting books
Transitioning to parenting on your own – while potentially navigating some big feelings and tricky behaviour from your kids – can leave you feeling overwhelmed. Check out one of these books recommended by fellow frolos for sound advice:
- How To Talk So Kids Will Listen and Listen So Kids Will Talk by Adele Faber and Elaine Mazlish
- The Book You Wish Your Parents Had Read (And Your Children Will Be Glad That You Did) by Philippa Perry
We gave frolos the chance to sit down with a child psychologist and get her expert insights on a range of questions – read the full blog post here.
Books for kids
Books about separation and divorce for kids
Books can be a really helpful tool when your family is transitioning to a new normal. These are the books that frolos recommend for helping children understand separation and divorce:
Books for older kids
- Getting Through My Parents Divorce: A Workbook For Children Coping With Divorce by Amy J L Baker and Katherine C André
- All About Families by Usborne Books
Books for younger kids
- Two Homes by Claire Masurel
- Dinosaurs Divorce: A Guide For Changing Families by Laurie Krasny Brown and Marc Brown
- Luna Loves Library Day by Joseph Coelho
- The Hairdo That Got Away by Joseph Coelho
- The Invisible String by Patrice Karst
- The Family Book by Todd Parr
- Families, Families, Families by Suzanne Lang
- It’s Not Your Fault Koko Bear by Vicki Lansky
Books about race, racism, and diversity for kids
If you’d like to introduce more diversity into your child’s bookshelf, these books which celebrate diverse families and educate kids on the history of racism are a great place to start:
- My Daddy, Martin Luther King by Martin Luther King Jr
- I Am Enough by Grace Byers
- Teach Your Dragon About Diversity by Steve Herman
- The Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats – this beautiful picture book was ground-breaking when it was first published in 1962
For more book recommendations and advice on talking to your children about race – check out our Q+A with Uju Asika and Orla McKeating.
A updated version of Frolo is now available for the best possible app experience, with features on that include enhanced discovery settings, 'Find me on Frolo' and the ability to share meetups and group chats outside the app, plus the ability to post anonymously on Community and to see all your likes in one place with unlimited likes on Dating mode.
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