Over the last decade as a parenting educator and coach, it has been an honor for me to work with and learn from so many excellent parenting experts. With so much information overload, and so many parenting experts, it can be difficult for parents to know where to start! To help you out, I want to share my personal list of the top 10 parenting experts whose work I have found most beneficial.

I had to be very selective in order to keep the list to 10. I don’t believe that any one can truly quantify the top 10 parenting experts in the same way that we can choose the top 10 best-selling books. However, this list will a tremendous benefit to any mother, or father, whose time is precious and wants help sorting through parenting information.

Many of these experts are not well-known to most parents, despite having cutting-edge information that can help your parenting. Let me know what you think of these experts’ work if you check them out, or sign up for my mailing list to hear free interviews with them and other experts. I am approaching all of them about being on my Parenting TeleSummit this spring.

1. Martin Seligman (http://www.authentichappiness.sas.upenn.edu /)

• Last winter I read Dr. Seligman’s The Optimistic Child and implemented his program with my kids. I was amazed at the transformation in my parenting that resulted from applying his ideas to myself as well as to the kids. If you have any concerns about your kids and depression , anxiety or social skills, read this book! If you have any issues with pessimism, and would like to know why this trait is so damaging, this is a must read for 2010

2. Gordon Neufeld,  Hold on to Your Kids (http://gordonneufeld.com )

• Dr. Neufeld is a developmental psychologist, whose work helps parents understand the power of attachment in parenting. Bullying, peer behavior and the adolescent years made sense once I read his wonderful book. I had the pleasure of mentoring under Gordon while taking a number of his courses.

3. Daniel Amen Change Your Brain, Change Your Life . (http://amenclinics.com )

• Every adult, let alone parent, needs to read this book! Parents have the power to set our kids up for a great brain for life, and we need to know how. You will benefit as much as your kids from knowing what you need to do to live a great life. Amen covers everything from diet to mental and physical stimulation to sex.

4. Daniel Goleman (http://www.danielgoleman.info/blog )

• Dr. Goleman’s pivotal work on social and emotional intelligence is crucial for parents to read. Many parents get stuck in the trap of focusing on their child’s intellect, while neglecting the much more important social and emotional skills. His books are easy to read and will change how you parent.

5. Dr.s Kathlyn and Gay Hendricks (http://www.Hendricks.com )

• The Hendricks’ names are synonymous with the movement to greater consciousness. Their many books on conscious relationships have given parents a powerful model for parenting.  I first read their work shortly after my marriage when I needed help negotiating the many issues that arose. I highly recommend their work to improve your relationship, as well as your parenting.

6. Norman Doidge The Brain that Changes Itself (http://www.normandoidge.com/normandoidge/MAIN.htm l)

• Dr. Doidge’s covers a lot of similar territory to Dr. Amen, with a few notable exceptions. One is his chapter that talks about pornography and the fact that it is not only addictive, but addicts move towards harder and harder porn. With the Internet and our children’s increasing porn exposure, this is a very serious issue that parents need to know about. Your child’s ability to form a consensual, healthy relationship may depend on you knowing more about this subject.

7. Gabor Maté (http://www.drgabormate.com /)

• Dr. Maté ’s contribution to parenting is multifold. His books cover topics ranging from addictions to ADHD, from both a personal and professional perspective. For parents who are too self-sacrificing, I recommend his eye-opening book When the Body Says No . Maté  also cowrote Hold on to Your Kids with Dr. Neufeld.

8. Jennfier Kolari Connected Parenting . (http://www.ConnectedParenting.com )

• Since I started doing parenting education 10 years ago, this is the most helpful book I’ve read that shows how to connect with your kids. Kolari has a great technique for bonding with kids. She also covers topics such as anxiety in kids, bedtimes, transitions and temper tantrums. Her work helps take the theoretical background that Dr. Neufeld and Maté cover, and translate it into action.

9. Dan Fauci, The Mastery of Self-Expression (http://themasteryworkshops.com )

• Parents often don’t think enough about their own personal growth. It is common knowledge that if we aren’t growing, we are dying. The Mastery workshops have been a backbone of my personal growth, and have been a major contributor to my parenting. That is why I include the course on this list. Dan Fauci is the founder of the workshop and his mission is to help people live the lives they were meant to live, not just get by.

10. Annie Fox, (http://AnnieFox.com )

• I had the pleasure of interviewing Annie in the fall. Her expertise is tweens and teens. She has extensive experience from her work helping teens for over a decade through her website, http://theinsite.org. Her practical, compassionate approach is easy for parents to relate to and use.

These experts have either been on my interview series this year, or are being approached about being part of my Parenting TeleSummit . Many are authors whose work I have read and applied personally with my family. Still others I have taken courses from directly.

I’d love to hear who you think is the best parenting expert of 2009!