If you want to raise your son well, get sole physical custody if at all possible.
The Bible
Dr. James Dobson, from Focus on the Family, has some very good books for raising kids and family life in general
Dr. James Dobson has a great book “Bringing up Boys.” I highly recommend it.
Start with the Bible. ‘Bringing Up Boys’ and ‘Love Must Be Tough’ by Dr. James Dobson are also good resources. They Way They Learn and Every Child Can Succeed by Cynthia Ulrich Tobias.
Child Rearing for Dummies
Good fun through and through and will keep them coming back for more.
Cheers!
In my own experience, with three daughters, books don’t really help. But What To Expect The First Year has good info on the basics of child-rearing. My own advice? Read, read, read with your child. Even at this young age. Get your child to love books. My kids and I still read together every night. My youngest two are 7 and 9 (next week). It helps with everything.
But this is the most important part. My 17 year old daughter and I talk every day about books. I will read the books I buy for her, and we discuss them, even the silly ones with dumb plots, and it opens up all kind of avenues of discussion. It really does. Everything. And I truly believe that we are as close as we are because I always read with her. But the bottom line is, in my house, reading leads to talking, and when it comes to when they get older, getting them to talk to you is everything.
‘A Fine Young Man’ by Michael Gurian.
A secular book that I would recommend would be "Beyond Positive Thinking" by Dr. Robert Anthony. It is not about child rearing specifically but helps the reader to understand his or herself and how he or she thinks. It's a fantastic book! I wish I had read this before my kids were born. It could have helped a lot.
When he’s old enough, Harry Potter books.
Also, Successful Single Parenting by Gary Richmond.
Wishing you and your son the best. God bless you.
Never mind, I was thinking for him, not you!
Dr. Phil's articles on parenting
...or his book: Family First: Your Step-by-Step Plan for Creating a Phenomenal Family
Bringing Up Boys
by James Dobson
It is vital, even though he will not be with you all the time, that you remain a positive influence on him always and that, even though you are divorced you show him that you are Man enough to still respect his Mother ans see the importance of her in his life as well. Good Luck.
The what to expect series of books have been invaluable with my 1 and 3 year olds. Some very good insight into developmental milestones and understanding what’s going on during the key early years. And a nice reference for when the “mechanicals” aren’t running too smoothly. When to call the doctor, when to keep an eye on things and when to relax.
Babycenter.com also has a weekly email that you can sign up for that will tell you what to look for - “your baby at 14 months” type stuff.
“Help! There’s A Liberal Under My Bed.”
To Train Up a Child
By Michael Pearl