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8 Amazing & Life-Changing Toddler Parenting Books For Every First Time Mom You Know
Want to give the best gift ever to a fellow first time mom? One that is sure to be their favorite and make a meaningful impact on their life? Here are 8 thoughtful and meaningful toddler mom books that are sure to be a stand out gift they are thankful for, forever!
Going from a baby momma to a toddler momma is one of the biggest and most challenging transitions for first time moms and it needs to be treated as such, with as much support and TLC as possible!
This is such a meaningful milestone to shop for because your toddler mom friends are most likely starting to see their little baby push for more independence, seek more control, express more of their emotions and behave in ways that are extremely foreign and shocking to the first time mom. They are being triggered unlike every before and the journey on this parenting road has just begun…
I’m the type of person who gets into something and thinks – ok, I’m struggling, but why? What do I not yet know about this? What can I learn to make this easier for me? What is out there that will help me feel more balanced, more aligned, more successful, more calm, better at this…? Parenting is absolutely no different. Ego aside, there is so so so much for us to learn and try, especially when we are struggling. This is the greatest form of self care in life.
This post is all about thoughtful and meaningful toddler mom books that help with the parenting journey.
8 amazing, Thoughtful & Meaningful toddler mom books
1. The conscious Parent
A spiritually-focused guide that is written, in my opinion, with advanced language and a sense of seriousness that might make some people uncomfortable at first glance.
It is absolutely eye-opening and extremely comforting at the same time, as if speaking to how we all really want to feel deep down inside, from everyone in our lives – to be seen, to be heard, to be accepted, to be recognized and celebrated for who we are at our core. It explores all of the learned layers of societal and personal expectations that need to be peeled away for us to give this and receive this, so we can have the most authentic, cohesive, loving and understanding relationships with our children. Amazing.
It focuses on the parent, the parent’s expectations, parental fantasies about who their children ‘should’ be, the influence of each parent’s upbringing and current habits, and how shifting our mindset opens the door to a far more natural, connected and peaceful parenting experience.
A challenging read and so so worth it.
This book can be especially helpful if you grew up with traditional parenting such as authoritarian parenting, if you felt emotionally stifled or unsupported, endured lots of punishments, judgements and expectations, or were not able to be your true self within your family space.
Parent differently and create the most connected and special bond with your child, with this book!
2. How to talk to children so they listen and listen so they talk
Stellar reviews from this book for years and years now from thousands and thousands of families in the same situation as you and me. Written with simple, easy to read wording, exposing the why’s behind the behavior most of us parents have no experience with (and the developing brain for that matter. We don’t know what we don’t know, you know?), this book is a true play-by-play guide with clear examples and instructions on how we can be a more assertive and firm, yet loving and nurturing parent that meets our child’s developmental needs, in all different difficult situations, while also steering the ship of our family, as we need to.
Banish all the questions and confusion about how to handle this situation and that situation, release yourself of uncertainty and mom-guilt, and get this book!
3. siblings without rivalry
As a twin toddler mom, I had the unique challenge of recognizing each of my children for who they were as individuals, from day one. I had to consciously nurture their individual needs, side by side. As they grew, I needed to foster togetherness while also ensuring space, so they could ‘be’ without interruption or need to accommodate, share, take turns, wait. So we could bond in our own ways, so I could parent in the way they each needed me to. So they could just ‘be’, as singletons have the opportunity to before #2, 3, 4 arrive…
I knew I wanted to have all the support and information I needed to be able to give them what they needed to have a healthy, supportive and loving relationship with one another. One that I only sometimes experienced growing up, my husband’s siblings struggled with and most of the friends I have, struggled with too.
This book is specifically for talking to and handling sibling interactions/bonding/spats, and the inevitable challenges that will occur. It recognizes the first child’s point of view, what a huge life change adding a sibling is, and dives into the language parents use without realizing the reactions it might get or the resentments it might cause the siblings to have early on. For example, something as simple as say “shhh the baby is sleeping” everyday could make the older sibling feel anger toward the baby because their fun/play/day is being affected by the baby, who is always accommodated. This in turn, could make the older sibling lash out and behave aggressively toward the baby or in more unacceptable ways toward the parents.
This book sheds light on things we may not know and consider, explains the why’s, and how we can foster healthy sibling relationships from day one, so that we can have more harmony, love and togetherness in our homes, rather than chaos, divisiveness, resentment and anger.
The same authors as the “How To Talk” book, and a must-have support system for any parents of siblings who want to feel in flow and in tune with their children and have children who enjoy one another through their childhood!
4. raising your spirited toddler
I’ve been in childcare professionally for almost a decade now. And in this time, I have spent countless hours 1:1 with so many different types of toddlers, navigating behaviors, transitions, milestones like sitting up for the first time, first steps, regressions, potty training, tantrums, first words, learning to write – all of it. I never worked in a center with multiple teachers and various shifts, but rather, in a home setting where it was just me and 2-6 babies and/or toddlers.
In this time, I only ever worked with two spirited toddlers (several highly sensitive toddlers and all, of course, who needed lots of help with learning emotional regulation skills)
Anyhow, when my twins arrived, their temperaments were night and day, and mirrored exactly how they behaved in my tummy – one was alwayssss active, kicking me night and day, rolling and wiggling, while the other one barely moved and needed to be zapped at doctor’s visits to move and get ultrasound pics. My husband and I joked that she was our super chill, laid back ‘island girl’, me being from Maui. While our other twin was our busy, go-getter, fast-paced California girl, which is where we live now.
From the beginning it was clear that one of my twins was far more intense than her sister, and most other babies I had cared for. Nothing extreme in infancy, just a busier body and easily frustrated when she couldn’t latch or bring a toy to her mouth or do something she was trying to do.
Come toddlerhood, it was clear that she was spirited. I actually didn’t know the term was recognized and talked about by medical professionals or in the parenting space. But because I now had my own children 24/7, unlike a job where you leave the work and go home to a different setting and environment to unplug and reset, I was always with my children, so I was hyper aware of and in need of, greater support and solutions to maintain more balance.
I found this book and felt so reassured, so enlightened, so relieved and more equipped. It is an absolute must of parents of spirited toddlers. “Research shows that spirited kids are wired to be “more” – by temperament, they are more intense, sensitive, perceptive and persistent.” – Raising Your Spirited Child
All of which are normal, ok and need to be accepted BUT can be extra challenging to parent 24/7, even for a highly experienced caregiver of littles. So, all the support is HUGELY helpful!
If you feel your toddler is “more” – more intense, more emotional, more passionate, more persistent – this book is an absolute must read! Get the insight and support you need to optimize the relationship you have with your precious (and unrelenting) child!
5. the montessori toddler
After about 6 months to 1 year into my career in caregiving, when the babies I was caring for became toddlers, Montessori entered into and changed my life forever.
I remember being at the park one day, a mom popped over to our picnic blanket and asked me if I was a Montessori teacher. At that time I didn’t know anything about Montessori. She said she wanted to ask because of the way I interacted with the toddlers.
After that interaction, I started to look into Montessori and I was in absolute and utter love. I was literally screaming ‘yes!’ and slapping at my laptop as I read more about the Montessori philosophy, the outcomes and benefits. I was like yessssss, this is what I have been touching on with the toddlers I was working with and it has been making a world of difference in behaviors, flow and ease of the day and enjoyment of our time together. I was so so happy to now have a reference, a guide, to show me further down this path of working with children in this way.
Adding elements of Montessori into your life can be an absolute game changer for more peace, more calm, and more enjoyment with your child. It’s like magic, oh my goodness.
If you are someone who is craving more calm with your toddler, who wants to stop struggling with frequent tantrums and meltdowns and have a more cooperative toddler and enjoy overall understand and enjoy toddlerhood more, this book is a must read asap!
6. the whole brain child
I love and swear by many of the strategies used in this book. They feel fair, right, natural.
This book is popular in the Montessori community because it compliments the approach. It offers scientific reasoning to the why’s behind behaviors and offers up simply put, easy to remember, helpful and applicable parenting strategies that will make you feel better in your parenting overall.
Such a great resource for all parents transitioning from babyhood to toddlerhood. Don’t miss out on knowledge that will help you keep a calmer, happier home in a notoriously challenging stage (toddlerhood)! This book will have you feeling in control and in the know!
7. the transforming picky eating ebook
This is one of my own self-published ebooks for parents who struggle with the stress and mealtime battles that picky eating brings.
Drawing from my years of experience feeding picky eaters, I lay out my 4 week step-by-step process that will have you enjoying mealtime more with a more comfortable, open and adventurous eater!
It is SO possible!
I’ve worked with toddlers who were mildly picky to extremely almost-on-a-feeding-tube picky. This ebook has exactly what I have done and continue to do here at my Montessori-inspired daycare & preschool, to overcome picky eating, so you can too, in your own home.
Get the support and step-by-step plan you need to make the change you want to see. You don’t have to hate or struggle through meals with your toddler anymore, and this ebook will help you change that!
8. the peaceful potty training course (with ebook!)
Another one of my originals, this one is my signature potty training course that comes with a supplemental 50+ page ebook that breaks down the course in written form.
One of those cornerstones of my job as a 1:1 caregiver for babies and toddlers is potty training. To date, I’ve potty trained more than 20+ toddlers, plus my own twins.
Many families started the process at home and I continued it here through the day. Many others asked me to start the process because they were so overwhelmed.
Toddler parents will say that this is one of the most stressful things for them to take on and I feel it is my duty to help alleviate that stress and teach on my methods so more families can have better support and self-care through this milestone.
This course and corresponding ebook is comprehensive, including determining optimal readiness, preparing your toddler, preparing your mind and space, handling common challenges like refusal to sit, withholding, constipation and fear, nighttime potty training, outings and how to potty train when your child goes to daycare. It is really everything every toddler mom needs to feel in the know, in control and supported through potty training – even if their toddler is uninterested or ‘strong-willed’! Get this course is you want an easier time potty training where you feel more connected to your child and have more balance during the process!
Such awesome, thoughtful and meaningful gifts for a fellow mom you love!
what are some toddler parenting books that have impacted your life for the better?
this post was all about the best thoughtful and meaningful toddler parenting books for new moms and first time moms.
Want a FREE instant download of my Toddler Tantrum Script Cheat Sheet to get you started with handling tantrums more easily? Drop your name & email below! We never spam.
Helpful scripts for: Leaving the park, daycare drop off, nap time, when they can't have something, and sharing, that set boundaries and tame tantrums.
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