The Toddler Years: Cuteness and Chaos
Having kids is a major life change, but fortunately any person who routinely seeks inspiration and advice from books has no lack of resources to assist with the transition. The question then becomes, "Which one is correct?" From my experience, the answer is usually, "Whatever works today!" All the following books are wonderful, well-researched resources that helped me work through many parenting obstacles each in its own way and at different times. Many were well worth re-reading when my little ones hit a different stage because the issues and how to deal with them are ever-changing.
They're also great for giving parents regular reassurance that first, this is just a stage, and, second, you are not alone. Fair warning: these aren't your grandma's parenting methods!
This was my very first parenting book and was essential in understanding the child's worldview and how to nurture a positive relationship.
Some parents do the whole system; we relied heavily on 10-15 signs, and that got us through some hard days when they couldn't make themselves understood.
The last thing any new parent needs is to spend any extra time in the kitchen. A friend gave me Bittman's "Minimalist Kitchen," and now it's in constant use. And, here comes a new book!
This was another wonderful resource for understanding how your behavior affects your children and how to harness the power of respect for each other.
One of the things I liked was the division by issue: problems with sulking, whining, and hitting are all easily findable and have concrete solutions.
I just found this recently, and I wish I had read it back when my boys still ate everything in sight. It has useful, adaptable plans for expanding their culinary worlds (and banishing the "picky eater" label)!
Ever feel like a failure for shoving a pen and some paper at your child instead of an elaborate craft for display? Don't! Kohl explains why kids need room to express themselves and provides some beautiful examples.
We are fortunate to live in a beautiful area with a lot of sunshine, but just getting kids out the door can be exhausting. Luckily, Sampson makes a pretty convincing argument to make the effort.
Let's face it, positivity can only get you so far, but then you can break out the Magic! We absolutely live by this at our house right now, and everyone is much happier for the structure it provides.
This is really helpful in reframing what is possible when you have little kids in tow. Really they just want to play in the dirt, so you don't have to overthink entertainment. But, there's still a lot of planning involved.
A living battle plan in our household; we have to review this regularly because there always seems to be another reason that our kids struggle to get to sleep. "No-cry" is a little hopeful, but pretty close!