If parenting a toddler, you’ve likely been on the receiving end of more advice than you need for curing the “terrible twos”. If you’re parenting a toddler, you also know the “terrible twos” don’t start–or stop–at age two. The toddler years, generally considered to be the time between ages one and five, can be some of your most challenging as a parent. Your child is communicating, but you are not always speaking the same language, and often, that communication comes in the form of a fit in the middle of Target.
To help you navigate the triumphs and trials of toddler-time, we’ve rounded up some of the best books for parents of toddlers. (If you’re a new parent, we have a list of books for you, too!) Written by experts–who understand parents and toddlers–these choices will offer you more than advice. They’ll help you find solutions to managing your toddler’s behavior.
The Happiest Toddler on the Block: How to Raise a Patient, Respectful, and Cooperative One-to-Four Year Old: Revised Edition by Harvey Karp
Amazon claims, “Perfect for expecting parents who want to prepare themselves for the challenging toddler years (which starts around eight months of age), this essential guide, a national bestseller by respected pediatrician and child development expert Dr. Harvey Karp, not only helps reduce tantrums but makes happy kids even happier by boosting patience, cooperation, and self-confidence.”
Real life parent reviews overwhelmingly agree, stating that the book is easy to read and the strategies are applicable, sensible, and actually work to help reduce toddler tantrums.
How Toddlers Thrive: What Parents Can Do Today for Children Ages 2-5 to Plant the Seeds of Lifelong Success by Tovah P. Klein
Good Morning America calls Klein “the toddler whisperer” and parents agree. Her method teaches parents to use–rather than deplore–the singleminded trait of their toddler at this time crucial to their growth and development. Klein believes that the secret to helping a child thrive actually lies in this narrow span of years known as “toddler time” and how you parent now will affect the adult your child becomes.
Parents say the book is insightful and relies heavily on research, rather than mere opinion.
The Honest Toddler: A Child’s Guide to Parenting by Bunmi Laditan
If you’re looking for a laugh–and a reality check–The Honest Toddler will give you both. This parenting parody, based on the infamous Honest Toddler of social media fame, offers a toddler’s perspective on dirty words such as “tantrum” and “no” as well as insight into why, exactly, your child melts down in the grocery store aisle.
Happy reading–and happier parenting!