Toys & Gifts Books The 12 Best Parenting Books for Toddlers of 2024 Navigate toddlerhood with confidence By Maya Polton Updated on July 19, 2023 Medically reviewed by Laura Anderson Kirby, PhD Print We independently evaluate all recommended products and services. If you click on links we provide, we may receive compensation. Learn more. Verywell Family / Kevin Liang Toddlers can be fun, frustrating, challenging, and hilarious all at the same time. Toddlerhood is an important time of exploration and discovery. Many parenting books help guide new (or seasoned) parents on how to raise toddlers into helpful, kind, and smart children, all while teaching you about your own thoughts and feelings. While the author doesn’t need to be a medical doctor or world-renowned expert, ensure they are credible, and the book aligns with your lifestyle and family. Moreover, consider if you’re looking for a toddler parenting book on a specific topic, such as emotions or communication. We researched more than 30 parenting books for toddlers on the market in order to find the best options. We also reviewed guidance from the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) on how to discipline children positively. After researching dozens of books and reviewing guidance from the AAP, we narrowed our list down to the 12 top-rated parenting books for toddlers. We carefully considered the subject matter, print length, credibility, reputable information, and overall value when reviewing products. Our Top Picks Best Overall: The Whole-Brain Child at Amazon ($12) Jump to Review Best for Communication: How to Talk so Little Kids Will Listen at Amazon ($12) Jump to Review Best for Tantrums: 1-2-3 Magic at Amazon ($11) Jump to Review Best Montessori Approach: The Montessori Toddler at Amazon ($17) Jump to Review Best Positive Discipline: No-Drama Discipline at Amazon ($15) Jump to Review Best for Spirited Children: Raising Your Spirited Child at Amazon ($13) Jump to Review Best for Siblings: How To Talk So Kids Will Listen and Listen So Kids Will Talk at Amazon ($17) Jump to Review Best for Gifted Toddlers: Parenting Gifted Kids at Amazon ($17) Jump to Review Best Funny: Toddlers Are A**holes at Amazon ($5) Jump to Review Best for Behavior: Jo Frost's Toddler Rules at Amazon ($18) Jump to Review In This Article Expand Our Picks How We Selected What to Look For FAQ Why Trust Verywell Family Best Overall The Whole-Brain Child Amazon View On Amazon $12 View On Barnesandnoble.com $14 “The Whole-Brain Child” stands out on our list because of its root in science. This New York Times bestseller explains how a child’s brain works and matures, whether balancing emotions or making decisions. Once you’ve learned how your little one’s mind operates, you can turn any tantrum and other emotions into an opportunity for growth. This book includes strategies on how to handle daily struggles and includes illustrations to help you teach these same ideas to your child in a way that makes sense for them. Price at time of publication: $17 Key Specs:Subject Matter: Parenting strategies | Number of Pages: 192 Best for Communication How to Talk so Little Kids Will Listen Amazon View On Amazon $12 Communicating with a toddler may seem impossible, but “How to Talk so Little Kids Will Listen” breaks it down with skills everyone in the family can benefit from. This book is a guide for communicating with little kids, specifically ages 2 to 7, and covers common challenges and conflicts parents may face with littles (like not brushing their teeth or throwing toys). Between storytelling, cartoons, and tips for parents and caregivers, “How to Talk so Little Kids Will Listen” will help change the relationship with your young children for the better. Price at time of publication: $18 Key Specs: Subject Matter: Communication | Number of Pages: 448 Best for Tantrums 1-2-3 Magic Amazon View On Amazon $11 View On Bookshop.org $16 Parents praise this simple book, written by Thomas W. Phelan, PhD, a clinical psychologist, as life-changing and effective. The guide helps parents learn how to control their own behavior in order to produce the best outcomes in their children’s behavior. With a focus on positive routines, the book highlights how to improve behavior around mealtime, bedtime, morning routines, and overall family relationships. Price at time of publication: $17 Key Specs: Subject Matter: Positive discipline | Number of Pages: 320 Best Montessori Approach The Montessori Toddler Amazon View On Amazon $17 Reframing toddler struggles is a key tenet of this Montessori-based guide (a child-centered educational approach) to raising young children. With a focus on curiosity, learning, respect, and discovery, "The Montessori Toddler" is chock full of information. We appreciate that it teaches adults how to set up your home for success, learning, and growth to be insightful. Visual learners will enjoy the series of easy-to-read and implement charts that include topics like “Instead of This, Say That.” Price at time of publication: $20 Key Specs: Subject Matter: Montessori | Number of Pages: 256 Best Positive Discipline No-Drama Discipline Amazon View On Amazon $15 View On Bookshop.org $17 "No-Drama Discipline" teaches parents how to connect with their children, redirect their emotions, and make meltdowns into opportunities for growth. Rooted in science, the book is sprinkled with facts about brain development in children and breaks down what kind of discipline is best for each age and stage. Parents may find this type of book eye-opening and relatable with its candid stories of real-life situations. Price at time of publication: $17 Key Specs: Subject Matter: Positive discipline | Number of Pages: 288 Best for Spirited Children Raising Your Spirited Child Amazon View On Amazon $13 View On Walmart $7 According to author Mary Sheedy Kurcinka, EdD, spirited children are often "more intense, sensitive, perceptive, persistent, and energetic." If this fits your toddler, turn to this book. The goal is to help parents understand their child’s (and their own) temperamental traits and focus on positive labels and outcomes. Dr. Kurcinka details a simple four-step program that will help parents create strategies for handling common pain points like mealtime, sibling struggles, bedtime, school, and other daily situations. Price at time of publication: $22 Key Specs: Subject Matter: Spirited children | Number of Pages: 528 Best for Siblings How To Talk So Kids Will Listen and Listen So Kids Will Talk Amazon View On Amazon $17 View On Bookshop.org $18 You're not seeing double—this is another book in the "How to Talk" series that's a best-selling book for a good reason. "How to Talk So Kids Will Listen & Listen So Kids Will Talk" aims to help improve relationships between siblings, spouses, and other family members. Full of tips, summaries, practical examples, and real-life techniques, we love how this book offers sections on peaceful resolutions for sibling conflicts. Price at time of publication: $18 Key Specs: Subject Matter: Communication | Number of Pages: 384 The 10 Best Inspirational Books for Teens to Get Them Motivated and Empowered Best for Gifted Toddlers Parenting Gifted Kids Amazon View On Amazon $17 View On Barnesandnoble.com $20 The "Parenting Gifted Kids" goes beyond identifying gifted children. This book gets to the heart of how to best parent gifted kids. With clear and practical advice, it does extend past the toddler years, so it’s a helpful guide as your gifted child ages. Parents appreciate that there are chapters on working with your school system and how to be an adult role model for your child. Price at time of publication: $20 Key Specs: Subject Matter: Gifted kids | Number of Pages: 230 Best Funny Toddlers Are A**holes Amazon View On Amazon $5 View On Bookshop.org $11 Great for a quick read at 176 pages, a gag gift, or a semi-helpful book, this humorous parenting book may not be stuffed with advice, but it’ll likely make parents of toddlers laugh, feel less alone, and grab some moments of relief. Relatable, comforting, and LOL funny, this book is for those with a sense of humor that doesn’t mind some gross-out commentary. Price at time of publication: $11 Key Specs: Subject Matter: Humorous | Number of Pages: 176 Best for Behavior Jo Frost's Toddler Rules Amazon View On Amazon $18 View On Bookshop.org $17 Jo Frost's "Toddler Rules: Your 5-Step Guide to Shaping Proper Behavior" is easy to understand and follow. Author Jo Frost is a world-renowned expert known for her TV show "Supernanny." This book doubles as a guide and focuses on practical advice to help parents during the tough toddler years. Frost's five-step program zeroes in on challenging areas, including sleep, food, learning, play, and manners. Easy-to-remember acronyms, like the “S.O.S.” method of Step Back, Observe, Step In, will provide parents with straightforward, honest, and easy-to-implement advice. Price at time of publication: $18 Key Specs:Subject Matter: Behavior | Number of Pages: 320 pages Best for Christian Parenting Shepherding a Child's Heart Amazon View On Amazon $10 View On Bookshop.org $15 Religious families will glean insights from this author, who's also a pastor, counselor, school administrator, and father. Pastor Tedd Tripp uses religion and God as helpful guides for parenting tips in "Shepherding a Child's Heart." Written with Christian values and ideals in mind, Pastor Tripp seeks to guide parents and caregivers through the teachings of the Bible. Price at time of publication: $16 Key Specs: Subject Matter: Christian parenting | Number of Pages: 215 The 18 Best Baby Baptism Gifts to Commemorate the Special Day Best for Twins Ready or Not . . . There We Go! Amazon View On Amazon $13 No one said toddler twins would be easy, including the hilariously honest author of this book. We love the frank descriptions of the challenges of raising young twins and appreciate how relatable "Ready or Not...There We Go!" is. It features funny commentary and real-life situations that apply to parents of twins, like room sharing, double baby-proofing, and so much more. This book is a useful guide for parents of two toddlers. Price at time of publication: $13 Key Specs:Subject Matter: Twin parenting | Number of Pages: 336 How We Selected the Best Parenting Books for Toddlers To select the best parenting books for toddlers, we reviewed guidance from the AAP on disciplining children positively. Then, we researched more than 30 toddler parenting books on the market on various topics, like behavior and gifted children. We also monitored shopping trends to bring you the best and most up-to-date offerings and researched reviews from customers and competitors. Next, we narrowed our list to the 12 top-rated books and studied their material and length. We carefully considered the subject matter, the number of pages, the material, and the overall value. We selected parenting books for toddlers that help adults relate to and understand their growing child. What to Look for in Parenting Books for Toddlers Author Credibility While the author doesn’t need to be a medical doctor or world-renowned expert, make sure they are credible. Check out the author’s website and other books, or run the name by your pediatrician or trusted parent friend. Above all else, remember to take all advice with a grain of salt. Whether the author is an expert, medical professional, or just a really experienced parent sharing what they know, all families and children are different. Lifestyle Alignment Find the right book for your family and lifestyle. If you are religious, are raising twins or siblings, have a gifted child, or anything else, a book that is catered more toward your needs will be most helpful. If you aren’t a big reader, aim for a short or funny book. If you prefer lists, go with a workbook-style guide. Choose a book that you'll actually want to read so that you can absorb the advice and apply it. Frequently Asked Questions Are tantrums normal? Tantrums are common and normal among toddlers. This may be because young children's language skills are not yet advanced enough to allow them to express their needs. Highly verbal or communicative toddlers may still have outbursts, however. Self-regulation is a developmental skill of its own, and toddlers are still working on it.Since tantrums are normal, harsh punishment, such as spanking or yelling, isn't the answer. Instead, address the underlying cause. If a child has trouble saying they don't want to eat a certain food, teach them the words and let them practice. If it's difficult for them to leave the playground when it's time to go, teach them to take a deep breath when they are feeling upset, and give them a 5-minute warning next time so they're not surprised when it's time to leave. Do toddlers understand rules? Toddlers can be taught to follow simple instructions and abide by clear-cut rules. It's essential to be consistent. For example, if it's sometimes OK to open the refrigerator but other times not, your toddler may have trouble complying.In general, toddlers do not always understand the underlying reason for a rule, such as why they can't take a toy out of a store without paying. It's fine to skip the background info or give them a quick explanation, such as, "No hitting. Hitting hurts." But skip the long-winded discussions and focus on the behavior you want to encourage: "Hitting hurts. Use gentle touches." Is physical punishment ever OK? The AAP recommends against the use of physical and verbal punishment, such as spanking and yelling. The research indicates that positive discipline strategies, such as reteaching or having a child practice doing something the right way, are more effective over the long term. Why Trust Verywell Family Maya Polton is a former marketing manager and current freelance writer who covers food, home, and parenting. She’s also the mom of an 11-year-old son, a 7-year-old son, and a 3-year-old daughter. Maya has lived through the toddler years three times over and has found the most useful book to be How to Talk So Kids Will Listen and Listen So Kids Will Talk. Somehow she finds herself checking it out from the library once every year or so for a quick refresher. 4 Sources Verywell Family uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy. American Academy of Pediatrics. What’s the best way to discipline my child? American Academy of Pediatrics. Where we stand: Spanking. American Academy of Pediatrics. What’s the best way to discipline my child? American Academy of Pediatrics. Where we stand: Spanking. See Our Editorial Process Meet Our Review Board Share Feedback Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! What is your feedback? Helpful Report an Error Other Submit