Brain Development & Parenting Resources

Selection of my favorite Brain Development & Parenting resources – Under Construction.

** Important disclaimer:  Nothing on this page constitutes medical advice. This functions solely as a library.**

MY FAVORITE PARENTING BOOKS & RESOURCES

INFANTS & TODDLERS

• Building Healthy Minds – Stanley Greenspan 
• What’s Going on in There? – Lisa Eliot 
• Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child – Marc Weissbluth 
• Self Reg – Stuart Shanker 
• No Cry Sleep Solution –  Elizabeth Pantley
• The Emotional Life of the Toddler – Lieberman
• Toddler Calm – Sarah Ockwell-Smith
• How to Talk So Little Kids will Listen & Listen So Kids will Talk – Joanna Faber
• Unconditional Parenting – Alife Kohn
• Parenting from the Inside Out – Daniel Siegel  & Mary Hartzell
• Raising Human Beings- Ross Greene
• The Conscious Parent – Shefali Tsabary

 

BEYOND

• Parenting from the Inside Out – Daniel Siegel & Mary Hartzell
• The Whole-Brain Child – Daniel Siegel 
• The Yes Brain – Daniel Siegel & Tina Payne Bryson 
• How to Talk so Kids Will Listen & Listen So Kids Will Talk- Adele Faber
• Unconditional Parenting – Alife Kohn
• Raising Human Beings- Ross Greene
• The Conscious Parent – Shefali Tsabary
• What to Say to Kids when Nothing Seems to Work – Adele Lafrance & Ashley Miller
• Self Reg – Stuart Shanker 
• Beyond Behaviors- Mona Delahooke

 

 

SITES & PODCASTS (Under construction)

• Tilt Parenting + Tilt Parenting Podcast
• Aha! Parenting

INFANTS & TODDLERS

PREPARING FOR BABY 

• Co-regulation & Attunement
• What to Learn About Lactation Before Delivery Handout
• Hand Expressing Milk
• Good Latch Video
• “Baby Crawl” / First Latch
• Troubleshooting Lactation Challenges at the Hospital
• Building Your Village Handout
• Tips for Soothing a Dysregulated Newborn
• Tips for Neurodivergent New Parents

 

Lactation Resources  

• See “Preparing for Baby” links above
• Breastfeeding in the First Weeks
• Back to Work
• Kellymom.com
• Tips for the Caregiver of the Breastfed Baby
• Paced Bottle Feeding
• The ‘Magic Number’ and Long-term Milk Production
• Infant Risk – look up prescription & OTC medications
• Tongue Tie Resources – Coming Soon
• Maternal diet does NOT impact baby’s fussiness (short of a true cows milk protein allergy, which is typically obvious – though I encourage you to direct all personal questions to your baby’s healthcare provider)
• Maternal Diet & Nutrition During Breastfeeding
• Breastfeeding & Maternal Diet: Myths & Facts
• Correcting Even More Breastfeeding Myths
• No science to support most maternal diet restrictions/eliminations during breasteeding

 

SLEEP PATTERNS 

• Infant sleep patterns
• Wonder Weeks
• Sleep regressions
• No Cry Sleep Solution –  Elizabeth Pantley
• Period of PURPLE Crying
• Fact: Many infants need to wake to eat overnight until 15-18 months
• Average nocturnal awakenings in infants & toddlers across developmental stages

 

Development: Gross & Fine Motor

• Pathways
• Pathways Youtube station
• Mama OT – Tummy Time
• Mama OT Infant Motor Developmental Milestones & Ideas to Work on Them
• 16 Actions with Objects by 16 Months

 

Development: SOCIAL & Communication  

• Jocelyn M Wood: Pediatric Speech Language Pathologist
• Teach Me to Talk
• 11 Skills Toddlers Must Master Before Talking (or: summary chart) – Laura Mize SLP
• 16 Gestures by 16 Months
• Teaching Gestures – Parent handout
• Building Verbal Imitation in Toddlers – video, highly recommended book, summary table
• Hearing, Understanding & Talking Milestones Birth – Age 5 (Jocelyn M Wood, SLP)
• Speech sounds
•  Instead of asking toddlers questions, try this…
• Phonological processes 
• The Brainy SLP Youtube station
• Jocelyn M. Wood Youtube station
• Peachie Speechie Youtube station
• DIR Floortime – Stanley Greenspan

 

 

NUTRITION  

• Starting Solid Food Handout
• Baby Led Weaning (aka Baby-Led Feeding)
• Developing a healthy relationship with food: division of responsibilities
• Ellyn Satter website & book
• Choking vs. gagging
• Sources of Calcium
• Choosing a cup
• Favorite cups
• Good-tasting Vitamin D3 400 IU (unless otherwise recommended by your child’s healthcare provider)
• If your healthcare provider is recommending supplemental iron, this brand tastes good

 

TOILET LEARNING 

• Toilet learning vs “toilet training”
• Readiness to toilet learn
• Problems associated with premature toilet “training”
• Toileting & Interoception: Tuning into Inner Signals
• University of Vermont Center on Disability & Community Inclusion: Continence Resources
• My conceptual video of the phases of toilet learning (for brains who want to preview the big picture)
• Continence visual supports
• Visual checklist – toileting for boys
• Visual checklist – toileting for girls
• Potty Monkey
• Sesame Street – Potty Time

SELF-CARE FOR TODDLERS 

• Taking Care of Me Song
• Mother Goose Club – Brush Your Teeth – catchy video to consider showing your toddler to make teeth-brushing time more pleasant
• Example of an infant toothbrush and a toddler toothbrush
• Blowing Your Nose video model – Coming Soon
• Nasal Saline Video – super gross but my 4 yo and I made a video with the goal of motivating just one child out there to try nasal saline (aka “nose water”) – video made, will be uploaded soon

REGULATION, MENTAL HEALTH & BEHAVIOR

Books

• Beyond Behaviors – Delahooke: https://amzn.to/3u7dTz1 
• Self Reg – Shanker: https://amzn.to/3davNdc
• Max & the Pause Plan  (book for young kids about strategies for self-regulation) – Danielle Kent
• Max & Me: A Story About Sensory Processing   (amazing book appropriate for 4+ year olds)
• Your Fantastic Elastic Brain: A Growth Mindset Book for Kids to Stretch & Shape Their Brains (age 4-8)
• Calm-Down Time – book for toddlers
• Little Monkey Calms Down – book for toddlers

 

Websites, Articles & Blog Posts

• Collaborative Problem Solving – Ross Greene
• Supporting the highly sensitive, cautious child
• Explaining Regulation    (Danielle Kent) 
• The Difference Between Tantrums and Meltdowns – Understood.org
• How to Tell a Tantrum from a Meltdown – Understood.org
• Sensory Processing Resources
•  Children Sleep Habits Questionnaire

 

Regulation Videos for Young Kids (Preschool – Young Elementary School)

• Dan Siegel Hand Model of the Brain 
• Peace Corner: Creating a safe space for reflection
• Emotion Freedom Technique (EFT) tapping song for kids
• Kids Mindfulness: Calm Compilation
• Little Bell Song
• Emotional regulation: clap your hands
• “Just Breathe”
• Breathing & Stretching for Kids – Moovlee the Monkey
• Making Sense of Sensory Issues

 

The Teenage Years – COMING SOON

• The mysterious workings of the adolescent brain

 

 

Technology, Media & Social Media

• Digital Wellness Lab – resource on media, technology & development
• Media Guide for Parents
• Media Guide for Parents of Infants & Toddlers
• Media Guide for Teens
• Common Sense Media
• Smart Social: Learn How to Shine Online
• Protect Young Minds: Teach kids to reject pornography
• Teens & Social Media

 

 

SPECIAL TOPICS – COMING SOON

• Neurodiversity
• Bullying
• Healthy relationships
• Body positivity for kids
• Puberty
• Self-advocacy
• Executive functioning for all ages
• Diversity & Inclusion