my go-to parenting educational materials

As a relatively new parent, I've learned that having a few trusted resources in your back pocket can make all the difference. There's so much information out there, and it can be overwhelming! Over the past few years, navigating pregnancy, newborns, and now a toddler (plus twins!), I've stumbled upon some truly invaluable parenting and educational materials that have genuinely helped me.

I wanted to share my personal favorites, organized by the stage of life they primarily address. Think of this as my curated cheat sheet for staying sane and supported through the beautiful chaos of raising young kids!

Note: I am not affiliated with any of these resources.

For Pregnancy & Newborn Preparation

  • What to Expect When You're Expecting by Heidi Murkoff This is a classic for a reason! It's a comprehensive reference book (link here) that really guides you through every step of pregnancy. Beyond the book, their website offers wonderful free resources. One page I found particularly helpful was their suggestion for how to approach night feedings with an infant – a lifesaver for those bleary-eyed early weeks. You can check it out here.

  • Bringing Up Bébé by Pamela Druckerman I listened to this audiobook while pregnant with our first child, and the parenting approach really resonated with me. (link to book) It delves into "French parenting principles," emphasizing the importance of boundaries, clear expectations, and fostering children's autonomy. It's also partially aligned with the Montessori method, which is a style my husband and I am trying to have. I loved it so much that I later purchased Bébé Day by Day: 100 Keys to French Parenting by Pamela Druckerman as a physical reference book, which I still browse from time to time for quick reminders and insights.

  • Pregnancy and Postpartum Bridget Teyler YouTube Channel I found Bridget’s YouTube account (@BridgetTeyler) while I was trying to figure out if what I was experiencing were contractions or not, and it quickly became a go-to for pregnancy and postpartum help. This channel offers a wide range of videos, from understanding contractions and managing labor pain to prenatal exercises, birth education, and postpartum recovery workouts. It's a fantastic visual resource for practical tips and feeling more prepared.

For Infants: Sleep & Solids

  • Taking Cara Babies When it came to navigating infant sleep, Taking Cara Babies was my absolute go-to. I used her methodology to understand "wake windows" and create target daily eat/play/sleep schedules by month for our babies (link). While she offers paid courses (which many parents swear by!), I found a wealth of quality free resources on her website and social media that were incredibly helpful for getting our infants to sleep. She also has some information for toddlers, but my primary use was for the newborn and infant stages.

  • Solid Starts For introducing solids and baby-led weaning (moving away from milk as the primary food source), Solid Starts is phenomenal. Their content, particularly on Instagram, offers wonderful free guidance on safely introducing new foods to infants and toddlers (link here). They also have a free app, and guides to purchase here. They make the process of baby-led weaning feel approachable and safe.

For Toddlers: Tantrums, Boundaries & Everyday Learning

  • Montessori For Every Family: A Practical Guide to Living, Loving, and Learning with Children by Lorna McGrath and Tim Seldin We purchased this book while I was pregnant, but it has become especially relevant now during the toddler stage. It offers practical ways to incorporate Montessori principles into everyday family life, focusing on fostering independence, respect, and a love for learning. It's particularly meaningful for us, as we've also decided to send our toddler to a Montessori school, so the book helps reinforce those concepts at home. Link here

  • Big Little Feelings When we hit the toddler stage, especially with the impending arrival of twins and navigating big emotions, we purchased the Big Little Feelings course. It's been incredibly helpful for setting boundaries, understanding and managing tantrums, and even tackling sleep challenges. We also invested in their potty training course, which I have started going through, but have not done with our toddler yet. Their content is video-based and super easy to digest. Pro tip: I listen to their courses on 1.25x speed. They frequently offer sales (like around Mother's Day) for 20-25% off, and their Instagram account (@biglittlefeelings) is a treasure trove of easily digestible tips. Link here

  • Dr. Becky Kennedy ‘s "Good Inside" I recently purchased Dr. Becky Kennedy's "Good Inside" course (also at 25% off during a sale!) and have been heavily relying on it. It's been instrumental in helping us navigate our toddler's sleep regressions and some tricky behaviors. They offer an incredible library of resources and an app with daily prompts that provide bite-sized learnings (about 3 minutes a day) that you can immediately try out. Link here Her gentle yet firm approach to parenting really resonates with me. She also has a book published, and a wonderful Instagram account (@drbeckyatgoodinside) with free material.

For Parents (and Your Well-Being!)

  • Coursera: The Science of Well-Being for Parents by Dr. Laurie Santos This is a gem of a resource: a free Coursera course specifically for parents! Link here. I'm about a quarter of the way through, and it's already proving incredibly worthwhile for learning how to foster greater happiness and balance amidst the demanding reality of being a parent. Dr. Santos brings in famous thought leaders, including Dr. Becky Kennedy, making the content both insightful and engaging. The video format is easy to follow, even when you only have short bursts of time.

I hope these resources can offer you the same support and insights they've given me!

Below are some other resources that other parents have recommended, but I have not gotten into yet.

advice, family, parenthoodbeckychanparenting tips, toddlers, infantsComment