Adventuring Together: How to Create Connections and Make Lasting Memories with Your Kids, by Greta Eskridg: a modern, practical, and inspiring guide to creating deep heart connections with kids by regularly creating new experiences and intentional adventures together
Cribsheet: A Data-Driven Guide to Better, More Relaxed Parenting, from Birth to Preschool, by Emily Oster: economics is the science of decision-making, and Cribsheet is a thinking parent's guide to the chaos and frequent misinformation of the early years.
The Family Firm: A Data-Driven Guide to Better Decision Making in the Early School Years by Emily Oster: a classic business school framework for data-driven parents to think more deliberately about the key issues of the elementary years: school, health, extracurricular activities, and more.
French Kids Eat Everything: How Our Family Moved to France, Cured Picky Eating, Banned Snacking, and Discovered 10 Simple Rules for Raising Happy, Healthy Eaters, by Karen Le Billon: a fun read that has really practical tips for encouraging kids to eat a wide range of foods.
Good Inside: A Guide to Becoming the Parent You Want to Be, by Dr. Becky Kennedy: a wise and practical guide to raising resilient, emotionally healthy kids, a supportive resource for overwhelmed parents who need more compassion and less stress.
How to Raise a Wild Child: The Art and Science of Falling in Love with Nature, by Scott D. Sampson: a timely and engaging antidote, offering teachers, parents, and other caregivers the necessary tools to engender a meaningful, lasting connection between children and the natural world.
Last Child in the Woods: Saving our Children from Nature-Deficit Disorder, by Richard Louv: shows us an alternative future, one in which parents help their kids experience the natural world more deeply—and find the joy of family connectedness in the process.
No Bad Kids: Toddler Discipline Without Shame, by Janet Lansbury: a collection of Janet's articles pertaining to common toddler behaviors and how respectful parenting practices can be applied to benefit both parents and children.
The Opposite of Worry: The Playful Parenting Approach to Childhood Anxieties and Fears, by Lawrence J. Cohen: I recommend this book to anyone that has a kid that struggles with fear or anxiety -- lots of specific tools and strategies and interesting stories.
Playful Parenting: An Exciting New Approach to Raising Children That Will Help You Nurture Close Connections, Solve Behavior Problems, and Encourage Confidence, Lawrence J. Cohen: written by a psychologist, providing specific ways to use play to raise confident and healthy kids.
Simplicity Parenting: Using the Power of Less to Raise Happy, Secure Children, by Kim John Payne: for parents who want to slow down, but who don't know how and for families with too much stuff and too many choices. The author presents four simple steps for de-cluttering, quieting, and soothing family dynamics so that children can thrive at school, get along with peers, and nurture wellbeing
The Sleepeasy Solution: The Exhausted Parent's Guide to Getting Your Child to Sleep from Birth to Age 5, by Jennifer Waldburger & Jill Spivack: Psychotherapists and sleep specialists share their sleep technique that will get any child snoozing in no time. The key to their method? It addresses the emotional needs of both the parent and child - a critical component of why other sleep methods fail.
Social Justice Parenting: How to Raise Compassionate, Anti-Racist, Justice-Minded Kids in an Unjust World, by Traci Baxley: essential reading for all parents committed to social change, Social Justice Parenting offers parents everywhere the opportunity to nurture a future generation of humane, compassionate individuals.
The Whole Brain Child: 12 Revolutionary Strategies to Nurture Your Child's Developing Mind, by Tina Payne Bryson and Dan Siegel: gives specific parenting strategies to foster healthy brain development, particularly navigating the balance between the emotions of the right brain and the logic of the left brain.
Good Inside parenting podcast, real parents’ questions answered directly by Dr. Becky
Mindful Mama - Parenting with Mindfulness a mindful guide to breaking the cycle of reactive parenting and raising kind, confident kids.
No One is Coming to Save Us - a weekly podcast covering America’s childcare crisis and the people of all ages who are crushed by it.
ParentData by Emily Oster makes sense of the latest data about pregnancy and parenting.
Raising Good Humans with Dr. Aliza Pressman putting evidence-based practices into everyday parenting. Judgment-free, science-backed, parent-empowering topics and tools hosted by a developmental psychologist.
Respectful Parenting: Unruffled addressing specific parent issues using a respectful parenting philosophy.
The Simplicity Parenting Podcast weekly insights on children and parenting from Kim John Payne, embraces a slower pace and provides strategies to support children through difficult everyday situations.
Big Little Feelings After Hours Hosted by a parent coach and licensed child therapist team of moms, they cover real life topics and solutions around raising young children, parents’ own mental health and effects on your marriage/household/family.
Scientists Say Child's Play Helps Build A Better Brain (listen or read) NPR
A Guide To Mosquito Repellents, From DEET To ... Gin And Tonic? NPR
Tick Prevention by Whitney Schatz
1000 Hours Outside - Promotes outdoor time by matching screen time with time outside through the 1000 hours/year challenge. Also has a weekly podcast and resources.
Might & Bright calendars for all sorts of things (divorce, illness, etc) and they have a really wonderful message about strength in resilience through difficult experiences not just for kids but parents too!
Slumberkins - Social/emotional learning tools. Dedicated to helping families raise caring, confident, and resilient children through affirmations, stories and creature characters.
Stronger Starts In California, 1 in 3 kids are at risk for toxic stress. Learn more about it here and gain resources
Saving for Higher Education - Student Aid and Scholarships | First 5 California Here we list out a few resources available that may help you and your family save for future higher education expenses.
Lovevery New Sibling Course pack - this has been really helpful to us as we navigate bringing a new baby into the family with a toddler
Big Little Feelings- Easily consumable posts on Instagram but they offer full online courses for both toddler behavior and potty training.
Strong Foundations Sleep Consulting- Local (Sebastopol) Sleep Training Coaching
***Screen time can be a tricky topic for parents of young children. While less is always better, families should also do what works best for their lifestyle. Here is an article about screen time recommendations by age if you need a guide. Ultimate Guide to Screen Time Recommendations by Age (with Chart) - FamilyEducation . Families who use some screen time also appreciate recommendations from other parents of young children. You can find those below!
Shows
Storybots
Tumble Leaf
Daniel Tiger
Mr. Rogers
Do Re Mi
Waffles & Mochi
Play to Learn Virtual Preschool
Ms. Rachel YouTube
Bluey
Llama llama (Netflix)
Movies
The Snowman
Animal documentaries like Disney’s The Penguin
Audiobooks & Podcasts for kiddos
Rebel Girls Podcast
Circle Round Podcast
Sparklestories.com
Resources for age appropriate media
https://www.commonsensemedia.org/ (the BEST resource for looking up shows/movies and seeing how parents rate them and their official ratings.)
*** Sometimes kids get sick or there is some reason that you have your kids at home when you didn't plan to. Here is a quick list from parents of ideas for those moments so that you can pass the day by joyfully! Or have some ideas of how to entertain your kids while you get some other work done!
Tons of activities for preschoolers that you can set up at home https://busytoddler.com/
Build a pile of pillows. Have your kid grab every pillow in your house and throw it into a pile. The running and jump in the pillow pile burns off tons of energy.
Ollyball, it’s the lightest weight ball and will not break anything in your house.
Kinetic Sand can provide hours of engaging and creative play, and it’s even fun for parents
Khan Academy Kids is for children ages 2-8 and has everything from an app to YouTube videos of circle time activities and more, plus printable projects for young kids
This giant Doodle Mat is a great indoor activity
These Kwik Stix tempera paint sticks are the best for coloring and drawing that we have found
A magnetic drawing board has been really great for an easy and engaging activity
We are just getting into listening to stories & music on the Yoto Player - you can also record your own!
Indoor balloon time has provided hours of fun during rainy days- I keep 1 backup balloon on hand in case it pops.
Big seek & find books like Richard Scarry’s Cars & Trucks & Things that Go. Once we read it together a few times, then they can start to look through it themselves.
Blue painter’s tape activities:
Living room hopscotch. We start with legs together then apart before jumping on 1 vs. 2 legs. Add in hands on ground, up in the air and leap frog jumps.
Making a road, construction site, or parking garage across the room.
Playing restaurant- practice setting the table, taking orders, “cooking”, plating and clearing the table.
Dance party with scarves and/or dress-up. Picking music that I genuinely like that’s also kid friendly helps me enjoy it more, vs. Raffi or Blippi songs.