We have compiled a list of books and resources about different aspects of your child's care that we have found to be helpful. You may find that some better fit your style of parenting more than others. Please, take the information that you find helpful and leave the rest. We want you to trust your parental instincts and always ask a professional if you question information you read.
General Care
- An excellent resource is the American Academy of Pediartics website, Healthy Children, for parents with reliable, up-to-the-minute health advice, tools, and services for proactive parents! Check out the app for iPhone and iPad as well!
- AAP book for parents: My Child is Sick! Expert Advice for Managing Commons Illnesses and Injuries; by Barton D. Schmitt, MD
- The Baby Book; by William and Martha Sears.
- American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) Child Care Series: Caring for Your Baby and Young Child: Birth to Age 5; Caring for your School Age Child: Ages 5 - 12; Caring for your Adolescent: ages 12 to 21.
- Baby 411; by Ari Brown and Denise Fields
- Girlfriends' Guide Series: The Girlfriends' Guide to Surviving the First Year of Motherhood; The Girlfriends' Guide to Toddlers (Vicki Lovine)
- U Promise (get a start on your child's 529 plan for college)
Activities for Mom & Baby
- Mother Baby Yoga at Sweet Pea Studio (3717 N. Ravenswood, 773-248-YOGA, www.sweetpeasstudio.com)
- Classes at Chicago Public Libraries
- Swim lessons at the YMCA after 6 months old
- Foss Swim School
- Goldfish Swim School
- Chicago Neighborhood Parents Network
ADHD
- Journal of an ADHD Kid:The Good, The Bad, and The Useful (Tobias Flumph)
- Differently Wired (Deborah Reber)
- ADHD: What Every Parent Needs to Know (American Academy of Pediatrics)
Allergies
- Kids With Food Allergies
- Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis Network
- Food-Allergy
- Mothers of Children Having Allergies
- Epi Pen
- Auvi-q
- Chicago Family Asthma and Allergy Resource Page
- Allergy Free Family Favorites Cookbook (Chef Brian Hackbarth)
Anger Management in Children
- The Angry Child (Dr. Tim Murphy)
- Dealing with the Angry Child
- Teaching Your Child to Deal with Anger
- The Explosive Child (Ross W. Greene)
- How to Get the Grrr Out of Anger (Elizabeth Verdick and Marjorie Lisovskis) **For children ages 8 and up
Breastfeeding
- Mother's Milk Company Lactation Consultant (Barbara Hardin)
- Increasing Milk Supply
- So That's What They're For! (Janet Tamaro)
- Nursing Mother's Companion (Kathleen Huggins)
- Nursing Mother's Guide to Weaning (Kathleen Huggins)
- The Breastfeeding Book (Martha Sears)
- Mothering Your Nursing Toddler (Norma Baumgartner)
- The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding (La Leche League)
- La Leche League International - Breastfeeding Support
- Chicago Northside La Leche League
Carseats
Colic
- The Fussy Baby Book (William Sears)
- The Happiest Baby on the Block (Harvey Karp)
- Fussy Baby Network - 888-431-2229
CPR Classes
- Northwestern Memorial Hospital 877-926-4664 (infant and child CPR and Safety)
Daycare/Working/Preschool
- Working and Caring (T. Berry Brazleton)
- Chicago Neighborhood Parents Network
- K Grace Childcare
- Act For Children
Development
- Healthy Children: AAP website for parents
- Touchpoints (T. Berry Brazleton)
- Baby Signs (Linda Acredolo)
- Sign With Your Baby (Joseph Garcia)
Discipline/Parenting
- Smart Love (Pieper and Pieper)
- Smart Love Family Services
- Raising your Spirited Child (Mary Sheedy Kurcinka)
- Raising your Spirited Child Workbook (Mary Sheedy Kurcinka)
- No, Why Kids -of All Ages- Need to Hear It and Ways Parents Can Say It (Dr. David Walshe, Ph.D.)
- The Discipline Book (William Sears)
- The Successful Child (William Sears)
- How to Talk so Kids Will Listen and Listen so Kids Will Talk (Adele Faber, Elaine Mazlish)
- Parenting with Love and Logic: Teaching Kids Responsibility (Kline and Fay)
- Love and Logic
- 1-2-3 Magic (Thomas Phelan, MD)
- Parent Magic (1-2-3 Magic website) (Walsh)
- Raising Respectful, Responsible and Resilient Children, Skills for the Divorced/Divorcing Parent and other workshops, parent coaching. Parenting Perspectives
- Raising a Thinking Child (Myrna B. Shure and Theresa DiGeronimo)
- Building Resilience in Children and Teens (Kenneth R. Ginsburg)
- Brainstorm: The Power and Purpose of the Teenage Brain (Daniel J. Siegel)
- The Whole Brain Child: 12 Revolutionary Strategies to Nurture Your Child's Developing Mind (Daniel J. Siegel)
- Have You Filled A Bucket Today? A Guide to Daily Happiness For Kids (Carol McCloud) **Book for Kids!
- Simplicity Parenting: Using the Extraordinary Power of Less to Raise Calmer, Happier, and More Secure Kids (Kim John Payne M.Ed. and Lisa M. Ross)
- Dude, that's Rude! (Get Some Manners) (Pamela Espeland and Elizabeth Verdick) **Book for School Aged Kids
- How to Do Homework Without Throwing Up (Trevor Romain) **Book for School Aged Kids
Discussing Death with Children
- The Fall of Freddy the Leaf: A Story of Life for All Ages (Leo Buscaglia)
- How Children Understand Death and What You Should Say
Grief Resources in the Loss of a Child
- Compassionate Friends
- Bereavement Support through Lurie Children's Hospital
- A Broken Heart Still Beats: After Your Child Dies (Anne McCracken, and Mary Semel)
Medical Information
- Healthy Children (American Academy of Pediatrics)
- Lurie Children's Hospital
- Northwestern Memorial Hospital
Mindfulness
- 10 Mindful Minutes (Goldie Hahn)
- Sitting Still Like a Frog: Mindful Exercises for Kids (and Their Parents) (Eline Snell)
- Moody Cow Meditates (Kerry Lee MacLean)
- Peaceful Piggy Meditation (Kerry Lee MacLean)
Moving
- Henry and Mudge and Annie's Good Move (Cynthia Rylant)
- Berenstein Bear's Moving Day (Stan and Jan Berenstein)
New Moms' Groups
- Smart Love Family Services - 773-665-8052
- La Leche League (for breastfeeding moms)
- Neighborhood Parents Network
- First Time Moms Over Forty- Support Group through Wellsprings Health - 312-573-0900
- Fussy Baby Network - toll-free "warmline" 888-431-BABY
- Support Services to GRow AS Parents: (GRASP) GRASP group is a collaboration of a Psychotherapist and a Child Developmental Specialist who provide consultation, therapy, support groups and education.
Nighttime Help
- Birth Link (postpartum doulas)
- Hush-a-Bye Baby: Sleep Nanny (773) 772-8846
- Linda Salem - single/multiple night nanny - (847) 296-2842
Nutrition/Picky Eating
- Guide to your Child's Nutrition (American Academy of Pediatrics)
- The Family Nutrition Book (William Sears)
- First Meals (Annabel Karmel)
- New Complete Baby and Toddler Meal Planner (Annabel Karmel)
- The Healthy Baby Meal Planner (Annabel Karmel)
- The Top 100 Baby Purees (Annabel Karmel)
- It's Not All About the Broccoli (Dina Rose)
- Nourished Living
Preparing Children for Surgery/Procedures
- I'll Be O.K. (Randall L. Lange, DVM) book and dog
- Preparing Your Child for Surgery
- How to Prepare your Toddler for Surgery Like a Boss
Puberty
- What's Happening to Me? A Guide to Puberty (Peter Mayle and Arthur Robins)
- On Your Mark, Get Set, Grow! A "What's Happening to My Body Book?" For Younger Boys (Lynda Madaras)
- The Care and Keeping of You: The Body Book for Younger Girls (Valorie Schaefer)
- Guy Stuff: The Body Book for Boys (Cara Natterson)
- AAP Puberty Articles
- Physical Development in Girls: What to Expect
- Physical Development in Boys: What to Expect
Sibling Rivalry
- Siblings Without Rivalry (Adele Faber, Elaine Mazlish)
- Siblings: You're Stuck with Each Other, So Stick Together (James J. Crist Ph.D. and Elizabeth Verdick)
Safety
- Poison Control 1-800-222-1222
- Safe Kids Worldwide (preventing accidental injury)
- Nationwide Children's Safety and Injury Prevention - search 'safety'
Safe Seafood and Fish
Sleep
- Guide to your Child's Sleep (AAP)
- Goodnight, Sleep Tight (Kim West)
- Nighttime Parenting (William Sears)
- Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child (Marc Weissbluth)
- Solve Your Child's Sleep Problems (Richard Ferber)
- The No-Cry Sleep Solution (Elizabeth Pantley)
- Sleepless in America: Misbehaving or Missing Sleep? (Mary Sheedy Kurcinka)
- Sleep Tight Consultants
- SwellBeing
Special Needs Resources
- GiGi's Playhouse - Down's Syndrome Awareness Center
- National Association of Down Syndrome - has newsletter, volunteer mentor families, English and Spanish speaking programs.
- In Our Arms- support resources for families of children with disabilities
Spirited Children
- Raising your Spirited Child (Mary Sheedy Kurcinka)
- Raising your Spirited Child Workbook (Mary Sheedy Kurcinka)
Stuttering
Technology
- Their Own Devices - Podcast about teens & technology
Thumbsucking
- Carol Mayer, Speech Pathologist, Orofacial Myologist (312) 932-9244
- My Thumb and I: A Proven Approach to Stop a Thumb or Finger Sucking Habit for Ages 5-10 (Carol Mayer)
- Shari Green, Orofacial Myologist (847) 641-4444
Toilet Training/Bedwetting
- The No-Cry Potty Training Solution (Elizabeth Pantley)
- Waking Up Dry (Howard J. Bennett)
- Tips From Healthy Children
- Toilet Training - Mayo Clinic
- SwellBeing
- Lurie Children's Bladder Function Improvement Training (BFIT) Program
Traveling with Children
- CDC Traveler's Information
- Lurie Children's Hospital Travel Clinic 1-800-KIDS-DOC
Vaccine Information
- AAP Immunization Information
- Recommended Vaccine Schedule for Ages 0-18 years
- The Center for Disease Control
- National Immunization Program
- CDC: Vaccine Safety
- John Hopkins Institute for Vaccine Safety
- Immunization Action Coalition
- Vaccine Information
- Vaccines and Your Child: Separating Fact from Fiction (Paul Offit, MD and Charlotte Moser)
- Do Vaccines Cause That?! A Guide for Evaluating Vaccine Safety Concerns (Martin G Myers, M.D. and Diego Pineda)
- Autism's False Prophets (Paul Offit, M.D.)
- Frequently Asked Questions about Thimerisol