The Mother of All Toddler Books

by Ann Douglas

Your baby's growing up! The joys and challenges of parenting a toddler are many, and you may be wondering how best to prepare for this exciting time. The Mother of All Toddler Books provides the skinny on what it's really like to raise a toddler, giving you expert guidance in everything from discipline and nutritional needs to sleep problems and behavioral issues. Packed with parent-tested advice, money-saving tips, and medically reviewed answers to all your toddler health questions, this comprehensive, entertaining guide is a must-have for surviving and enjoying this exciting time in your child's life.
Warm and down-to-earth, The Mother of All Toddler Books covers the good, the bad, and the ugly sides of parenting a toddler, offering a hefty dose of reassurance for everything from toddler-proofing your home to toilet training without stress to administering first aid. Inside, you'll find proven strategies for coping with whining, dawdling, and tantrums, as well as handy growth charts, immunization schedules, safety checklists, a directory of key parenting and pediatric health organizations, and a listing of Internet resources. Concise, authoritative, and fun to read, The Mother of All Toddler Books has everything you need to raise a happy, healthy child!
Praise for The Mother of All series
The Mother of All Pregnancy Books
""The must-read pregnancy book! Ann Douglas has created the most comprehensive guide to pregnancy we've ever seen.""
-Denise & Alan Fields, authors of Baby Bargains
The Mother of All Baby Books
""With humor, sensitivity, an easy, no-jargon style, and a million 'extras' that the leading baby books on the shelves don't cover, Ann Douglas holds nothing back. Finally a baby book written for women of my generation!""
-M. Sara Rosenthal, author of The Breastfeeding Sourcebook

Genres: Parenting, Nonfiction

600 pages, Paperback

First published April 4, 2003

About the author

Ann Douglas sparks conversations that matter about parenting and mental health. She is a bestselling parenting book author and the former parenting columnist for The Toronto Star and CBC Radio. Her most recent book -- Navigating the Messy Middle: A Fiercely Honest and Wildly Encouraging Guide for Midlife Women -- has just been published in Canada, the US, and the UK.

Ann is also the author of Happy Parents Happy Kids, Parenting Through the Storm: How to Handle the Highs, the Lows, and Everything in Between, and the creator of The Mother of All Books series: The Mother of All Pregnancy Books, The Mother of All Baby Books, The Mother of All Toddler Books, The Mother of All Parenting Books and The Mother of All Pregnancy Organizers.

A passionate and inspiring speaker, Ann delivers keynote addresses and leads small-group workshops at health and parenting conferences. If you've already met Ann via one her books, you know what you can expect from one of her presentations: to be inspired, informed, and entertained. Not only will she shift your thinking about parenting: she’ll move you to action as well—and in a way that leaves you feeling confident and capable as opposed to anxious, guilty, or overwhelmed.

You can connect with Ann on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest.

Reviews

[Heather Vinson · Rating 5 out of 5]

All of her books favor research backed advice and are some of my favorite parenting books, starting with her book the Mother of all Pregnancy books. Each book does not assume life with the under 5 crowd is always bliss. In particular I used the pull out symptom guide as well as month by month development checklist that are easy to reference. I also recommend her book on Trying Again if looking for more than the relegated buried chapter in most pregnancy books after a loss.

[Stacy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed the tone of the book, which was humorous and more focused on wisdom and the experiences of other real mothers than on scientific information and statistics. The book made me feel a lot more comfortable about raising a toddler, and made me feel that I am in good company in my plights.

[Daniel Gutman · Rating 2 out of 5]

it was ok. i definitely learned a few things from it. the play chapter was helpful for imagining more creative ways to engage my kid in play. will need to look elsewhere for more practical advice on discipline though.

my biggest criticism is that every single interview quoted in the book (and there were a LOT) were from mothers. it may come as a shock, but there are men out there interested in learning about parenting techniques as well who might appreciate some representation in the literature.

[Diana · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lots of good information and ideas on a huge variety of toddler topics. I was looking for something more in-depth about positive parenting and raising confident resilient children though.

[Jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a fantastic book that covers everything you might want to know about raising a toddler (in this case, a child in their second or third year). Douglas does a great job going over many of the main issues that come up during these years, from feeding to potty training to sleep issues and beyond. Although she does not have the space to go into the tremendous detail that the "what to expect" books do, she still manages to include plenty of tables and charts that condense a lot of important information. I find that I enjoy having a book like this, one that I can read cover to cover, in addition to a book like a "what to expect" book, that you just go to once a month, or to answer specific questions. I really appreciate reading about all the issues that I will be confronting over the next two years in one great book.

[Blair Allen · Rating 3 out of 5]

I loved The Mother of All Pregnancy Books so much that I bought this one too. It was ok in comparison to the pregnancy book. It had a lot that I took with a grain of salt but a lot that helped me rule out an ER visit too. There is a Mother of All First Year (or something to the effect) and I think I would have used it more than I have used this book.

[Rachel · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of the best toddler books I have read! I read it cover to cover. I was very happy to see sections on extended breastfeeding, gentle discipline, picky eaters, and how your next pregnancy will differ. This book is a must have for any mom's library.

[Tina · Rating 2 out of 5]

A lot of this is common sense but a good review. Apparently toddlers are not quite as mysterious as babies are. At least toddlers can somewhat communicate what they want from you!

[Kim]

There was useful information, but also a lot of items that didn't apply to me (not the book's fault), and too much silly commentary for my taste.

[Kelly Anne]

I didn't finish it - I usually skim through parenting books and take what I like and disregard the stuff that makes me feel like a bad Mum... This one had some great ideas!