5 Books to Add to Your Nanny Library

While there certainly isn’t one single book or parenting strategy that will work for every parent or nanny, with every child, all of the time, there are many books that provide helpful insight and information to those who care for children.  The following books are worthy reads and are considered solid reference books for nannies.

1. Beyond Parenting Basics: The International Nanny Association’s Official Guide to In-Home Child Care by Michelle LaRowe and Sara McCormack Hoffman. While originally designed to be a study guide for the International Nanny Association (INA) Nanny Credential Exam, this textbook belongs on every nanny’s bookshelf. Covering topics ranging from health, safety and emergency preparedness to early childhood development, it’s a great resource for those working with children in a private setting. The book is available in both English and Spanish and can be purchased from INA directly at www.nanny.org.
2. 1-2-3 Magic. Effective Discipline for Children 2 – 12 by Thomas Phelan. 1-2-3 Magic outlines an effective, non-emotional approach to discipline that focuses on stopping undesirable behaviors and starting good ones. The book is full of practical, simple and straightforward tips that can truly transform a child’s behavior.
3. What to Expect the First Year by Heidi Murkoff. A simple, easy to read reference guide, What to Expect the First Year is full of tons of questions and answers that most nannies and parents will have.  Addressing everything from baby care to child development, it’s a handy resource that will spend more time in your hands then on the bookshelf.
4. Baby and Child Health: The Essential Guide from Birth to 11 Years by the American Academy of Pediatrics. Broken into five sections that address children’s physical, emotional and intellectual health, Baby and Child Health is a great resource on many topics including raising healthy children, researching symptoms and diagnoses, understanding diseases and disorders and learning about first aid and caring for ill children.
5. Solve Your Child’s Sleep Problems by Richard Ferber, MD. In Solve Your Child’s Sleep Problems Dr. Richard Ferber provides evidence-based advice for helping parents to establish healthy sleep habits and address sleep problems in their children. As readers learn about sleep and body rhythms, they’ll learn effective ways to help increase the quality and quantity of their child’s sleep.

Reading childcare related books taken out from the local library provides a free way for nannies to gain new knowledge. In addition to reading these books and others, if nannies work with parents who adhere to a specific style of parenting or prefer a specific method of parenting, they should read up on that style or method so that they can gain a clearer understanding of the parents’ childrearing approach.

Comments are closed.