WHAT TO EXPECT THE SECOND YEAR by Heidi Murkoff ⭐⭐⭐

I finished this at the halfway mark of year two, and I may not have to check it again. While it makes for great bedside reference material, I see it only being useful (beyond a fair skimming) if you can refer to it in the kitchen, the bathroom, the backyard, a friend’s house, or the local playground and your phone is out-of-reach. I picked up a few tidbits and reassurances on how we have been doing, but most of the material is Google-able in some form. This has been a crucial series in our lives the last few years, but I think that reliance — one any kid (or adult) sheds upon finding their groove — ends here.

If there’s any advice I have for parents rounding the corner on a 1st Birthday and wondering what to do next, here’s the gist: just enjoy it. Lead with calm, joy, patience, and understanding. Whether it’s a boo-boo, a daycare bug, a sudden change in food preferences, a challenging social dynamic, or just a bad day where no amount of Tylenol or cuddles will give you back the sleep you’ve lost, your attitude will facilitate theirs. And often, a positive one will end the tirade a lot faster.

Most of the time.

Sometimes, there is no cure, and may god have mercy on your soul.

As an anxious perfectionist who doesn’t like being completely out of the loop, this book was great for an overview of what living with a toddler can and — for the most part — should look like. It dispelled a few rumors and confusions, but mostly reiterated what we already believed; that we should be prepared to wing it at any moment, that we should let our daughter fly when she’s ready, and that we need to take care of ourselves as much as we do her. Beyond that and a good dose of “When do you call the pediatrician about diarrhea?”, I think we are ready to move past this franchise.

Let the tantrums come as they may.