Best Medical Child Psychology Books of 2025

The Whole-Brain Child by Daniel J. Siegel and Tina Payne Bryson is a pioneering, practical book that explains the new science of how a child's brain matures and is wired. The authors offer twelve key strategies that foster healthy brain development, leading to calmer, happier children. This book is a useful child-rearing resource for the entire family and includes age-appropriate strategies for dealing with day-to-day struggles. The authors present brain science for both adult and child audiences, making it a great resource for parents who want kind, happy, and emotionally healthy kids.

The Simplest Baby Book in the World is a game-changing guide for first-time parents. With over 700 playful yet instructive illustrations, it curates the best-of-the-best advice on baby care essentials such as sleep training, feeding, bath time, and more. The book provides simple solutions and proven techniques at your fingertips, making the first year of raising a baby easier. Additionally, it offers a handy checklist of must-have products that make parents' lives easier while saving them time and money. Overall, this book is a must-have for all new parents seeking confidence in their ability to be great parents.

Fat Talk: Parenting in the Age of Diet Culture is a groundbreaking book that helps parents navigate the challenging landscape of raising children in a world that equates body size and value. Virginia Sole-Smith exposes the daily onslaught of fatphobia and body shaming that kids face from school, sports, doctors, diet culture, and parents themselves. Through dozens of interviews, Sole-Smith offers a provocative new approach for thinking about food and bodies, and a way for us all to work toward a more weight-inclusive world. Overall, this book is an essential read for parents who want to empower their kids and change the conversation around weight, health, and self-worth.

No-Drama Discipline: The Whole-Brain Way to Calm the Chaos and Nurture Your Child's Developing Mind is a popular child psychology book by Bantam. The authors explain how to handle tantrums, tensions, and tears without causing a scene. They highlight the fascinating link between a child’s neurological development and the way a parent reacts to misbehavior. The book also provides strategies to identify one's own discipline philosophy and communicate lessons effectively. With insightful stories and playful illustrations, No-Drama Discipline inspires happiness and strengthens resilience in everyone in the family. Overall, this book is an effective, compassionate road map for dealing with discipline, making it a must-read for parents.

Smart but Scattered: The Revolutionary "Executive Skills" Approach to Helping Kids Reach Their Potential is a comprehensive guide to help parents and teachers manage children's executive skills. The book offers easy-to-follow steps to identify a child's strengths and weaknesses, use activities and techniques to boost specific skills, and problem-solve daily routines. The book is filled with real-world examples and solutions, making it an easy and accessible read. This book is a great resource for parents of children who are struggling with executive skills and provides practical and detailed advice. Overall, it offers hope for children who are struggling and empowers parents to make small changes that can lead to big improvements.

The CBT Toolbox for Children and Adolescents is a comprehensive workbook that offers over 200 worksheets, exercises, and activities to help children cope with and overcome a range of struggles, including trauma, ADHD, autism, anxiety, depression, and conduct disorders. Written by experienced clinicians and teachers, this practical and easy-to-use resource is adapted from cognitive behavioral therapy and includes client activities that children can do themselves, either in-session or as homework. The book is authored by Lisa Weed Phifer, Amanda K Crowder, Tracy Elsenraat, and Robert Hull, and published by PESI Publishing, Inc. It's an excellent resource for parents, therapists, and educators who work with children and adolescents.

1-2-3 Magic by Dr. Thomas Phelan is a must-read for parents seeking an effective and enjoyable way to discipline their children. Using his signature counting method, this book teaches parents how to stop obnoxious behaviors like tantrums, whining, and sibling rivalry, while building a strong parent-child bond and promoting self-esteem. The book also provides helpful tips on how to manage testing and manipulation, encourage good behavior, and establish positive routines. With a proven track record and numerous awards, 1-2-3 Magic is the gold standard of child discipline. Highly recommended for parents looking for a drama-free way to raise happier families.

Lost in Trans Nation: A Child Psychiatrist's Guide Out of the Madness by Dr. Miriam Grossman is a wake-up call to parents, therapists, and medical professionals about the dangers of blindly affirming a child's self-diagnosis of being transgender. The author, a child and adolescent psychiatrist, urges parents to trust their instincts and reject the ideologically driven misinformation that steers them towards risky decisions. She argues that the core belief that biology can and should be denied is a repudiation of reality and a mockery of hard science. This book is a must-read for anyone interested in understanding the current debate on gender identity and the potential harm it can cause to children.

Hold On to Your Kids is a must-read for parents who want to understand the risks of peer pressure and help their children navigate this social obstacle. The book highlights the trend of children looking to their peers for direction, which undermines family cohesion, interferes with healthy development, and fosters a hostile and sexualized youth culture. The authors provide practical ways for parents to reattach to their children, establish the proper hierarchy in the home, and make kids feel safe and understood. The updated edition also addresses the challenges posed by digital devices and social media. Overall, this book offers genuinely new ideas and fresh perspectives on parenting that are worth considering.

Parenting with Love and Logic is a highly recommended guide for parents who want to raise responsible children with healthy boundaries. This updated edition covers important topics such as technology use, screen time, and social media. The easy-to-implement steps provide practical solutions for tantrums, grades, chores, and more. The book's psychology-based approach teaches parents how to establish a calm, healthy relationship with their children without anger, threats, nagging, or power struggles. The indexed content makes it easy to reference specific issues. Overall, this book is an essential guide for parents who want to raise confident, loving, and respectful children.