'Judah and the Babysitter' Book

My toddler was nervous about new caregivers, but this book's story about a babysitter doing things differently really clicked with her. After a few reads, she actually started talking about what the babysitter might do with her, which felt like a huge breakthrough.

The pages are sturdy enough for my 18-month-old to flip without tearing, which matters since we read it every night now. It's become a comforting ritual before we leave her with our sitter, and she points to the pictures when she sees the sitter arrive.

My toddler actually sat still through the whole thing, which never happens. The way it shows the babysitter doing things differently—like a different song or snack—really helped him understand that change is okay. We read it three times in a row the first night.