12 Children’s Books that Reinforce Positive Behavior

Use positive reinforcement to help improve your child’s behavior! Discover 12 children’s books about positive reinforcement and discuss their emotions.

Reading has always been a priority for our family. Our first child was in the NICU for her first three weeks, and we were reading to her before she even left the hospital. Cuddling up at night to read a few stories before bed is a tradition that we all look forward to every day. It’s become our special family time.

One collection we’ve developed is about books that reinforce positive behavior. All kids will hit, kick or yell sometimes, but they’re not always willing or able to discuss how they’re feeling. Many children don’t have the words to describe their emotions, much less understand that they’re normal and will soon pass.

It’s especially difficult to talk about behavior right when these things happen. In fact, it’s much better to discuss their behavior later, when they’ve calmed down and are more receptive to listening and learning. Trying to make a teachable moment right when they’re fighting rarely works.

And finally, another reason we’ve collected children’s books about positive reinforcement is because we can’t discipline our kids when we’re at work and they’re in daycare or school. These books allow them to see the kind of behavior we expect, even if we’re not there with them.

Incorporating books that reinforce positive behavior into our bedtime routine teach these lessons. They also help kids discuss positive behavior without feeling lectured or scolded.

I’d love to share my favorite books all about reinforcing positive behavior in children:

Children’s books about positive reinforcement for toddlers

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For young toddlers, my favorite books have been the Toddler Tools by Elizabeth Verdick. We also read several Karen Katz lift-the-flap books that our youngest still requests.

We started reading these books to our youngest before she was a year old. Even at that age, she understood the simple concepts portrayed in the books. She’ll “read” the books to herself for fun, and we often hear her repeating the phrases to her older sister!

Toddler Tools by Elizabeth Verdick

Sharing Time

Calm-Down Time

Manners Time

Karen Katz Manners Series

No Hitting!

I Can Share

Children’s books about positive reinforcement for preschoolers

For preschoolers and young children, we’ve been happy with Carol McCloud’s Fill a Bucket Series.  It’s a simple concept, and you’ll often hear me ask “Was that bucket dipping or bucket filling?”

Fill a bucket by Carol McCloud and Katherine Martin

Have You Filled a Bucket Today? by Carol McCloud

How Full is Your Bucket? by Tom Rath and Mary Reckmeyer

Children’s books about managing anger

If life was as simple as just being kind to each other all the time, that would be wonderful, wouldn’t it? But sometimes kids need to figure out how to handle frustration and anger. It’s natural to want to lash out, but it’s not socially acceptable or effective.

When our oldest turned three-years-old, we incorporated books on these topics like Martine Agassi’s Hands are Not for Hitting and Cheri J. Meiners’s Calm Down and Work through Anger.

Hands are Not for Hitting by Martine Agassi

Calm Down and Work through Anger by Cheri J. Meiners

Let’s Talk About Feeling Angry by Joy Berry

Harriet’s Had Enough by Elissa Haden Guest

Get more tips:

• Toddler Acting Out at Daycare? What You Need to Do
• 6 Reasons to Stop Labeling Kids
• How to Stop Tattling
• What to Do when Your Child Regresses Because of New Baby Jealousy
• How to Get Kids to Do Chores (Without the Constant Reminders)

Leslie is author and creator of the blog From Play Dates to Parties where she chronicles her life in the DC/Baltimore suburbs as a busy mom of two girls. She is passionate about food, wine, design and-of course-parties, and believes that a little bit of fun can be found in even the most mundane of life’s moments.

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