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Navigating the mental health system for your child is hard enough without having to hunt down the tools that actually help. This page collects books, organizational tools, and other resources that I’ve found useful, or that parents I talk to recommend again and again. Nothing here is a magic fix, but everything here is worth knowing about. I only recommend what I can speak to honestly, so this list is short on purpose.
Organization & Paperwork Tools
If you’re managing appointments, IEPs, medication logs, and provider notes, you need a system. These are the tools that help. I recommend all of these in my Overwhelmed to Organized guide. This is everything you need to set up your parent binder in one place.
| Staples Better Binder | The foundation of your parent binder. D-ring style holds more than a round ring, and pages lay flatter. It is worth the small upgrade. |
| 3-Ring Binder Tab Dividers w/ Writable Labels & Pockets | Heavy duty plastic dividers that won’t easily tear and include expandable pockets to keep paperwork, meeting notes, and other info. |
| Heavyweight Sheet Protector Pockets | These are great if you have documents you don’t want to 3-hole punch or if you have documents that are not a standard size. |
| 3-Hole Punch for Home | Keep this one at your desk at home. It handles bigger stacks than a portable punch and you’ll use it more than you think |
| Portable 3-Hole Punch | Keep this one in your binder so you can punch and file documents on the spot at appointments. |
| Legal Pad with 3-Hole Punch Holes | Great for taking notes during an IEP or meeting with a provider. Pages tear out and go right in your notebook. |
Books Worth Reading
I am not a big list person. These are books that I’d actually hand to a parent friend. It is definitely not everything out there, just ones that I’ve found worth reading.
I link to books through both Amazon and Bookshop.org, which supports local bookstores. You can browse my full reading list on Bookshop.org. The links in the table below go to Amazon if you prefer to purchase there.
| I Can Fix This By Kristine Kuzmic | If you need to feel less alone before you can tackle the practical stuff, this is the book. Not a how-to, but more like a deep breath from someone who has been in the thick of it. |
| The Explosive Child By Ross Greene | If you’ve been told your child is manipulative, defiant, or just needs more discipline, Ross Greene offers a completely different way of understanding what’s actually happening, and a more effective way to respond to it. It won’t fix everything, but it will change how you see your kid, which helps with everything else. |
| Kids, Parents, and Power Struggles By Mary Sheedy Kurcinka | If your household feels like one long negotiation you keep losing, this book is for you. Less about winning the battle and more about actually connecting with your kid again. |
| Smart But Scattered Teens By Peg Dawson & Richard Guare | If your teen can’t seem to get it together (think lost assignments, missed deadlines, forgets everything), this book finally explains why. Executive function issues show up in almost every struggling kid, regardless of diagnosis, and this one names it and gives you something to actually do about it. |
| Raising Emotionally Strong Boys By David Thomas | Boys are often taught to push feelings down rather than work through them. This book gives parents practical ways to help their sons build emotional skills that will serve them for life. |
| Raising Worry Free Girls By Sissy Goff | Anxiety in girls often looks different from what it does in boys and gets missed or dismissed. This one helps parents recognize what’s actually happening and respond in ways that build resilience rather than dependence. |
Sensory and Regulation Tools
Every kid is different, and what helps one won’t help another. These are things that worked in our house or that parents I talk to have found genuinely useful, particularly for teens. And honestly? These aren’t just for your kids. Parents navigating this are carrying a lot too, and more than one of these has ended up being just as useful for me as for my children.
| The Fube Cube Fidget Cube | My husband bought this for me, and we still use it. Small enough to use discreetly in class or during a hard conversation, with enough functions that most people find something that works for them. |
| 8 Piece Fidget Sampler Set | A few different items if you want to have separate pieces and not just one cube. |
| 35 Piece Fidget Set (for kids) | I had no idea what my kids would actually use, so I bought a multipack and let them try different things and that was the right approach for us. We were surprised by what we ended up liking, including a marble in a little mesh sleeve that none of us expected to love. |
| Bose QuietComfort Headphones | Music was genuinely helpful for my kids during hard times, and these made that easier. Comfortable enough to wear for long stretches and less likely to get lost than earbuds, which matters when you’re already managing a lot. An investment, but one we’ve never regretted. |
| Soundcore Noise Canceling Earphones | If you’re not sure how your teen will do with over-ear headphones or you need a more budget-friendly option, these are a solid place to start. Good sound quality without the Bose price tag. |
| 5-Minute Gratitude Journal | I gave these to everyone in my family for Christmas (whether everyone actually used them is another story.) Short specific questions mean you’re not staring at a blank page, and it’s something you can do alongside your teen rather than just handing it to them. |
| Weighted Blanket | Fair warning from our experience – most of the weights people recommend felt too heavy and stifling for us, so start lighter than you think you need to. Also, if you or your teen sleeps hot, look specifically for a cooling version as regular weighted blankets can feel suffocating for hot sleepers (or see below for a smaller version) |
| Weighted lap or travel blanket | A lighter, more portable option that’s easier to try before committing to a full weighted blanket. Good for travel, car rides, or just having a second one for wherever your child or teen lands at the end of a hard day. |