Infant-and-Toddler-Development Books

very clearly written, simple layout by developmental stages, good info. This book was recommended by a friend as the only book that I'd need on childhood development.

LOVE IT!! EVERY parent needs this book to better understnad their child and what they are going through and how you can best help them along the way. I'm not kidding and there is no sugar coat here... it is well worth your money and makes total sense!!

This book really helps me know what milestones are coming up. It also addresses the concerns parents may have at certain stages. Very helpful.

Well, he may not really be, but unfortunately, that's how the writing comes across in several places. For example, p 52 "I have come to expect this tenuous, rather childlike behavior [of father and mother] when new parents come into my office. Rather than a sign of incompetence, it represents their ability to accept me in a nurturing 'grandfather' role...". p. 102 "By this time, I know parents will leap in to correct me if I'm off track, and I welcome their deeply held beliefs about who their child is becoming". If these sound somewhat condescending to you, you might be put off by the book. Also, the term 'Touchpoints' itself doesn't really refer to a particularly useful concept-- it's basically refers to an opportunity to bond with your baby. The repetitive use of the term sounds forced. OK, so this may sound like a negative review, so why 4 stars? Because despite these annoyances, the information inside is useful and I like how the chapters are essentially organized by periods between pediatrician visits. You get a chance to check your baby's progress against a pediatrician's standards. It is not too useful for the first 10 days when so many questions swirl around your sleep-deprived head. But it provides a longer term perspective (up to 3 years) whereas most baby books stop at 1 year. Sure, 1 year is a convenient way to end a book, but this is one of the few books that bridge the time period from infant to toddler. Also, it is really useful to hear what a pediatrician looks for during each visit. Aside from the tone, the book is well written, well referenced, and covers some very interesting topics (separate chapters on sibling rivalry; speech, language and hearing problems; television; grandparents). Even the book layout is pleasing, with mid-size pages, occasional photos, and wide margins if you are a note-taker. I wouldn't use this as a sole reference, though, as several opinions expressed are just that- opinions- but I haven't found much to disagree with in this book, except that I refuse to call emotional milestones 'touchpoints'!

I did not know much about this book before I purchased it, but I expected it to be about my baby's development just like it says on the cover. Instead this book seems to be mostly about how Dr. Brazelton interacts with parents and what he does when babies come for a checkup. Instead of focusing on babies, it goes on about how he tricks fathers into thinking babies recognize their voices or how mothers who come to his office look bedraggled because they are spending too much time dressing their babies in impractical outfits. He even seems to mock new parents for being so careful with their babies. There is useful information in this book, but if you aren't looking for a book that tells you how to be a pediatrician, you might want to keep looking.

I bought this same calendar for my older daughter who is now 2 and just bought another one for my newborn. It's a good way to make sure you record those important moments, when you haven't got the time to fill out a baby book. I like that each month has a section where you can fill in what they have been doing that month. I also like the stickers you can use for all the "firsts". My only complaint is that the stickers take up almost the whole square, so if you use a sticker, there isn't much room to write anything else down for that day. Great gift also. I like that it is gender neutral.

I wanted to create a record of my baby's first year, but wasn't into the whole baby book thing. This is a great way to record all of the fun accomplishments your baby makes in the first year. There is just enough room to write that it's fun, but not too much that it's overwhelming. I love it. We hung ours in the kitchen so we can write on it whenever it's convenient.

I bought this for myself when we had our first child. The pictures are beautiful, and the idea of jotting baby's new "milestones" into a calendar periodically is far less intimidating than making regular updates to the baby book, especially for a sleep deprived new mom. I was truly sad to see the calendar end at 12 months. I've found it makes a great baby shower gift.

I used it for my first child and it was so easy to use. It only takes a couple minutes each month to record their progress/ daily habits. I am using it again for this baby, because I liked it so much.

First let me say, it's a hassle because you have to write in the dates of every month because it is all blank. Some may say this is nice but I found it very difficult to keep up with. I need the simplicity of one already made up ready to write in. The stickers are a nice addition. The thing that was the most frustrating is that there isn't enough pages to have the final month in order to write their first birthday or anything. There are only tweleve pages. That was a little frustrating to me. If I could go back I would have just used a real calendar. It is much simpler. I will give it credit for being cute and a nice keepsake.

This was by far my favorite of the baby books we read as our children grew from babies to toddlers. Penelope Leach presents information that explained our baby's wants and needs, and fascinated us, all in the most loving way. We send a copy to the new parents in our lives these days.

This book enriched my experience of my first child's early months by making me more aware of all the changes she was going through, and how incredible even tiny new developments are -- such as learning to move her arms and legs intentionally. The book was first published in the 1970s and this is a revised edition from the early 1980s, but in many ways it feels more modern and sensible than many of the books on babies which are most popular today. It addresses the issues of babies' individual personalities and how this can affect how they develop -- a subject which more practical, but less well-informed baby manuals don't even acknowledge.

This book enriched my experience of my first child's early months by making me more aware of all the changes she was going through, and how incredible even tiny new developments are -- such as learning to move her arms and legs intentionally. The book was first published in the 1970s and this is a revised edition from the early 1980s, but in many ways it feels more modern and sensible than many of the books on babies which are most popular today. It addresses the issues of babies' individual personalities and how this can affect how they develop -- a subject which more practical, but less well-informed baby manuals don't even acknowledge.

While Penelope Leach's other book was refreshing with new common sense insights onto my little one's behavior, this book is much to wordy. I suspect it was written as a PhD thesis as it reads about as exciting as one. It is very wordy and seems to ramble. I lose interest long before I discover any new useful info.

The only thing this book left me wishing for - is that that there was anything remotely similar to it today. The book is not written in an easy "a-to-z" or "month-by-month" or any other format for people who don't like to read. It is a textbook... on babies, the only one I have found.

With all the controversial advice out there, all I wanted was to understand WHERE it came from, WHY we believe this or that, WHAT the evidence suggests. This book answers these questions as adequately as the research conducted by the 1980's allows it.

There are many books which are easier to read, will give you more step-by-step cookbook advice, and are a reference on the brands of food and strollers. So though this book lacks in all of those areas, it is the only one which can be used as a pure source of knowledge about the baby's development.

A very good guide to help with the challenges of having a preemie. Straight talk, but doesn't dwell on the negative.

This is one of the best books I read while looking to learn more about my premature son and his experience in NICU. During such a stressful time, I believe this book was a manageable resource to quickly educate myself on what to expect. I was on bedrest prior to delivery and began reading it then. I finished reading it during my son's NICU stay, but still go back to review topics/issues related to raising a premature baby (particularly the breastfeeding information). I HIGHLY recommend this book for parents and loved ones of premature babies.

I think this book does an excellent job covering a NICU stay and explains the medical information related to premature babies in terms I could follow.

I was admitted to the hospital and prepared for the birth of my little girl at 28 weeks, at that time I ordered quite a few books on premature babies. The baby waited another 5 and 1/2 weeks to arrive, but since the doctors kept me in the hospital on my side, I got plenty of time to read ALL of the books.
I found this book to be the most postive and reassuring. I was scared out of my mind, and many of the other books only gave worst case scenarios, whereas this book always gave the best possible outlook and postive ways to deal with things.
My baby is now 16 months old (14 months corrected age) and doing fine :-)and I am a BIG believer in Dr. Sears.

This book was very helpful in understanding what was happening with my baby while he was in the hospital and after I brought him home. None of my friends had preemies so they could offer advice because its a little different. I would highly reccomend this book to anyone who wants a reference guide or information on premature babies.

Baby's Record Keeper And Memory Box

I received this as a baby shower gift for my first child. When I got pregnant with my second, I just had to get me another one! I love that it has pages with different information to fill out and has the "box" part to put precious things in. It's must for any new mom!

I have bought one of these for all 3 of my kids. They are so cute and the memory box is ideal for saving every important thing.

I got this book for my first child and fell in love with it....I love the box in the back to keep all those little keepsakes...and the month by month view of our child growing was something....I loved this box so well, that when we had our second child, I searched and found it....and now with Baby #3 on the way...I am proud to say all 3 of our children will have the same baby book!! I have all their ultrasounds in the back along with other must keeps!! I don't think any of the other books would have served us as well as these books---I just wish they were a little less difficult to find!!

I loved filling out this book for my first daughter and am planning on purchasing it for my 2nd too. It is so organized that I can quickly look back to see all her milestones and I have to say it is one of the nicest looking baby book on the market today. Highly recommended for boy or girl!!!

I love this book so much, that I bought a new one when I messed up on my dates. I went back to the store and they didn't have any, so I looked at others and didn't think any of them compared to this one. I had to order it online and I am very happy with it. There is lots of room to write about your little ones accomplishments each month for up to a year. Lots of room for pictures also.

my brother and me got this book for christmas, my granny read it to us, and she made me read it to her, she told me the spanish words,then she said i had to write what i like about this book i like it very much i think all kids should read it it is a nice book i am glad we got it for christmas
kayla daniels

This book is gathering dust on the shelf. There's never a need to use it.

We are finally able to have a clear idea about what we can expect from most toys, books and video games we have seen around. we are able to look beyond the "toymakers' personal description" of their product. Everything is always so nice and great on tv ... Thank you to the OPPENHEIMS for this great help. At least now, that we have read the test results, we can better understand some objections our parents make to certain toys.

What a book! The commitment of the Oppenheim's impresses me as they publish yet another wonderful review of today's best toys, books, videos, audio and software. Every parent should have a copy so they know their children are using the best toys out there.

I have been buying this guide since my five year old was born. I can't buy a toy without consulting it. There is so much junk out there and my kids' imaginations and my dollars are too precious to waste on junk. I even keep a typewritten list of all their recommended toys/books/videos appropriate for my children in my purse. That way I'm always ready when I spy a sale. This book has helped my never pay full price for anything and my Christmas/birthday shopping is done well in advance.

If like me, you are a young mom trying to encourage your child's creativity to blossom, or even a preschool teacher, then this is definitely a worthwhile read...it comes with helpful strategies, and useful tips on how to promote creativity in young kids...and some ideas are common sense, but its upon reading the book that you really begin to see how other useful ideas might be implemented.

quick but to the point: this book is an excellent resource for parents and teachers, of which i am both. it is developmentally appropriate and her theories can be used in any setting of children ranging from special needs right up to gifted. this book allows me to never say "what do i do now with my 2 1/2 year old daughter?"

I got this book because I am very interested in developing my toddler's artistic and creative abilities. There are some great things about this book. And some very bad things.

The good:
- The descriptions of projects in the book are fantastic. The projects are innovative and really designed to allow children to freely express themselves. The projects made me think about art, and even about the world, differently and helped me to understand how the world looks from a toddler's perspective.
- There is a lot of detail given about why a particular activity is important, or why it should be done a certain way. In general, there's a lot of detail in the book, and the author does a great job suggesting variations on projects or ways to look at materials in a different way.
- The author clearly delineates which supplies you should use and how you should use them. The book is more or less a comprehensive curriculum for preschool art - there are suggested books to read, songs, recommendations on where to get art materials, etc. This would be an awesome resource for a homeschooling family, or for a preschool teacher looking to break away from the traditional way of looking at and teaching art.

Okay. That's what's good about the book. And believe me, there's a lot that's good. However. What's bad about the book would probably turn a lot of people off, and away from using the excellent activities in the book with their child. The bad:

- The author's tone is extremely judgmental, holier-than-thou, snarky, etc. It gets extraordinarily tiresome after the first few pages. The laundry list of things you should NEVER EVER EVER do is miles long and goes on for page after page after page. Let me sum some of them up for you - basically, everything you have ever done with your child in regards to art is wrong and everything they've done in daycare, preschool, with their grandparents, at the babysitter's, etc. is also wrong and has almost certainly irreparably damaged their fragile self-esteem, their creativity, and their budding artistic talent. Having kids make "holiday themed" art is wrong. Telling a child a picture is pretty is wrong. Giving kids more than one color of crayon at a time is wrong. Speaking sharply when a child draws on your wall, table, priceless heirloom Sargent portrait, etc. is wrong - you should speak calmly and redirect the child to draw on some paper without telling them drawing on the wall is wrong because hey, the kid was just trying to express him/herself. Altering your child's artwork in any way is wrong. Throwing even a single piece of artwork out is wrong and you are an insensitive parent if you do that. Putting kids' art on the refrigerator is wrong; you should take it to a frame shop and get it framed. Thinking you know what art is or what's best for your child is wrong; in fact, the author states that the more parents think they know about art, the more likely they are to "damage" their child by doing the wrong thing. The "wrong thing" is anything that the author didn't tell you to do. Oh, and never, ever give your child a coloring book or draw on a piece of paper with them or the Holy Gods of Art (and apparently the author thinks she is one) will smite you, with great vengeance and furious anger.
Exhausted yet? I could go on with the ways the author thinks parents permanently cripple their children's creativity by doing things people have done for decades - the selection above is from the first 20 pages of the book, before the author's even talked about any projects. Unfortunately, the scolding and proselytizing doesn't stop. Throughout the book the author takes any and every opportunity to point out to you what a crappy parent you are because you do X which is not the way the author would do it. It really, REALLY gets old.

- There's not a lot of backup provided for any of the author's claims. She's taught elementary school art for 25 years. She's not a child psychologist, a developmental specialist, a physical therapist, a special educator, a Ph.D. in education, or someone with an advanced degree in fine art. She apparently has done no studies or academic research on childhood art instruction, or at least she doesn't cite it in this book if she has. Yet she makes claims that really only have credence if they're provided by someone who has some kind of credential or who has data from a controlled study. Some of the claims are so outrageous, they are just begging for some kind of citation or backing evidence from some kind of expert source. She doesn't provide any of that. In the back of the book she thanks a few people who seem to have educational credentials but the majority of supporting cites in the text are unrelated to the counterintuitive and incredible-sounding "facts" she presents as the indisputable, gospel truth.

- The author does an awful lot of inappropriate projecting, claiming that kids feel this way or that way when X happens after they make art. Maybe she felt insulted when someone referred to her art as "pretty," or her kid was overly sensitive to being told not to color on the wall. But that doesn't mean all kids are that way and claiming that it's a simple equation of "you do X, and therefore your child's confidence and self-worth is destroyed" is both inappropriate and irresponsible. I am a little unsure how a parent drawing with a 2-year-old, who does not fully understand that other people exist as separate entities from him, will kill his creativity and artistic confidence at a young age. The two-year-old is not really aware that other people even have feelings, and is certainly not capable of seeing a parent making a line on a piece of paper as a negative value judgment about their own work. There's a lot the author claims that doesn't jive with contemporary research about how a child's self-concept or their relationships with others develop.

It's really tough to give this book the recommendation it probably deserves, because there's no way the average parent is going to read this and not either a. roll their eyes so much that they stick that way in their head eventually or b. feel terribly guilty about all the ways that they've doomed their child to life as a corporate accountants payable clerk instead of encouraging them to be the next Picasso. I think if you can read the book from the perspective of "I want to encourage my child to make art, and I'm not really sure how" and read the project descriptions, and skip all the holier-than-thou preaching, it is a great book and a wonderful resource for any parent. Let's face it, just by reading something like this, you are obviously a caring and involved parent. Having your kid carve a Jack O' Lantern on Halloween isn't going to permanently warp their creativity and their sense of self-worth, despite what this author says. You know that, and I know that. So take what's good from this and take the rest with an enormous grain of salt. Some amazing artists out there started out making "hand turkeys" at Thanksgiving and using the whole box of 64 crayons. A child's creativity and sense of self-worth are a whole lot more resilient than this author seems to think.

A book that I've found more helpful, which has the same themes about valuing the process of making the art over the product of the process is "First Art" by Maryann Kohl. The philosophies of Striker and Kohl are very similar but Kohl's book is a lot less preachy, and has the advantage of being VERY user-friendly (easy to read, supplies for projects clearly outlined, much less wordy, more focused on enabling parents to get their kids involved in art projects and less concerned with long-winded philosophizing, etc.), a lot more so than this book. All in all, I'm glad I read this but I think I'm going to use "First Art" a lot more on a day-to-day basis.

Living near Susan Striker, I have had the opportunity to meet her on several occasions including having my oldest children (only at the time) participate in workshops with her. She is fabulous! The ideas in the book are easily incorporated and make a huge difference I think in inspiring children to work at their own level and enjoy the process. It has also helped me as a parent and home educator to feel more confident in guiding the process as well as selecting those rare excellent programs for children in art. Too many even "art schools" focus too much on the outcome or product. Doing it at home actually allows the children to be more of themselves. I also have personally witnessed the effects education wise on my children. My oldest is now 7 and reading at a junior high level. I followed this book and he was, on his own, writing his letters, name, etc at age 3 (well before his personal peer group) and I think this is because of the freedom giving to him in experimenting before then. His early markings were deemed valuable by us and so he kept wanting to do more and then copy us. I am purchasing another copy of this book for my sister and her just turning one year old son so they can enjoy art together as well.

I found this book to be very valuable even though I do not agree with 100% of her theories. She gives a great overview of several medium and as well as the actual products she recommends and the best way to teach children how to learn through art. I can see how my kids have already benefited.

Where do I disagree? While I agree that children need to be creative and explore on their own - I do not believe that the occasional coloring book or craft project is going to squash the child's creativity. My children definitely know the difference between their art time and the crafts they do at pre-school to learn about the American flag, holidays etc. And these craft projects that center around topics do reinforce concepts and help them learn - something the author is opposed to (she explicity says that children do not learn about holidays through craft projects where they make Christmas trees etc.)

In spite of disagreeing on this point I found the book to be excellent and would recommend it.

This book was terrific!!! It really reinforced what I already suspected. It was very helpful in helping me to be able to defend my expectations to others who disagreed. I wish I could have given it to my sister before she had their kids. I'm also considering sending it to my sister-in-law. As the title says, EVERY new mom should read this. (And dads should all read the one for fathers! :))

Absolutely would not recommend this book to a new mother. Very strong and rigid in their ideals. If you're not breastfeeding or are not able too, the author makes a new mother feel like a failure or something's wrong with her for not wanting too to begin with. Also has strong feelings about sharing a bed with your child, among other things, that if you do not feel you want to do, again only a good parent would!?? Think twice and read up on this book before giving it for a gift, or reading as a new mother.

I love this book--I just read it, and I have three children. In this sweet little book, Martha Sears explains in easy-to-read terms the basic ways mothers of infants go about establishing a natural, loving relationship where both individuals' needs are met without creating a tug-of-war environment (which is common these days). Throughout the book, she and her husband, "Dr. Bill," encourage moms (and dads) to enjoy their baby, respect that their children are people with physical AND emotional needs from the day they are born, and lend support to the emotional needs and changes that a mother goes through after having a new baby. There are practical applications throughout, and it's a nice introduction to helping mothers set a firm foundation for the new relationship that is taking shape.

I have been reading for two years on the science and scientific research behind a secure, heathy bond/attachment between parents and children. The Sears' books are valuable assets for families who desire to establish a healthy attachment with their children. Not only are they both medically trained (William is a Pediatrician with years and years of experience; Martha is a trained RN & Lacation Consultant), but they have raised 8 children, 1 of which is a special needs child and another was adopted. Their advice stems from real scientific research as well as their own experience (mothers really DO have instincts!) One reviewer stated that the Sears claim they are the TOP experts on child care in order to make more $, but that statement needs to be qualified. They are "America's #1 Child Care Experts," (maybe because people like their realistic attitudes toward child care), but they say over and over again in their books that parents are the ONLY EXPERTS for their children, and to steer clear of child care "experts" that try to lead you to go against your intuition as a parent. They never claim that by creating a loving bond with their children that parents who practice attachment parenting (AP) will never experience discipline issues--in fact, they have a whole book about discipline ("The Discipline Book"). They do, however, describe clearly that children who have a strong, loving bond (attachment) with their parents from the time of their infancy, are more secure in this relationship, and typically respond more sensitively to correction than children who are not raised in a sensitive, loving atmosphere. These aren't just ideas or philosophies--they have been researched thoroughly over time (beginning in the 1930s), and there are many books (by various doctors, psychologists, and authors) that describe in detail the scientific study that has been done which proves, in no uncertain terms, the relevance of the mother/baby bond and how the quality of this bond affects a person throughout their entire life.

As others have said, this book makes a great gift...It's beautifully illustrated and will bless anyone with a new baby (even if they have older children!)...And I would even suggest that you pair it with "The Baby Book" or "The Complete Book of Christian Parenting and Child Care" by the same authors (so they will have access to more comprehensive guidelines in infant care in addition to the encouragment and simplicity of the "25 Things..." book.)

A friend of mine gave me this cute little book shortly after I had my first baby, and I have really enjoyed dipping into it for short shots of gentle wisdom, inspiration, and advice. It's perfect for a new mom because the chapters are informative but really short--no huge time commitment required. There are 25 chapters--each with a title that's a "thing" that's helpful for moms to realize, like "You can solve breastfeeding problems," "You really do have intuition," "You don't have to be perfect," and "If you go back to work, you'll still be the person most important to your baby." Then the chapter has some information and practical advice related to that topic. For example, the chapter on going back to work includes the great idea of starting back to work on a Thursday instead of a Monday, so your first "week" is very short and easier for both mom and baby to deal with.
One more thing: the book is small and lightweight, so moms can read it while breastfeeding. Being a chronic multitasker, I loved this aspect!

Who decided that William and Martha Sears were "America's Top Baby Care Experts?" Perhaps "America's Top Baby Care Book Series Marketing Machines" would be more accurate. Any time people proclaim themselves to be a Top Expert about something, look with a suspicious eye - William and Martha certainly do, at other experts who espouse a different viewpoint than theirs. There are some good things in here, like Martha urging moms to take time for themselves and to remember that you and dad are still husband and wife, even though things are different now. But it's awfully easy for new moms to get sucked into their attachment parenting philosophy, and to believe statements that the Searses present as gospel truth, although there is no research to back it up. I don't recall the "cutting edge research" that the previous reviewer mentioned; instead I remember Dr. Bill saying that if you practice AP, basically you won't have any discipline issues when your child is a toddler because the two of you are so in tune and the child will want so much to please you. Sure, this sounds great to a new mom, but it is such a load of crap. Plus, while they do include a section that says that there is no perfect mother, and that's okay, I feel that they believe anything other than AP will lead to a level of parenting non-perfection that is unacceptable and guaranteed to turn out insensitive ax-murderers.

Steer clear of yet another tiresome rehashing of attachment parenting; the only guarantee here is that there will be more money in the Searses wallets.

The main issue of this book is that mental and physical development of a baby are tightly coupled. Physically perfect body gives more blood, oxygen and energy to the brain which reinforces the development of the body, which is most obvious for ages up to 36 months.

The author splits the development of the brain and the body to seven stages depending on age, and gives methods and joyful exercises for a baby to be physically superb.

For those of you out there that believe the object of this book series is to "pressure" your children into becoming college professors you obviously are either not paying attention or never read the book. At NO time does the book suggest tying down your child to a chair and forcing him/her to learn to (read, arithmetic, etc...) In fact it clearly states the opposite to STOP immediately if the child is not having fun.

I believe instead that the main point of the book is to love and bond with your child (what more does a child want than Mommy and Daddy's attention?) And that the world is full of amazing wonderful things that he/she has the potential to do whatever he/she wants to do.

My father (using his own techniques - the daily newspaper) taught me to read at 2 years old and I remember (yes I remember clearly) that it was so much fun to read to Daddy about the upcoming union worker strike.

I don't care what career my child chooses.. I just want him to be happy and have the same appreciation for the world of knowledge that surrounds us.

When we were once told man can fly, and go to space. Ignorant and negative humans laughed at the idea. When true love was able to be found on the internet, people laugh and mock the idea too. And so thank heavens not all humans are so negative and narrow minded, otherwise how would we see the human race be where they are today? My son, is now 26 months old, and by following what was suggested in the book, he is sure enough strong enough to support his own weight and brachiate the "monkey bar" on his own. He is also very proficient in running. I invite those with curious minds to come see the growing population of "Doman" families across the globe, quietly and surely participating in the "Gentle Revolution", with or without the help of the Institutes. We are a non profit, pro bono support group. Be very amazed at http://www.childbrain.org

Of all the books I have seen, heard, and read I have to say the only one I like and have picked up numerously for reference is "Caring for your baby and young child" Everything else I thought was silly to even bother with. Because this book gives you advice from everything about what to feed your baby to how to tell if your child might have the flu. If your a parent get this book and never pick up another one. Dont read about how to physically improve your child or make your child have the highest IQ they are children let them be just that. They dont need expectations they dont need to be able to read when they are 3. Yes encourage them to want to explore, read to them, count with them buy a kid yoga tape but whatever you do with your children let them have fun and dont pressure them. We have enough pressure when we are older lets not make the kid prep for college in the womb. Dont "spoil" your children, punish them when it's needed; but have fun and enjoy them dont drive yourself crazy on how to have the best child in the world and be the best parent in the world, just go with the flow and be the least stressed parent in the world. Thats really how you get the best children in the world!

I have read nearly all of the books in the Gentle Revolution Series and all of them are very pleasant and encouraging. These books are really only for those parents who want to make a tremendous effort on behalf of their children and who believe that their children are one of the highest priorities in life. These programs involve much time and enthusiasm on the part of the parent. I am using these programs with my son. At several days old he was holding up his head, 2 1/2 weeks he was rolling over from tummy to back, 5 weeks old he made his first scootching movement, at 2 1/2 months he was rolling from back to tummy, by the end of four months old he was creeping on hands and knees and beginning to pull himself up onto things. This is an amazing program and I plan to use the methods for any children I have in the future. I also did not follow the book 100% so I can only imagine that if I had I may have acheived even better results with my baby.

I just recently re-read this book after it had been sitting on my shelf for a few years. It was very interesting to me to read about how other cultures raise babies and children. Definitely sparked my interest to read more on this topic. What I was disappointed in was the way the author seemed to brush off the importance of breastfeeding. This was surprising after she made a point of discussing how it is carried out routinely and for extended periods in other cultures. Quote from page 169: " Of course there's no harm in bottle feeding, if we find this a more comfortable arrangement than nursing, or if we have no choice. Whole generations of infants have grown up on bottle milk and survived well enough." (Heller, 1997) Hmmmmmm, La Leche League would be all over this statement.

After reading this book my perspective on babies has completely changed. If only we already knew these things, we would be creating wonderful, happy people by starting with wonderful happy babies. Every parent and caregiver should read this book to gain knowledge about touch that we as a whole have forgotten.

Great seller to work with. Sent item promptly and in the condition it was described to be in.

This book makes a fabulous point on how we need to be closer to our children, however, the rosy picture the author paints of other cultures is not accurate. East Indian mothers I know are exhaustd. Yes they recieve help from their own mothers for one month but after that they return to their husbands home where in many cases its a joint household. The daughter-in-law is on the bottom of the pecking order and her needs come last. Her child is taken care of by her in-laws, and usually is allowed to do anything he/she wants. The mother is not allowed to discipline the child. In fact, the mother is dependent on everyone else in the household and does not have the freedom to make decisions on her own. Many mothers I have met are incredibly unhappy in this situation. America is not all that bad. We are able to decide to touch our child more if we wish, which may not be the case in many other cultures.

This is an AWESOME book! I bought this due to subject, and reviews. Keep in mind I LOVED my social anthro. class in college! LOL! But seriously, it reinforces our "attachment" choices, but not based on someones opinions, but based on evidence based research! It shows our culture verses more contact oriented cultures. We are suffering. Or, actually, our children are! I love Dr. Sears, but this, well, this is exactly the reinforcement I needed. I read so many "co-sleeping CAUSES problems" or you NEED to start a loose schedule, or your children will not be well adjusted", that they were clouding my decisions-making me doubt my choices. But OK, here is a concept, we ARE animals. And yes, many moms have jobs, but that doesn't mean you can't make better choices that will benefit the child. Time for America to stop thinking in the vein "oh, if you hold that baby too much, you'll spoil it". Uhm, DUH! You'll feel better if you need reinforcement for current "contact parenting" and you will get some solid knowledge about how you are attached to your child can affect it socially, emotionally and physiologically. This, I think is a MUST read for anyone wanting some true knowledge about the basics in the way we conect with our children.