Infant-and-Toddler-Development Books

I have almost all the babysense products.I own 2 of their slings (beige/limited edition blue one),also their toddler sense book,their sleep sense book and of course the baby sense book.
My baby boy is 3 months old now and a lot of the info in this book has made me understand why my little boy start getting fussy(overstimulated),why he is sucking on his hands so hard(self soothing). I even used their 'Jungle Juice' recipe to help keep up my breast milk supply. It's delicious by the way.They address each age group specifically and tell you what you can expect. They teach you how to do sleep training too but I did not do that as I dont believe in sleep training.Very good book and very informative. The only thing that I also did not agree with is that they expect you to have your baby in his own bed and own room at 3 months which I think is way too early. They still need their mother's security at that age.I would defnitely buy this book again. Good Value.

Wow! I borrowed this book from a friend who kept talking about it. After reading 2 chapters I was on Amazon.com and got a copy for myself!
It is amazing how clearly and simply the book describes the SENSORY world as babies experience their new environment in the first year of their lives and what effect all those sensory input has on them. About how their immature nervous system is constantly trying to process ALL the information what they are subjected to - from the feel of their clothes on their skin to the temperature, the touch of your holding arms on their body to bright lights in the room and even the smell of all the visitors in the room! Things we take for granted, as our nervous system can filter it out - but they can NOT yet deal with...so we wondering WHY ARE THEY SCREAMING?? (it was also BRILLIANT to phrase from when the in-laws got carried away in their effort to entertain my little boy who wanted PEACE finally.)
I give this book to all my friends with new babies now! I think all new parents should be given this book on their way from the hospital (Or rather on the way in ....against all those early visitors who handle your baby around the room when you just want to get to know each other!)
Baby Sense

It is a FIVE STAR book and I recommend it with no hesitation to all new parents.

If you've read any other baby book then the info in this book will not be any different. It reminds me of a college essay - waste of time for me.

Baby sense is an exceptional guideline to the sensory well being of your new baby. The book serves as a step-by-step guide for new Moms to understand the sensory world of the infant, teaching you to see and interpret what your babies needs are. It has made my life as a first time Mom a breeze. The book covers all the important aspects of early baby rearing. I recommend this book to all moms who want to be able to understand their babies needs.

This book is an excellent guide for first time and experienced parents. I must say I do not agree with the "reader". And if the anonymous "reader" has such strong feelings, to validate those feelings, I suggest the "READER" lay claim and not hide under the anonymity of "reader".

I have used this book as a supplement for teaching infant development courses at the college level. Students find the information in this book easy to read and understand. It gives an overview of development in the first two years of life, including changes in social, physical, mental, and emotional growth. The author also provides many personal examples that the reader can relate to. I strongly recommend this book for any one who wants to understand more about basic child development.

I would recommend to parents and educators looking for a book on early childhood development to look elsewhere than this particular book. It is difficult to read and at times, is incongruous with current research findings in developmental timing. I question the author's knowledge and skills, and would encourage others to do the same.

My husband and I wondered what was going on inside the mind of our newborn son and how he was growing and changing month to month. This book answered our questions and gave us an insight into his social development as well as the development of his senses. The book is very easy to read and doesn't go overboard with details. I highly recommend the book to any parent.

I only gave this book a 4 out of 5 stars b/c it has alot of basics that we as parents already know (or most of us do!) Overall, it's a fun read and has fun activity pages in the back - I'm glad I have it, but I've seen better :o)

this book is pathetic. if you want a great book on babycare, look no further than the baby book by william and martha sears. then you won't be wasting your money.

This book is a MUST for every new parent. When you're too busy and too tired to read the countless baby reference books, this is your answer. "The Pink and Blue Baby Pages" is your friend. Keep it by the bedside.

I have found this book really helpful as a first time mom. It is very organized in presentation and easy to read with practical step-by-step information. I highly recommend it. My husband says it is like a cookbook for parenting, that easy to read and follow.

The Toddler Busy Book is a one-stop entertainment resource for busy moms. I love the simple, easy projects, games and crafts. I also like the fact that many of the crafts utilize items that you already have at home. This book is also a great gift for childcare providers, grandparents and teachers.

When you work 40+ hours a week, it is hard to think of fun, creative things for your child to do and many times you end up putting them in front of the television. Toddler's Busy Book to the rescue!!! The ideas are organized in a wonderful way and easy for even a brain-drained mom to implement.

500 good ideas makes for great sharing with babysitter, grandparents, Sunday school teachers, and parents too. I really loved how the book was separated into activities, such as travel, indoor, outdoor, quiet time, and holidays. There were plenty of options for easy fun food items, including fruits and vegetables, simple crafts, and free activities using things you already have around the house. The format was extremely easy to read and makes a great gift for anyone taking care of a toddler.

Wow! I generally like Playskool products and enjoyed this book's companion, Guide To The Toddler Years. Toddler's Busy Book was incredibly disappointing. Most of the activities rely on sugary snacks or lots of disposable, environmentally UNfriendly craft bits, like pipe cleaners. I didn't find the ideas to be very creative at all and some seemed possibly unsafe. For example, one idea presented was drawing tattoos on your child with water based markers. Why not use an eyeliner pencil which would not only wash off more easily but is actually designed for use on skin? I was also surprised by the pop culture references (Sponge Bob, Harry Potter) considering that television being bad for toddlers isn't exactly a new idea and neither Sponge Bob or Harry Potter are geared towards children in the two to four range. I can't help but think that the target audience for a book all about keeping play fresh and exciting probably doesn't have their child camped out in front of the t.v. with a bunch of sugary snacks.

I have read many parenting books; I was especially interested in books that help me to stimulate my child in early math and science. I spend money in books really silly and without information.
This small book point really good ideas to develop with your child and easy to implement. In just 3 or 4 pages I got all the information and more complete than in all other books that I bought.
My child is 3 and this book gives any way interesting information for him.

This book is terrific! A very quick read (especially important for new parents!) and full of very valuable information. This book is great because of the clear cut advice and practical, specific suggestions for enriching your child's early development.

Many of the suggestions are simple and easy to do, but will make a big difference in the lives of your children. Written with a respect for children that is often lacking in the way people tend to treat young children. This book is not about pushing your child to get perfect test scores. It shows how raise a child that is happy and secure who will want to pursue knowledge and creativity on their own.

This book is a quick read and wonderful for getting started on learning how to help your child develop into the best person they can be.

This book deals with the first three years of your child's life. It gives you ideas from playing with your children to sending your child to music classes. It breaks down the types of learning and how best to incorporate all into your child's daily activity. It also helps to break down the activities that are best for you child at certain ages.

I definitely suggest this book for parents beginning guide to the development of a child's learning processes.

This is also a great book for the parent who says they do not have enough time to read anything regarding their new baby. It is a quick read and very educational.

I had such high hopes for this book, but found myself sorely disappointed. Yes, it's a quick read (as one of the other reviews noted) -- that's because there's hardly any information in it! It basically offers the information one could find in just about any issue of just about any mainstream baby or parenting magazine: that children's intelligence is a combination of nature and nurture and that to maximize your child's brain development you should offer them a loving, stimulating environment. ... I find it difficult to imagine that any parent motivated enough to buy this book doesn't already know all that. There seemed to be very little practical advice (certainly almost nothing beyond what one could glean from common sense and a cursory reading of a few elementary magazine articles).

In short, spend your money on something else. Maybe a book to read with your baby...

Although this book is divided into age ranges, I don't think it does a great job at reassuring parents that every child develops at their own pace. According to the accomplishments for every month, my child, who is developing normally, seems to be lacking many, many skills.

The author is from England, so maybe there are some cultural differences, but I was shocked that he would suggest that watching TV or a video together was a great activity for a 10-12 month old! There was also a mention of using a walker. Both of which I believe are discouraged by the American Academy of Pediatrics!

The pictures are great and the text is easy to read, but be skeptical about some of the content.

For parents with just a short amount of time to devote to reading about infant development, this book is for you! The segments are broken down into well-organized (by age) sections, meaning that you don't have to read it cover-to-cover. This book is so interesting that I even caught my husband reading it several times! I do think the title is misleading, however. This book is not going to turn you into a flashcard parent. It merely explains how infants develop and gives you ideas to encourage the progression. I especially like that it suggests toys that are well-suited to each phase. It helped us sort through the myriad of offerings at our local toy store.

"Bright Baby" is a friendly introduction to the stages of infant development for parents. While the title may mislead you, this is not a guide to building your own "superbaby". Rather, it focuses on developmental milestones for the first 18 months of life.

In this attractive and easy to use book, basic developmental milestones are listed first, and then broken down in more detail--for example, there are chapters on movement, communication, hand-eye coordination and more. Each chapter also gives appropriate developmental activities for that particular category and age.

As a mom, I love it. When will my baby be able to wave bye-bye? He's four months, and he loves to stand--is this normal? When can I expect to hear his first word? This book answers lots of "what is normal" questions in a very user-friendly format, and give plenty of wiggle room in what is defined as "normal". It is a great reference, especially for first time parents like me!

It's true that this book is wonderfully organized, and the colorful pictures are great. It's full of a lot of correct information. But for me, the bad outweighed the good.

1) Grammar is horrible in this book. Sentence structure is almost non-existant. The person who proofed this seriously needs more practice.
2) some of the advise was completely off the way. You would just have to see it to believe some of the advise.

All n all, I say spend your money on another book!!

I had been looking for a book that will help in showing me all aspects of being a new parent. This book covered it all and then some. I am planning to have children in the next few years and this book has helped with all of my questions. I think the veiwpoints for the fathers makes this a book even the fathers will be excited to read. I have already read it many times and I keep it close by so I may just thumb through it. I just lent it to a friend and I am already missing it.

This is my favorite Dr. Miriam Stoppard book because it is wonderfully organized and has plenty of great photographs and colorful blocks of information. The charts on everything from "What diagnostic tests are," to "What to look out for as your child develops," make this book the most practical book I have seen.

If I had to buy one book for a new parent, this would be it. I love all of Dr. Stoppard's books, but this one is truly a book for mom and dad. This is also a book that focuses on the needs of the parents as well as the needs of the baby. The first-time parents concerns are examined and Dr. Miriam deals with every aspect from preparing for pregnancy to bonding with the baby as a family. The father's role in the childcare is also discussed in more detail. This takes a look at how parenthood will change your life and it offers constructive help on keeping your relationship alive.

This book includes information on the needs of working women, house husbands and single parents. You will learn how to be a caregiver, supporter and teacher, as well as a loving partner. What I love most about this book is that it focuses on the "decision to become a parent." This is much more than just deciding to have a baby. This is about bringing a child into the world and about creating an entire new person.

The process of pregnancy is also fascinating. You will want to check this section throughout your pregnancy. Issues during pregnancy are discussed in great detail. On many of the pages you will also find a block that gives information about how fathers can take an active role.

There is a section on "Sex and Parenthood" which gives some sage advice if you don't want to immediately become pregnant again. A section is devoted to PPD (Postpartum Depression) and explains why this happens and how to deal with it. The best part of this book is the large charts which show the development of your new child. It focuses in on "mind, mobility, coordination, social skills and speech." In this way, you can keep track of how your child is developing and the beauty of these charts is that there is a whole section on "How You Can Help."

This book shows you what it is really like to have a baby! Highly recommended if your goal is to enjoy life and have the knowledge you need to enjoy life as a family.

~The Rebecca Review

A quick and easy read that does help parents to think of issues from their childs perspective.

This book really gave me a new insight into my child's mind and heart. Each chapter is presented with a child describing a problem (such as Whining). The child-voice explains why a child would do this ("When I'm hungry and tired, whining just comes naturally to me"), and then goes on to give advice on how the parent should deal with it ("Hugging really helps when I'm tired, then I could do what you want me to do.") The chapters are short, none more than 3 pages long. It's a quick read, and well-organized so I can flip to just the right problem with the situation arises!

The best part is that it really works. Examples from this book have already made my time with my 3-year old more pleasant. Both my daughter and I are much happier and less frustrated with each other. I highly recommend this book!

Interesting reference book as told from a toddler's perspective. Areas of concern to parents are defined and addressed as a three year old seems them.

Definitely a book that makes you stop and think, as a parent, of how your child might be seeing how you and other adults act. (And how little sense we sometimes make.)

A quick and easy read with some worthwhile reminders about how to be a good mom or dad!

I bought this book for a friend who came from Columbia to the United States and is expecting a new baby. Not knowing Spanish, I was unsure which book on babies to select. She is thrilled with the book and tells me something new she has learned each time I talk to her. I know it will be a big help when the baby arrives.

Reading this book has been a good experience. It is helping me to understand the stages of my little daughter.

I used this book, and the author's other book "How to Teach Your Baby to Read" with my daughter sucessfully 36 years ago with great success. My daughter was reading at 3 yrs old. I just bought both books for my granddson, and am looking forward to seeing similar success.

This whole series is a bit too institutional for my tastes. I prefer to hug and cuddle my daughter just because it's fun rather than because she has "performed" for me. I have no doubt that these methods create amazing results for children who have developmental problems, but feel it may be a bit too much, too early for others.