Childcare Books

I really liked this approach to discipline in theory, but it just dosen't cut it in the real world. I have a very headstrong toddler and he walked all over me with these approaches. I really like Is it a Big Problem or a Little Problem?, which I am currently reading. It has many more real-life solutions than the Discipline book did.

The advice in this book sounds very nice and gentle and compassionate but the problem is that it works only on children who are obedient and fairly submissive by nature. Lots of kids figure out the game after a while. What if your child refuses to stay in "time out"? What happens when you have taken away all the privileges? (and little kids just don't have that many). What about older kids who just laugh at this kind of approach?You'd better go buy another book because Dr. Brazelton doesn't address real discipline problems.

Discipline teaches our children right from wrong and to care about doing right, to think of others before themselves. Too bad we can't raise the current generation of adults all over again. Hopefully today's parents, with the help of this book, will do better.

This is the most useful book on parenting I've ever read. It is clear, straightforward, practical, and respectful of children and parents. Thank you.

I read the book as soon as I got it home. We were having discipline problems with out almost 4 year old and with a new sibling in the mix we didn't want to make drastic changes again in his life. I often read the book when I'm frustrated by my childrens actions and it helps me to understand their way of thinking and how to make the correct discipline choices to fit the exact situation. Thanks Berry Brazelton!

After finishing this book I felt sadly indifferent towards it. I didn't feel like I lost my time or money with this book but I didn't feel like I added any great activities to my personal activity database either. Would I recommend it? I guess not. If no activity sticks out in my mind after a fresh reading, I guess it means I won't refer back to it very often and neither will you possibly.

When our baby was born I was of the mind set that I didn't want to rely on everyone else for child raising ideas. This put me in a difficult position because I've never been around babies before. So, I put away my pride but kept searching for ideas on my own too. That's how I found this book. Lansky has included a lot of great ideas for helping you interact with your baby in creative ways. I agree that it is not perfect (and am not sure that any book really is), but this can be easily overlooked due to the other very redeeming qualities.

So I'm flipping through the book and thinking "Did I actually pay money for this?". So many of the activities were things that I (and many other parents) are already doing with our babies. Like playing with rattles, talking to your baby while looking in the mirror, kicking at toys, pointing to objects and saying the sounds they make, peek-a-boo, waving bye-bye... you get the idea. But the moment I knew I wanted to get my refund was when in the 0-3 months section, the author suggested going to the hardware store to buy a blank set of keys to put on a strong ring to "make great noise and be cool teethers". The thought of my infant's delicate gums knawing away at the sharp edges of metal keys--YIKES!!

I originally had this book on loan from the library when my baby was 7 weeks- about the time you start to wonder how you are supposed to fill the hours with your curious little bundle. Anyway, after having used the book so much I went ahead and purchased a copy. Love how it's a small book and the ideas (games/rhymes, etc) are sectioned out by age. Some of the rhymes or activities seem a little odd and ancient, and I wonder about their origin, but I've used enough of the material to make it a worthwhile and recommended purchase for new parents.

It's a good little book that can definitely help people who had no prior experience in baby handling. As a first time parent, I really appreciate the help!

Vicky Lansky offers a book that is organized by appropriateness for each quarter of baby's first year, and includes wide variety of play activities. Each sector of the book (0-3 mo., 3-6 mo., etc.) is preceded by the summary of developmental milestones.

However, in comparison to Baby Play (Gymboree) by Wendy S., Dr. Masi, Roni Cohen, Dr. Leiderman, this book lacks pictorial support. I have encountered a couple of activities that are not easy to follow just by reading the instructions. A simple picture or a photograph would eliminate this problem.

I purchased the book for a child development class. I use it constantly for evaluating program, activities and observations of children for educational purposes. It's a great reference.

If you have a conservative, moral or Christian bone in your body, this book will sicken you beyond your wildest imagination. If you fall into any of the above described categories, then this book will classify you as a "European male," or of "European Ancestory". This book preaches strongly a so called "diversity" but if you are a white male the "diversity" of opinions stops. (unless of course you decide to agree with the author.) And if you are a Catholic, you have even more to digest, as the book reaks of anti-Catholicism.

I have used this book for two different child development classes now. If I read abut being culturally sensitive (which to the authors apparently means forget you are an anglo saxon christian american) I will truly be ill. I'm all for accepting everyone for what they are, and abhor racism, but come on, are we supposed to forget that we may be Christian white americans???? The book seems to want us to forget holidays, in case you may offend one person somewhere along the line, and wants you to accept it as okay if some children are brought late to class, because in their culture, being late is okay??? Please.

Finally, a book that offers sensible and realistic approaches to child development which departs from "mythical" ideas of past and archaic culture. Luckily, this volume isn't afraid to address the homogenous fallacies that have plagued our society and discusses significantly the exploration of truly modern theories embraced around the world. People of all walks of life, education, and backgrounds will rejoice in an important concept that this book teaches: genuinely nurturing children as opposed to treating them like pets.

Beginnings and Beyond is still the best Early Childhood Education text out there.

Dear Dr. Brazelton,
Thank you for this lovely book. there is so much information in it and it has really helped me to feel that I understand my baby, and that I knwow what to do. thank you!

As a parent of a colicy/active baby, I've went through several different books, looking for help. This book was not helpful. It was basically nothing more than you'd find in a magazine article. It doesn't have any real solutions. Instead I'd HIGHLY recommend "the Happiest Baby on the block" especially the DVD version. This was unbelievably helpful to me and I just wish I had found it sooner.

Once again, T. Berry Brazelton hits a home run. Calming Your Fussy Baby outlines the steps every parent should take to determine the source of a baby's fussing and soothe the fuss away. Advice is laid out by age so that parents can go directly to the portion of the book applicable to their baby and specific information is presented for various types of crying and how to identify what kind of cry one is hearing. The advice is to the point and clear and is written in such a way as to assure parents that they are doing just fine.

One of Brazelton's charms is that he echoes Dr. Spock's famous statement "You know more than you think you do" for a new generation. Dr. Brazelton firmly believes that every parent can be a good parent and that the roots of good parenting are within everyone who wishes to tap them. This book, part of the Brazelton Way series, is a good one to have on hand for the inevitable day when a baby just won't be calmed. With this ammunition, any parent should consider him- or herself well armed against the fussies.

Calming Your fussy Baby the Brazelton Way has been the most important book I've read as a parent. Every time my baby cried I felt as if I failed, as if I let her down, hopeless. I felt like crying myself. This book helped me to understand these feelings in myself, to get past them so that I could understand my baby's cries, and figure out what she was trying to tell me. There is lots of information in here about what a baby's cries mean, how to tell, and what to do. But without telling me what to do and making me feel even more like a failure it helped me take a look at myself - I had to face the fact that I was suffering from post partum depression: no one else had noticed. There is something so soothing and calming about the way this book is written that it gave me the courage to face myself, and helped me to get help and get ready to calm my fussy baby.

I really like Dr. Brazelton's approach -- warm and loving but firm and respectful of sleep-deprived parents (thank you!) However, he makes it seem too easy, like "follow steps 1-4 and your baby will be calm." If only it were that simple. I wish he had taken things one step further, i.e., what to do when all his suggestions fail and the baby is still crying. I think in his effort to make this book short and practical, he overlooked how complex this process can be for parents with more difficult babies and/or whose confidence withers with baby's every crying jag.

Many books of this genre fall into the trap of either being too clinical or too cynical. Thankfully, Drs. DiPrisco and Riera provide us with a wonderfully accessible and beautifully crafted inquiry into the American teenager. Having been a teenager once, (if I still trust my memory) I find their insight trenchant. While I cannot claim complete objectivity--I defy anyone who has read either DiPrisco's poetry or Riera's earlier books on teens to remain impartial--I am thankful for their effort and think it a national prize.

I like the style in which this book is written. Each chapter is self contained, i.e., you don't have to read earlier chapters for any other chapter to be useful. Thus, the book need not be read cover to cover if certain topics are not of interest to you. Each chapter deals with a specific topic such as drinking and driving, motivation, taking responsibility, date rape, eating disorders, etc. Each chapter starts of with a realistic scenario in which a problem dealt with by the chapter is set forth. Then, the authors discuss the general subject matter of the chapter in analytical terms. Finally, the discussion returns to the scenario and how the problems can best be dealt with and resolved.

The scenarios include dialogues between a teen and friends, teachers, parents or others who would play a role in the situation set forth. The authors later analyze how well the subjects of the dialogues handled the situations in the scenario. The book is very readible and the advice is genarally good, albeit not always in the greatest depth. As a parent and a school board of education member, I find the book useful and recommend it.

As the subtitle indicates, FIELD GUIDE TO THE AMERICAN TEENAGER is all about Appreciating the Teenager You Live With. That's a big concept: Appreciating the kid (not always an easy thing to do when you feel like you're at your wits end). Not dictating behavior or choosing career paths or keeping your kid from harm's way -- as if any of that were even possible by the time s/he's a teenager.

Riera and DiPrisco make it clear that there is no way to 'follow-the-dots' and come up with pat answers to the difficult subjects they tackle. Instead, this beautifully written book presents teens in their natural habitats. Real situations are depicted -- ones that anyone can identify with -- but rather than attempting to proscribe behavior, Riera and DiPrisco discuss each topic and scenario in an insightful section called Notes Home that will surely help parents bring a new slant to their thinking. It definitely opened my mind to new approaches.

I highly recommend this book to anyone with a teen -- or a soon-to-be teen. You won't be disappointed.

I work with teenagers and so it is extremely exciting for me when I find a book or people whose dedication, intelligence and true understanding of teens is obvious. I am very excited about this book ,as I am about allof Mike Riera's works.I don't know his co-authors work as well but what I have read here is very impressive. This book is important for parents and for teens because it is time we start listening to those who not only understand this transitional period of life but respect it. These authors do both and as a bonus they make it very easy and clear for us to understand as well. I really can't say enough about how exciting it is for me that there are books like these available for parents of teens. I am a parent of a 15 year old. I don't know what the future holds for us and would never pretend to think I got it all figured out. Far from the truth. BUT< I do have great amazing moments with my son and he knows beyond a shadow of a doubt that he is respected and trusted. He has yet to betray that. It is an awesome feeling. Get the book. The respect they have for teens is contagious.

I work with at-risks teens and was looking forward to reading this book. If you're considering it -- don't bother. It simply contains 309 (including index) pages of safe generalizations. For example:

On your teen child(ren) -- page 17: "...you cannot monitor their every activity outside of the home."

On curfews -- page 17: "Curfews are similarly tricky, involving the ways in which kids can be alternately responsible and irresponsible."

"You will sense if they respect the curfew, and you will know if they are taking advantage of your flexibility."

On freedom and responsibility -- page 145: "It would be difficult to overestimate the significance of friends and friendships in the life of teenagers."

"The telephone is a sacred instrument of connection."

On suicide -- page 251: "Most teachers and most parents are not experts and should not try to be."

All in all, I gained absolutely nothing from reading this book and felt insulted that the authors broached sensitive issues without providing useful information. My fear is that teens will use this book as a guide to manipulate their parents, teachers, and educators.

the cutest potty book in the world my sister loves to play with the dolls,and also went from no potty ice cream to sissa potty time plez and it's just a fun book i'm going to buy more for my potty trining twin couzins they would love it and even more for the rest of my couzins too!

I bought this book for my 2 1/2 yr. old daughter. The book does explain to the child the process of learning pottying; however, the book explains that boys stand up to urinate and girls sit down. I thought that was too much information at this point in time. My daughter never plays with the doll.

This book was a great way to get my daughter interested in potty training. The bear is cute and the text models positive reinforcment and patience in the training process. I loaned my out and lost it so now I'm getting another copy for my second child!

This charming story keeps my 23 month old daughters attention. She understands the important message, yet enjoys hearing the story over and over again. Each page has informative potty training foot notes for parents.

If I had seen this in a bookstore, I would have passed it up. The book is flimsy and the bear is very small. The diaper pants for the bear are very tiny and difficult to put on, so my little boy doesn't really get any benefit from them. I don't care for the format of having parent notes on the same page as the story. In all, very disappointing.

This a really good book to have as well. I still recommed other books. This should be in your connection as well. At first, I didn't want read/buy it/take it of the library. I'm glad I finally saw it and bought, currently reading it. I'm really enjoying it. Before I read this I read Zita West's newest book on Fertitly and Conception: Complete Guide on Pregnant. Which was wonderful as well. Thank you.

Also recommended: DK/Johnsons Mother and Baby, Carol Cooper, MD, Editor, Paula M Elbirt, MD, Constutant.

I truly enjoyed this book and found it to be invaluable during my twin pregnancy. It is a good resource guide with beautiful photographs; and it is written without the self-righteous tone found in other *holistic-oriented* books. Although I'm not an advocate for the use of the term "natural" (which I think is a rather subjective and broad term), I found the suggested complementary therapies for various pregnancy and post partum related conditions extremely helpful.

I truly enjoyed this book and found it to be invaluable during my twin pregnancy. It is a good resource guide with beautiful photographs; and it is written without the self-righteous tone found in other holistic-oriented books. Although I'm not an advocate for the use of the term "natural" (which I believe is a rather subjective and broad term), I found the suggested complementary therapies for various pregnancy and post partum related conditions extremely helpful.

Zita West works as a midwife and acupuncturist. Over the years she has observed a growing interest in holistic remedies. This is quite important during pregnancy as women are seeking natural products, non-invasive treatments and drug-free methods of pain relief that will not harm their babies.

She has organized her book, trimester by trimester, so you can follow along and not miss an important aspect of your pregnancy. After all, once the first trimester is over, you are onto the second! In fact, if you are like me, you are reading all these books before even thinking about getting pregnant. Strangely, they seem to be a great form of birth control.

Pregnancy is not as easy as it looks. Sure, for most people, it is easy to get pregnant, but what do you do then?

If you are like many women who want to plan out their lives to the very second in order to taste life to the fullest, you will enjoy this book as it gives detailed information, comprehensive nutrition plans and exercise suggestions. Along with all the information you really need to know, there are also tips on how to boost your immunity or how to minimize morning sickness.

This book also explains your baby's development.

The Contents include:

Planning for Conception & Pregnancy - how to improve fertility, avoid pollution and reduce stress.

Nutrition - Ideally you should be at peak health before pregnancy.

Boosting Immunity - How to eat for health and boost the immune system with pressure therapy.

Illness during Pregnancy - What do you do if you get a cold and can't take any of the remedies you took before you were pregnant.

The First Trimester - You may want to consult other book for the week by week pictures, but this gives a basic overview of your baby's development. Nutrition, exercise and common problems are discussed in each section.

The Second Trimester - A discussion of heartburn and Anemia. Discussion on how acupuncture, massage and yoga can help backache. How you can use hydrotherapy to help reduce varicose veins. What about depression?

The Third Trimester - Sleeplessness, Skin Problems, Stress & Anxiety, High Blood Pressure, Leg cramps, How to get a Breech baby to turn, Respirator problems.

Preparation for Labor & Baby - Detailed discussion of the Placenta, how to detoxify the body, the last few weeks of pregnancy, preparing your mind, natural pain relief, stages of labor.

Postpartum Period - Ok, this section makes you want to get pregnant. It is a conspiracy. Here they tell you about the day-by-day developments and a contented mother holds her child and looks so loving and happy. There is a discussion of Postpartum exercise, nutrition and how to solve problems in this time. Breast-feeding problems are discussed. You might want to choose acupuncture, homeopathy or western herbalism.
Complimentary Therapies

If you are going to take the advice in this book about herbs, also consider purchasing: Natural Health Magazine Complete Guide to Safe Herbs. This book recommends a tea with chamomile, but it is well known that "large doses" of chamomile are not good for pregnant women and could increase the risk of complications. The tea they recommend also contains fennel, and I have also read that fennel is not for use during pregnancy. Instead, perhaps try ginger, which they say is safe in small amounts for pregnant women.

Just use caution with all that Chamomile tea! If you take ANY herbs during pregnancy, consult with the Natural Health book or ask your doctor first.

The Foreword by Kate Winslet is also well worth the price of this book! What a hoot!

~TheRebeccaReview.com

I enjoyed this book, however, it has too many glossy, unrealistic pictures that take the place of meaningful text. I found the book the Natural Pregnancy Book by Aviva Jill Romm to be much more helpful, insightful and thorough.
PS. Kate Winslet is only in the introduction, a good one at that.

I carried this book in my store "Vortex", in the East Village of NYC in the late 80's. It had a big impact on me as I explored spiritual aspects of birth and parenting. Many books have come in and out of my life since then, but I always remembered the gentle words of quiet wisdom Vimala had to share. I recently had the good fortune of meeting Vimala in person, and immediately remembered this beautiful book. I have 2 copies now: one from my old store that I loan out, and a new copy that my mother gave me a few months before I met Vimala. I loan the first copy out to mothers who are caught up in the frenetic pace of today's busy, stressed - out world. It is a quiet place to retreat to. Thank you Vimala! -Luana

This beautifully written book has been a comfort to me during the trying times of parenting a young child. Her words are gentle and touch the inner core of who I am trying to be as a good parent. I have found strength when I was at my lowest and yet she reminds me that we are in this world but not of this world. With her guidance I have been able to put aside the demands and comparisons society places on me as a parent and to focus on what truly matters. I have given this book to my friends and I plan on passing it on to others that are looking for a spiritual connection to their children.

This book was given to me after the birth of my 3rd child over seven years ago. Amazing how much I had to learn about being a parent, and what a patient teacher Vimala can be. Without guilt she enables you to make changes in the type of parenting you've learned and supports you in teaching yourself to parent if you feel unprepared. Written for easy access, as a soon to be mother of five, I always have a moment(that's all it really takes) to reread a passage and regroup my parenting skills.

I received this wonderful book at my baby shower. My son is 3 and a half now and I credit the passages in the book with totally helping me be a much better parent than I ever could have been without it. I highly recommend anyone who might need some uninvasive advice and direction in the parenting department to get this book. It has been on my bedside table for years and whenever I need to I pick it up, read a page and feel much better.

This may be a fine book for parenting/motherhood, but it is not Lao Tzu's tao te ching. His classic text has broad applications to many areas of life, but the stretch to motherhood is too great.

I bought this book as an infant caregiver and was a little disappointed to find out that it really was just the same old things we are already doing with our babies...maybe just with some slight twists.

I highly recommend this book... Both, my husband and I, really liked the book and thought it's a great resource for new and not-so-new parents... The books has a wonderful selection of games and rhymes. Easy-to-read/search format makes your experience quite enjoyable!

A baby game book that's easy to read, easy to carry and stays open on my lap while I'm playing with my baby. Hmmm. What took so long for this? I wish I'd had this for my first baby. I loved the games, I think the inside illustrations are super, and I really love the portable factor. It's a very durable book, too. And there's a clever index system when the cover is folded back that also makes this book remarkably easy to navigate. Great work!

Anne Carson had me hooked on this book within moments of reading the introduction. Her commitment to parenting, and to discovering her own path toward spiritual connectedness and understanding, is both moving and inspiring. This book is not designed to tell you how to raise your child in a spiritual home, but the collected essays are meant to inspire thought on the nature of spirtuality and what beliefs each parent may wish to impart. The different section headings, from the spirituality of conception and parenthood to early infancy and on through late adolescence, make this book relevant to people of all ages. Even if you don't have children, it is a wonderful resource for building community and for learning to share our spiritual beliefs in a space of connectedness and understanding. I find myself recalling specific passages time and again, and am often deeply moved by the philosophies and thoughts presented by the many essayists. The religious and spiritual ideas presented are varied and rich in their diversity, and the ideas for creating personal celebrations and rituals are inspiring. I cannot recommend this book highly enough. It will change the way you view spirituality and parenting a new soul.

From the subtitle and cover blurb, I was expecting this collection of essays to reflect the diversity of spiritual paths. Instead, 90% of the essays are Pagan, with a couple of Buddhist ones and one Jewish essay. I don't have anything against Paganism, but it is not my path, it just doesn't move my spirit. There is some good stuff in here, but I found there was too much emphasis on externals, such as rituals for different occasions and Tarot cards, and not enough on the day-to-day inner work of parenting. Also, Carson's dig at stay-at-home mothers ("studies have shown that most housewives actually spend more time watching television than they spend with their children") was unexpected and uncalled for in a book on spiritual parenting. For many, staying at home with their children and accepting the sacrifices involved is an important part of their spiritual path. Finally, Carson has included an excellent section on the spirituality of biological motherhood, but has not given equal time to fathers and adoptive parents, who have different paths with equal beauty and significance.