Childcare Books

Jack Petrash hit a home run with this book. I run a national fathering nonprofit, and this is one of my 3 favorite books on fathering -- real, simple, clear, short and to the most essential of points about being a good dad. That is, be intentional. Pay attention to what you do and say, and open yourself up to the passion of the best job a man can ever have -- father.

I actually enjoyed reading the book, but I should say that in my opinion, the views were very simplistic. It is a relatively short book with many messages, which the author often illustrates by example. I personally thought some deserved a more in depth discussion. However, one could argue that was the point - to stay in line with his baseball metaphors. In any case, I don't know if I would recommend this book, but it's not a bad read. I've certainly read worse parenting books...

I can't emphasize how helpful this book has been to me, as well as to our family. It has helped me become a better father, husband, and person. I've recommended this book to many people. I highly recommend this book for any father who wants to take his parenting to a new level.

Jack Petrash has taken a medium that almost all American men understand and used it to illustrate good parenting skills. Using baseball and various aspects of that game, he illustrates the similarities between the various stages of the game and the various stages of child rearing, how to make the highlights reel and avoid the bloopers reel, strategies if you have a shallow bench (single parenting), and many more. "Covering Home" is an entertaining and yet practical read that clearly illustrates the key points of good parenting through the medium of baseball. It is a recommended read that is sure to delight and entertain the reader.

I really liked the lessons you can learn from this book. It gives a great overview what to expect and what to do with your children as a caring parent. Having three sons myself i often had the same experiences as described in this book. I really can recommend it, also, coming from Munich in Germany, i do not have an idea, what baseball is about. Now i know even a little of this topic.

Being the typical anxious parent with worries about daycare upon my return to work, I found Ms. Ehrich's information about researching daycare centers to be an invaluable part of her book. It was really a stress reducer. There were many valuable insights in a well written, easy to understand book. Being a NJ resident, I saw an article about Ms. Ehrich in a local newspaper whereby it mentioned the anxiousparents.com website. It is well worth a viist there too. I would highly recommend this book to anyone looking to find stable, quality help with your daycare needs. It gave me the direction and confidence I needed, especially since I am a first time Mom.

If you need to start looking for childcare and you're not sure where to begin then you've come to the right place. The author of this book takes you step-by-step so that you'll feel confident that you are leaving your child in the best possible childcare.

You'll learn what kind of childcare best suits your family's needs and then you'll learn how to go about finding and keeping the best quality day care that you can afford.

The appendix boasts useful information such as interview questions, example contracts, and a safety evaluation checklist for out-of-home-care.

Feeling comfortable with your child's daycare provider is essential. If you feel like you need some guidance with this important decision, then be sure to read The Anxious Parents' Guide to Quality Childcare. The book will give you insight, information and peace of mind.

I have read the book and am just embarking on my own search for quality childcare. I was surprised to read the review of another from NJ who said the book was not helpful for daycare situations. I am seeking a daycare center environment for my child and found the book invaluable. As this is my first, I am the anxious parent as described. Ms. Ehrich's book gave me the confidence and direction to channel my search in a productive and time-efficient way. The guidelines for daycare interviewing and selection focused me and gave me many things to investigate and interview for. Thank you Ms. Ehrich for this most valuable resource.

As an obstetrical nurse and working mom, I have both a personal and professional interest in childcare issues. Over the past ten years, I have read literally dozens of childcare help books. This book is by far the best - the most common sense, encouraging, informative and easy to use. It has a permanent place on my bookshelf - and I am telling all my patients about it too. If you are buying only one book on finding childcare, it should definitely be this one!

Unfortunately I found the book to be too slanted towards family home care or nannys - these are not viable options for everyone. I found there was no fair balance given to daycare centers. While the checklists/questions were comprehensive the author's overall condescending tone put a damper on the information presented. For anyone whose main alternative is a daycare center, this is not the book for you - save your money.

This is an excellent resource for parents with young children or anyone considering having children. This book will help you communicate more effectively with them concerning sex, sexuality and gender issues.
It is informative, funny and easy to understand. She gives a lot of examples of what she is writing about so that you have something to go on in discussing the topic with your own child or children.

I don't know what are the rates for teen pregnancy in the US, but I KNOW that unwanted pregnancy is a reality for young adults. Every year one or two of my college students becomes pregnant. I can only recall three times in over ten years when the student was either married or in a committed relationship. If your offspring is planning to go off and live on his/her own, read this book so you can talk about sexuality before they leave your house. The book is somewhat verbose and some sections could be shortened, but I gave it 5 stars because what Roffman has to say, and how she says it, it's very important.

Just what parents need to know - the big picture, not just biology and warnings. Very thoughtful.

I saw Deborah Roffman speak before I read this book. When she told us that her students (she teaches at a local private school) call her "the sex lady," I wasn't surprised. When she explained some of today's kids' (we're talking kids, not even teens) attitudes about sex, sexuality, and sexual activity, I was very surprised.

I've always considered myself enlightened and pretty progressive, but when it comes to what our kids are thinking and doing, I felt like a Puritan. According to Ms. Roffman, the roles that we as a society thrust on our kids put them under an incredible amount of pressure about themselves, their sexuality, and their values.

This book is written just the way Ms. Roffman speaks -- frankly, straightforwardly, and plainly, with no holds barred. If you're the parent of a pre-teen or teen, or know a pre-teen or teen, you should put this book near the top of your must-read list.

I have to admit I was a little disappointed with this book. The idea is revolutionary and necessary in modern society: a generation of parents who genuinely talk to their children about sex and maintain an open and reasonable dialogue throughout their child's life.

Roffman does a good job of arguing for why we need this. What she does not do well, in my opinion, is get to the point: just how are we to instill these dialogues into our relationships with our children? After pages of being told how important it is, I was frustrated not to find how she recommends going about it. So I skipped around. However, due to the poor organization of her book, I had no idea where to skip to. I left it back at the library I got it from with only a vague idea of how she recommended I speak to my child.

Don't get me wrong: her stories are good and there a few I feel glad knowing. But she simply does not get to the point soon enough. The path of her narrative is wandering and her direction at times unclear. I simply could not sit through it long enough to give her a chance to get. to. the. point.

After some disappointment and some searching, I found a book that *does* get to the point:

-Everything you NEVER wanted your kids to know about SEX (but were afraid they'd ask)-
by Justin Richardson and Mark Schuster

While Roffman has the advantage of many first-hand discussions with parents children, Richardson and Schuster have the advantage of not only that but also enlightening statistical, psychological, and sociological research. Not to mention a much more straight-forward writing style.

I applaud Roffman's efforts on a difficult topic. But this simply is not the book to read. I wish she would organize her personal stories so I could find the ones on topics I'm interested in and assimilate them. But unfortunately, I do not have time to dig through all of them to find the ones I feel are relevant.

This was the #1 most helpful book with our parenting. Agree with all the positive reviews.
As for the negatives, yes, it is intuitive to a certain extent, but how often have you questioned your own judgement? Is it always right? And what about people for whom 'obvious' parenting does not come naturally? Nice to get the affirmation on the behavior that does work!
Also, of course it's repetitive to a degree. By definition, growth is building so you'd have to re-establish the baseline definition of an early phase to adequately compare the later one.
Also, and perhaps most helpful about this book, there are hundreds of specific examples of how you can promote healthy growth for each stage and you do have to read thoroughly and carefully to get them. A table-of-contents review would be missing 2/3 of the most useful info in the book.
I hope you buy and enjoy as much as we did. It's been immensely helpful to us and we can't recommend it enough!

Really interesting reading. It helped me with my 4-year-old development. I highly recommend it!!!!

Very disappointing. Whilst I agree with the underlying concepts, the book is repetitive and arduous. New chapters, with interesting headings, merely repeat what was said in previous ones. The contents page tells the story and time spent on reading the detail reveals little new information.

Whilst not disputing the author's experience, as a mother, my intuition will stand me in better stead than the instructions of a strange man. I recommend that other disappointed readers purchase Jean Liedloff's "The Continuum Concept". More concise, thought-provoking and stimulating.

This book offers what seems like sound advise, however, for me, it all seemed intuitive. All the suggestions on how to interact with your baby, I was already doing. So there wasn't a lot to disagree with, but there wasn't a lot of eye opening info either. This may be better for parents who are dealing with a colicky infant or an infant who has trouble engaging with the world due to sensitivities. I didn't have these problems with my daughter. I would check this book out of the library versus adding it to my personal library.

I read this as a borrowed book and I agree with the majority of the previous reviewers as to its incredible value to parents. I completely disagree with the reviewer who recommended "The Continuum Project". That book describes a nice general theme but doesn't get into specifics. Greenspan's book is just the opposite...raising a caring child is truly more complex than just holding them 24/7.

My problem is that, as a teacher, while I am held solely responsible (see "No Child Left Behind") for a child's academic struggles...reality suggests we can only deal with that which families and/or society delivers to us...in short, we are not miracle workers or human laundry mats where children enter school one way and somehow come out "clean" on the other end. It's so much easier to attack education than it is to solve issues dealing with the family isn't it? As one researcher pointed out...we don't have a crisis in education...we have a crisis of the family...how true. In his books Greenspan clearly holds parenting responsible and, most importantly, recognizes (as most good teachers do) that a child with emotional deficits will hinder their academic gains...No Child Left Behind conveniently separates the logic from emotion as we have done for years...BUT, as Greenspan points out wonderfully...emotion always leads learning.

We each come at books, music, movies, and so on and define it by our own experiences. I come from the perspective of a parent and a teacher who sees the results of all types of home environments. From this experience I can honestly say that this book, along with many of Greenspan's other books, should be a must read for all parents and caregivers.

Thsi book was easy to read and provided a lot of insight to being a muilti-racial family. I think it is an excellent resource for parents of transracially adopted children as well as families of mixed races.

As a parent of a biracial Asian child (my son is half Chinese, half Siberian Russian and is living in a very "white" area with a white stepfather), I wish that it had focused more on EurAsian children rather than every racial combination out there. There are many books specifically about the joys and sorrows of African-white children growing up in America; I would love to see one about biracial Asian children. Also, many of the issues didn't match up with my son since he looks completely Chinese (I myself look at least half Asian) and most people simply assume that he's fully Asian. He's never felt the pain of trying to decide if he's white, Asian, or biracial (even though he is). I think that most predominate children (ones who show a strong link with one side of race) tend to simply place themselves in the category of that race and identify as such. Anyway, the case studies and family histories are very interesting (the best part of the book), even though as I had said, a book about EurAsian children would be very different than a book which includes black and Latino children since many other social issues besides race (such as slavery and, for the Mexican community, illegal immigration) factor into the child's experience growing up in America. Still a very good book, but overly simplistic at times (if I hear the old "We're all just American" speech one more time, I'll scream! The same people who run that over and over are the ones who would love to bring back the old Jim Crowe laws and make interracial marriage illegal).If your child is like mine, he may simply not relate to it. All in all, a good book to prepare parents of biracial children for some of the cruel statements their peers (and sadly, sometimes adults) may say and how the world (which loves to put nice little labels on people) might view them and for that I recommend it.

I have been in an interracial relationship in the past but am currently single and sometimes dating. Sometimes I think about the possibility of marrying out of my race (I am a black-african woman) because of (and in spite of) my previous failed relationship (I guess I'm hard-headed). Over the years I have realized that multiracial situations are filled with unspoken conflicts and tensions and anxieties because this world is economically racist and exploitative... Where people live, how people live, what they do for a living all has to do with their race or ethnicity. It's really deep.

This book doesn't sugar-coat or minimize the experiences of mixed families and peoples. With these relationships the conflicts and tensions do come out in the form of hurtful, mean words, sentiments, and actions. It was so shocking to read about some of these experiences. Someone actually yelled "Eeeww!" out of a car at a mixed black (woman) white (man) family. Another child made negative comments about northern asian eyes that traumatized the author's more Japanese-looking son. There's a real lack of ACCEPTANCE with mixed peoples and couples. It's surreal!!! I think maybe people have a mental block about it or something. People are so focused on their own frame of reference.

The book is good because her writing is really honest and intelligent. She has wonderfully organized chapters including one on improving the education curriculum to be more accepting of multiracial families. I am getting my teacher certification in the next year so this book gave me info that will help me understand the backgrounds of some of my future students. There is a lot of good info on the little things I never knew about like how some very young mixed kids identify race with gender. The chapter on Adolescence delves into the STEPS TO IDENTITY-FORMATION, dating, and more. I recommend it!

Being a member of a multi-ethnic family myself, I purchased this book to help teach some people in my life what it is like to grow up in such a family.
This book has been an excellent resource because it touches on the many topics involved including terminology, answering the "What are you? question, dating, etc...
The author of the book did alot of research including interviewing members of many different multi-racial and bi-racial families.
This book focuses on empowering members of multi-racial and bi-racial families to be proud of who they are and gives advice about how to handle in a positive light some of the negative situations they may encounter. The book particularly focuses on helping to raise multi-racial and bi-racial children who are happy, well adjusted, and have high self-esteem.
I highly recommend this book.

As the mother of 4 beautiful biracial children, I was delighted to find this intelligent, realistic book. My children are often asked "What are you?" and attempts are made to label them as Arabic, Latin, Greek,Black, Italian, etc, etc. This makes it difficult for them when they are at ages where all of us were trying to "find ourselves". My daughter has also had a difficult time, often meeting women who instantly dislike her based on her appearance alone. This book was refreshing and helped me to realize others go thru the same. I was amazed at the amount of research and fact finding this author included. The everyday anecdotes was also most truthful, speaking from personal experience. great find for anyone who knows, loves, interacts with those of more than 1 race!!

A generation of primate behaviour and cognitive science research seems to have whoosed right past Newberger. Perhaps he was busy playing his tuba. Many years of his dealing with abused children generated this "guidebook for parenting". Like all such guidebooks, there are many pearls of wisdom and insightful conclusions. There is also a wealth of self-contradictions, a limited arena to apply his useful advice and some terribly misleading assertions. Underlying the entire presentation is the idea that children are putty in the hands of their parents. All parents need do is take the proper approach [Newberger's] in raising their offspring and all will be well with the world. Or, at least, those families living in North America.

Without clearly stipulating why he focusses on boys instead of children, he seems to feel that "character" is a mental/emotional state best expressed through the male half of society. From this basis, he moves through the various elements he designates as building "character" and explains how to promote them. There are many of them and Newberger is to be congratulated for taking on so formidable a task. He covers the topics well, but as you read it becomes clear that only a limited sector of society will read or understand his programme. A careful read will highlight the many contradictions he overlooked in developing his thesis.

After showing how many conflicts can arise between parents and offspring from an early age, he moves "self-identity" to adolescence. This will console parents who thought the "terrible twos" were an event rivalling the French Revolution. To further reassure parents, he condemns Judith Rich Harris' classic study "The Nurture Assumption" which transferred children's input from parents to peers. That Newberger does this suggests he might have left his clinic occasionally and visited some elementary schoolyards. Boys may appear malleable to parents, but in the schoolyard or street corner, they show a different set of talents. Although Newberger discusses the "hierarchical" social structures that appear among boys, he seems to have no notion of how they emerge.

Newberger's appeal is limited to those parents with the intellect, time, patience, affluence and desire to follow his suggestions. They must quell no end of natural responses in raising boys, and it would be enlightening to learn from the next generation how many of his readers will be in residence in a room with soft walls. It is fallacious to assume that male children come into life with no natural ambitions and capabilities of their own. Not many years ago, it was believed the concept of children, especially boys, coming into life with a "blank slate" had been permanently shelved. Yet, here is Newberger, not only raising the issue again, but compiling a parenting guidebook based on that premise. An infirm foundation for such an important structure. [stephen a. haines - Ottawa, Canada]

I read this book thinking it would be a rather standard tome on the endangerment of the male adolescent in society. I was pleasantly surprised, then, to find Newberger's approach to the subject of the male character both thorough and non-sensationalist. Beginning with infancy, the author does a wonderful job charting the development of character in boys (although much of the information can be applied to girls as well - the language is far from exclusionary). Newberger also possesses a supportive attitude toward parents and charts the familial and societal pressures faced by them while illustrating how this affects parenting ability and skill. Rather than definite stages, the book is divided into topics like "curiosity", "teasing and bullying", and "play and sports". The result is like a well-done essay series but without the repetition or wandering that often accompanies that type of volume. The best thing about this book is Newberger, though; his loving and supportive attitude toward children and their parents envelops you while not being cloying or patronizing. He is a wonderful resource and advocate for boys, and girls, of all ages.

I met Eli in my home town at a seminar. It was titled something like "an exploration of what shapes the character of boys". Nature vs Nurture basically. It's an exploration. Each child is different. He signed his book and *gave* it to me. I was poverty stricken at the time and got into the presention from sheer will to be there. So having met him, and read his book I felt empowered to know that my choices were validated. I can see how some may imply that he is vauge but I assure you, (if you research concisely what those words mean) you will gain more understanding. Defining one's terms is something we don't often do; our language is generally vague. What Eli Newberger shares, if you will but learn what those 'big words' mean, will give you access to tools/insights. Use what works best to develope great relationships with your sons. This is your life and theirs. Make the best of it. You have one shot with each son. Take aim, and hit the bullseye!

Great book with practical ideas on raising good boys. Most of all, it made sense to me. I'm so happy I read it and will continue to refer to it as my now 8 month baby boy grows up. It's really important to have books like this out there so we can get good guidance on raising good boys!

Dr. Newberger's work is a kind and compassionate look at the nature-nurture of how our young men develop into men.

Drawing on a vast reservoir of experience and insight he takes the reader into the mysterious world of boys; a world frought with hope and exploration, as well as dangers. I was especially encouraged by his treatment of bullying in this book because of the prevalence of the "culture of cruelty," in adolescence.

Parents, counselors, teachers, mentors; anyone with an a vested interest in the well being of boys will find this book to be a valuable resource that will provide support.

This book, unlike many other "pop-psych" type books, is very well researched (without being pedantic), and very well reasoned. As a counseling student in graduate school I have used this book several times as a reference.

With the abuse of children reaching pandemic proportions, we need more men (as well as women) like Dr. Newberger using their insight of child development to advocate for better treatment of children. It is a tragedy of inexplicable proportions that we have the instances, and the severity of abuse that is rampant in this country. Dr. Newberger should be commended for such a fine book, as well as his dedication to the well being of children.

Not only did this book help schedule my first child on an effective routine, but it has given us a foundation to build on. My child, now 18 mos, nursed for a year following Ezzo's scheduling guidelines and now eats, plays and sleeps well. Not saying all kids will do this, but mine, because he was trained to sleep so well, has only awaken in the middle of the night 2 times in 18 mos - including during illness and teething - he started sleeping through the night at 9 1/2 weeks. I was amazed at how well Ezzo's ideas and guidelines work. We didn't follow it to a tee, but using common sense and his concepts, we have had no problems with our child adapting to the scheduling. One thing I have to say for Ezzo's ideas is that by teaching an infant to eat, play, then sleep on a schedule that works for you, it teaches the child to depend and trust that you know what's best, not that he has to ask for it, by crying. Many people said that our child was one of the happiest they had seen, and I believe it wasn't luck, but hard work. I know this book has had a lot of criticism, but I recommend it to all my friends and I will definitely use it on all my children.

Despite the criticism and controversy that have surrounded the Ezzo's, their philosophy of Parent Directed Feeding has worked wonders for our 2 children.

Ezzo goes into detailed explanation of most feeding philosophies in use today, and explains how PDF excels over all of them. Babies will learn to keep a schedule, and that's important for proper sleeping patterns. At the same time, Ezzo maintains the importance of parents making the important decision of when to break the schedule... hence the name "Parent Directed" rather than the much stricter "Scheduled".

Our daughter slept through the night after 4 weeks, and our son who is only 7 days old is already sleeping a lot during the night. We get countless compliments on how well our daughter behaves at age 18 months. She has always maintained healthy weight gains, and we've never experienced problems with milk flow.

We highly recommend the Ezzo's PDF techniques, although it's very important that you read through the book carefully and make a logical decision on what you believe will work best for you and your children. I certainly don't think this is the only way to feed your babies, but I believe it's the best and we have the results to back it up.

I am a breast-feeding mom and I have seen (with my sister and several friends) how wonderfully this book works!! It really helped me get my daughter eating, sleeping, napping and playing happily!!

The Let the Children Come Series will bring peace and harmony to your entire family. Marriages will be stronger. Siblings will be happier and baby will feel secure in his surroundings.

I can not belive the critism of this book. Ezzo constantly urges mom to check milk supply and devotes a section on monitering weight gain and physical development. He even states that you are flexable instead of clock-deppendent.

This book has changed my life. I am rested and can really enjoy the time I have with my children. My children also know how to focus and play on their own, so I do get housework done. People who see me out always comment on how well behaved my kids are. I do not contribute this to luck. With prayer and guidance from this book, my husband and I feel we can take credit for our happy children and marriage.

The principle present in these are amazing and truly just common sense parent. Our baby started sleeping through the night at 7 weeks and is so well-behaved. People stop and ask me what I do differently I tell them about the Ezzo's books. Some people have taken what they say to extremes and give their philosophy a "bad" name. What I have found is that the bottom line is in this book/tapes is to be a proactive parent and not reactive. Every person that I have told about the books has thanked me immensely and said that it has saved their lives. I highly recommend this life/sanity saving book for new parents.

FEELINGS are more important than PERFORMANCE
WHAT?
In Sports, competition is natural. Competition makes you stronger.

- If you aren't good enought to be on an All-Star team, practice more, try harder, learn to learn and improve yourself.

Have fun. Try hard. Do your best.

In my opinion more books like these are needed, because kids need to be encouraged rater than discouraged. I agree with the reviewer below. Also recommended: "Everything You Never Wanted To Know About Your Nonprofit Corporation" by Ms. Cellaneous, The Unknown Attorney--Another book dealing with kids sports clubs but from a legal perspective.

Sports is an important topic in many families and schools in the USA and abroad. Engh takes a courageous position and that is to say, we, as parents and amateur coaches have twisted the idea of organized sports competition and made it into a grueling exercise for its innocent victims: our children. Engh rightly points out that parents and ignorant coaches who use their amateur leadership position to wrongly influence our children as to what fair sportsmanship is all about. Engh points out that "winning" has unfortunately become the Holy Grail of youth competition. I'd rather prefer what I heard one Chinese table tennis champion say a few years back, "Winning is temporary, friendship is permanent." You only have to attend a local sports event or pick up a newspaper to hear about the tragic ways children are exposed to bickering parents, foul-mouthed opponents, loud mouth fans, unrewarded referees. Engh places himself in a vulnerable position to put the spotlighht on the very people he is asking to support his organization nationwide: the coaches, schools, youth organizations and parents. In youth sports, the child is supposed to come first, like it was in sandlot baseball and other sports in the past. But now "the organization" comes first, and corporate sponsors. children in youth sports have become a commodity. I wouldn't be surpised if some youth organizations try to ban his book because it exposes some of the politics, in-fighting and complete insensitivity that exists in youth sports today. There are many good, sensitive parents and single persons who are engaged in helping youth sports. I hope everyone of them buys a couple dozen of Engh's book and distributes them to their local libraries. Good luck, Mr. Engh ! We hope your book enlightenens the next person who comes along planning to use an amateur coach position or parent-fan to fullfill his or her unrealized dreams of athletic greatness. H T White

Every adult who has anything to do with coaching sports should be made to read this book. Every parent who puts their child into sports should be made to read this book. It is that important a book and the issue of violence in children's sporting events is growing even in light of recent violent episodes that have left a man dead. Far too many adults are pushing their children to succeed so much that the word "fun" has no connection whatsoever to do with playing sports.

Sports is an important topic in many families and schools in the USA and abroad. Engh takes a courageous position and that is to say, we, as parents and amateur coaches have twisted the idea of organized sports competition and made it into a grueling exercise for its innocent victims: our children. Engh rightly points out that parents and ignorant coaches who use their amateur leadership position to wrongly influence our children as to what fair sportsmanship is all about. Engh points out that "winning" has unfortunately become the Holy Grail of youth competition. I'd rather prefer what I heard one Chinese table tennis champion say a few years back, "Winning is temporary, friendship is permanent." You only have to attend a local sports event or pick up a newspaper to hear about the tragic ways children are exposed to bickering parents, foul-mouthed opponents, loud mouth fans, unrewarded referees. Engh places himself in a vulnerable position to put the spotlighht on the very people he is asking to support his organization nationwide: the coaches, schools, youth organizations and parents. In youth sports, the child is supposed to come first, like it was in sandlot baseball and other sports in the past. But now "the organization" comes first, and corporate sponsors. children in youth sports have become a commodity. I wouldn't be surpised if some youth organizations try to ban his book because it exposes some of the politics, in-fighting and complete insensitivity that exists in youth sports today. There are many good, sensitive parents and single persons who are engaged in helping youth sports. I hope everyone of them buys a couple dozen of Engh's book and distributes them to their local libraries. Good luck, Mr. Engh ! We hope your book enlightenens the next person who comes along planning to use an amateur coach position or parent-fan to fullfill his or her unrealized dreams of athletic greatness. H T White

As a patient of Dr Rosenberg, and a PPD survivor, this book is essential in explaining that PPD sufferers are not crazy, should not feel ashamed or embarrassed, and find hope and solace that it can be treated. Dr. Rosenberg's is an OB/GYN, Psychiatrist, and Pharmacologist in MI. His book explains (and I strongly concur) that there is help out there for PPD, and to not accept anything less than sincere concern from a doctor who specializes in PPD. A "regular psychiatrist" may not be educated enough about the hormone/chemical imbalances of PPD to properly treat this side of it. Also, locate a support group, or refer to postpartum.net (PSI) to find one in your area. There are many, many people who want to, and can help you!! This marvelous book confirms all of this, and should be required reading.

Dr. Rosenberg's book helped me realize that I was not alone in my feelings of despair. I went to doctor after doctor, and told them the same things I told Dr. Rosenberg, but it appeared and was true that Dr. Rosenber was the only one who really understood.

I'm positive his multiple backgrounds help him to understand women and what they go through. This book is a 10+

I am a personal patient of Dr. Rosenberg and also know Dr. Greening quite well, and they are both excellent! I had a serious bout of post-partum depression after my second child and Dr. Rosenberg's approach saved me from doing a lot of harm to both myself and my family. (My obstetrician was of no value in this regard)

It is such a shame that such a common affliction is rarely talked about and even more rarely treated. Severe postpartum depression is one of those things that not every one experiences, but if it happens to you, you would sure want to be informed.

Dr. Rosenberg includes not only talk-therapy ideas, but drug therapy as well. Any kind of depression is a mood disorder and is heavily influences by hormones. And just as you would treat other medical afflictions, this one should be treated also.

Many women accept several discomforts as part of the "experience of being pregnant" (i.e. heartburn, morning-sickness, etc.). But there is no reason one should have to endure the pain of post-partum depression.

Please, for your own health, take a look at this book and keep yourself informed on the topic if you plan to get pregnant, because most obstetricians are not trained properly in this area.

Speaking as a two-time sufferer of post-partum depression and as a professional counselor, I found "Conquering Postpartum Depression" an invaluable resource for any woman coping with the terrifying effects of PPD. It is also an essential read for their families and the health-care professionals who are treating them.

Typically, giving birth and becoming a mother is supposed to elicit feelings of joy, yet PPD evokes a sense of hopelessness, helplessness, and fear. Coupled with debilitating depression, anxiety and occasionally, suicidal thoughts, it is critical that a woman receive immediate medical attention by a psychiatrist specializing in PPD. PPD is often misunderstood and misdiagnosed and many women suffer years before finding appropriate treatment. This book provides the essentials of how to empower oneself with knowledge and receive the proper care and follow-through.

This book is written in a clear, concise and user-friendly manner. It addresses risk factors, assessment and treatment of PPD, along with the physical, psychiatric and psychosocial aspects of the illness. Effective approaches to treatment address the importance of working collaboratively with a psychiatrist and psychologist specializing in PPD, developing and maintaining a support system, and addressing parenting skills. The tone of the book is supportive and reassuring and emphasizes that with proper treatment, the prognosis for recovery is excellent. I wish I had this book 8 years ago after the birth of my twins.

This book should become a regular addition to every therapist's shelf of prescriptive reading, right along side "Getting the Love You Want" by Harville Hendrix, and "The Dance of Anger" by Harriet Lerner. Parents-to-be could even place it alongside the classic baby preparation manual "What to Expect When You're Expecting."

A fairly quick, easy read, this book truly captures the essence of the issues associated with postpartum depression, and presents the clinical side of the picture in very clear, accessible language. At the same time, anecdotes are used to paint very personal pictures of the entire gamut of emotional experiences often associated with childbirth. These examples help women answer the question, "Is this normal?", and determine when they may need additional assistance in coping with their emotional upheaval, dispelling many of the myths associated with child birth and the post-natal period along the way. The program outlined to manage the clinical condition known as "postpartum depression" is comprehensive and well-balanced, offering sufferers a proven recovery system. My one complaint is that all too often, this kind of comprehensive assessment and treatment is not routinely offered, and the reader should be warned that they may well have to educate themselves and, especially, to demand that they be taken seriously and that all aspects of the condition be addressed as thoroughly as Dr. Rosenberg and his co-authors suggest. The greatest strength of this book lies in its warm, reassuring tone, which normalizes the postpartum emotional experience for most women, and gently encourages others to recognize when they truly need assistance and to seek help when necessary.

Definitely a strong addition for the self-help literature on a widely (and sadly!) misunderstood topic.

While reading this book many thoughts went through my mind. But the one thought that would not leave me is that I wish this book had been around when I was raising my children. Now that I have finished reading it both my daughter and my daughter-in-law will be receiving a copy from me. I am a grandmother who has been there and done that (or at least most of it) and found this book to be helpful in explaining why I may have done some of the things that I did or felt when my children were still at home. Ms.Kendall-Tackett has covered every aspect of motherhood in her book. Reading this book was easy and very informative. I love that she has also included many resources and web sites for the reader . As a woman, wife, mother and grandmother, I highly recommend this wonderful book.

The role of the mother in modern day time is honored throughout this book and it is written in a positive tone with the utmost respect for women and mothers. The author acknowledges both stay at home mothers and employed mothers without entering the "Mommy Wars" or even getting into a discussion of what she thinks is best (because she recognizes that what is best for each person is different and unique to that individual). The role of mother is have is not always an easy one. The difficulties, pressures, and stressors of the modern mother are outlined including some historical information about the role of the mother and technological changes regarding housework over the last couple of hundred years. The author contends that each of us is in control of our lives and how we choose to react to these stressors is up to us. By becoming aware of the various things that can make our lives miserable, we can pick and choose which things we want to do or not do or how we react to things, so that life is manageable for us and we can lead happy lives. The author explains that if stress builds up burnout and depression can occur.

This book is not negative in tone. It provides good information to orient the mother as to why there is good reason for feeling overwhelmed with all that she has to do. I have not read any book on this subject that has this focus, this unique attitude of holding motherhood as an important role and providing ideas for how mother can remain sane and happy in her role. This is not like some books that basically have the tone that as a stay at home mother we should feel privileged and not have anything to complain about. The author also does not blame the mother for lifestyle choices she makes and then saying it is her fault. This book applies to all mothers, not just mothers of babies. The author is not judgmental about parenting choices and as an example, portrays breastfeeding in a positive light and mentions cosleeping as fine if that is what works best for your family.

Here is a listing of what is covered in the order of the chapters: stress, what it is; depression, recognizing it, how to get treatment, treatment options; burnout, what it is, recognizing it, how to avoid it. History of the housewife in America, how we arrived where we're at, are our jobs easier now that we have modern appliances? Working outside the home, why mothers might want to combine work and motherhood, making it manageable, making the decision to work. How to lightening housework to a manageable level, sharing duties with spouse and children, organizing the household so it runs smoothly. Sleep deprivation, what it is and how it affects our bodies and mental state. Adult survivors of childhood abuse: physical, verbal, sexual and how it affects the parent, including how it may affect breastfeeding and general mothering issues. The added stress of living with a "spirited" child (such as ADD/ADHD), the special stress of living with a child with medical problems. Dealing with miscarriage, stillbirth, or death of infant, the effects these have on the mother (even if society doesn't fully recognize this type of mourning or stress). The Epilogue gives hope for the future and tips for making things best for you as an individual.

Each chapter has an extensive listing of books and some websites on the various subjects covered in that chapter. The book appears well researched with a long reference research list. Overall it is very easy to read and interesting. It has helped me not feel as guilty for feeling overwhelmed at times. I think every mother would gain something from reading this. It is nice to see that someone realizes how hard the job of mothering is and understands that the role can cause stress, burnout and even depression in even the most capable and intelligent woman.

As a new mother, this book helped me understand some of the issues I grapple with. The section on identifying burn-out was especially valuable. The book wasn't quite as prescriptive as I would have liked -- not as many suggestions on how to prevent or heal the issues raised. But I still found it a very worthwhile read.

Dr. Kendall-Tackett's book provides an excellent articulation of the
various difficulties faced by mothers. The book succinctly explains
current academic knowledge and makes it relevant to the lived
experiences of mothers in today's families. Written in a truly caring
tone, the book does an outstanding job of placing the reader at ease
about challenges they may face as mothers and offers a wide array of
highly effective solutions. Written primarily for mothers, this book
also provides men with useful insights into the difficulties faced by
their mothers, wives, sisters and friends, and so can help them to both
sympathize and effect changes to help the mothers in their lives.