MAMA READS
THE LIST
DEBUNKING THE BUMP
ABOUT: When Daphne Adler, a mother and mathematician, was pregnant a colleague scolded her for sprinkling Parmesan cheese on her pasta. After dutifully dumping her dinner in the trash, she decided to investigate to find out whether the admonishment and similar warnings were based on fact.
What she discovered surprised her—and will surprise you, too. After three years of research where she pored over thousands of studies, Adler has reframed the parameters of what should and shouldn't be allowable during pregnancy. Her refreshing and reassuring book finally provides us with a way to separate myth from reality.
Fact or fallacy? Debunking the Bump sets the record straight with eye-opening revelations such as:
• 44% of obstetricians never mention the most important avoidable cause of birth defects.
• Less than half of all pregnant women are counseled about the most dangerous activity they could undertake while pregnant.
• In the long list of forbidden foods, one category is 10,000 times more risky than others...but its danger is not emphasized.
• Many pregnant women cut down their consumption of the single substance that's the most beneficial to their developing baby.
MAMA REVIEW: I am a natural childbirth educator and this was a fascinating read. it is well organized, not gender specific and full of analysis that sheds light on so many of the topics that new parents to be worry over. Every thing from sushi to pesticides, driving to sleeping on your left side. It is all covered. While it is a heavy read for the parent look for bare bones information or who has committed to doing things the way the doc tells them, this book a wealth of knowledge for the parent looking to make sure that they know their facts so that they can make informed decisions about their upcoming birth day
IT STARTS WITH AN EGG
ABOUT: Whether you are trying to conceive naturally or through IVF, the quality of your eggs will have a powerful impact on how long it takes you to get pregnant and whether you face an increased risk of miscarriage. Poor egg quality is emerging as the single most important cause of age-related infertility, recurrent miscarriage, and failed IVF cycles. It is also a major contributor to infertility in PCOS.
Based on a comprehensive investigation of a vast array of scientific research, It Starts with the Egg reveals a groundbreaking new approach for improving egg quality and fertility. With a concrete strategy that includes minimizing exposure to toxins such as BPA and phthalates, choosing the right vitamins and supplements to safeguard developing eggs, and harnessing nutritional advice shown to boost IVF success rates, this book offers practical solutions that will help you get pregnant faster and deliver a healthy baby.
"This timely synthesis of scientific literature is essential reading for both women and men wanting practical, evidence-based recommendations to enhance their fertility." - Dr. Loretta McKinnon, Epidemiologist, Princess Alexandra Hospital.
"A thoroughly-researched and eye-opening account of how small, simple lifestyle changes can have powerful, positive effects on your health and fertility. A must-read for women wanting the best chance of conceiving a healthy baby." - Beth Greer, bestselling author of Super Natural Home.
MAMA REVIEW: I found this book so helpful. You hear about things like BPAs and other chemicals being bad for you, but I was never sure exactly what I should be avoiding and to be honest it all just seemed too difficult. This is the first book I've read that really puts it all together, explains what you should avoid and what the risks are, and also what positive things you can do, what nutrients are important, etc. I also had no idea how much much of an impact you could make to your fertility by making a few simple changes.
This book has a lot of in-depth discussion of scientific material that I found really interesting but if you're not curious about that level of detail its easy to skim through to get to the practical advice - the end of the book includes an action plan, which distills everything into a handy list. And nice to know that the practical advice is based on scientific studies, unlike other fertility books I've read.
Highly recommended!
EXPECTING BETTER
ABOUT: What to Expect When You're Expecting meets Freakonomics: an award-winning economist disproves standard recommendations about pregnancy to empower women while they're expecting.
Pregnancy—unquestionably one of the most profound, meaningful experiences of adulthood—can reduce otherwise intelligent women to, well, babies. We’re told to avoid cold cuts, sushi, alcohol, and coffee, but aren’t told why these are forbidden. Rules for prenatal testing are hard and fast—and unexplained. Are these recommendations even correct? Are all of them right for every mom-to-be? In Expecting Better, award-winning economist Emily Oster proves that pregnancy rules are often misguided and sometimes flat-out wrong.
A mom-to-be herself, Oster debunks the myths of pregnancy using her particular mode of critical thinking: economics, the study of how we get what we want. Oster knows that the value of anything—a home, an amniocentesis—is in the eyes of the informed beholder, and like any complicated endeavor, pregnancy is not a one-size-fits-all affair. And yet medicine often treats it as such. Are doctors working from bad data? Are well-meaning friends and family perpetuating false myths and raising unfounded concerns? Oster’s answer is yes, and often.
Pregnant women face an endless stream of decisions, from the casual (Can I eat this?) to the frightening (Is it worth risking a miscarriage to test for genetic defects?). Expecting Better presents the hard facts and real-world advice you’ll never get at the doctor’s office or in the existing literature. Oster’s revelatory work identifies everything from the real effects of caffeine and tobacco to the surprising dangers of gardening.
Any expectant mother knows that the health of her baby is paramount, but she will be less anxious and better able to enjoy a healthy pregnancy if she is informed . . . and can have the occasional glass of wine.
MAMA REVIEW: Loved it! If you are the type of person that likes data and statistics, and wants to know WHY all these conflicting "rules" about pregnancy exist, this book is for you. I wish I had read it at the beginning of my pregnancy rather than in month 9 -- but it wasn't out yet!
Oster's big idea is that women should be trusted with specific, accurate data so they can make their own decisions based on the risks vs. rewards.
NURTURE
ABOUT: Nurture is the only all-in-one pregnancy and birthing book for modern mothers-to-be and their partners who want a more integrative approach. Author Erica Chidi Cohen has assisted countless births and helped hundreds of families ease into their new roles through her work as a doula. This beautiful, comprehensive and judgement-free pregnancy companion covers everything from the beginning months of pregnancy to the baby's first weeks. Including supportive self-care and mindfulness exercises, trimester-specific holistic remedies, nourishing foods and recipes for every month of pregnancy along with more than 40 charming and helpful illustrations, and expert tips for every birth environment, it's got everything modern mother would want to know: fetal development, making choices for a hospital, home or birth center birth, the basics of breastfeeding, tips on what to expect postpartum and more.
MAMA REVIEW: “Erica is one of the warmest, kindest women I know, so it’s no surprise that Nurturereveals how to take gentle care of yourself during pregnancy, childbirth, and motherhood (as you gradually develop what she calls your “mother muscle”). Nurturesupports all different approaches—home births, epidurals, breastfeeding, bottle feeding—so you can choose your own path with Erica's reassuring advice. It’s like having an expert doula and friend at your fingertips. I’d recommend this book for the nightstand of every expectant mother.” —Joanna Goddard, founder of the women’s lifestyle website Cup of Jo
THE WOMANLY ART OF BREASTFEEDING
ABOUT: It’s no secret that breastfeeding is the normal, healthy way to nourish and nurture your baby. Dedicated to supporting nursing and expectant mothers, the internationally respected La Leche League has set the standard for educating and empowering mothers in this natural art for generations.
Now their classic bestselling guide has been retooled, refocused, and updated for today’s mothers and lifestyles. Working mothers, stay-at-home moms, single moms, and mothers of multiples will all benefit from the book’s range of nursing advice, stories, and information—from preparing for breastfeeding during pregnancy to feeding cues, from nursing positions to expressing and storing breast milk. With all-new photos and illustrations, this ultimate support bible offers
• real-mom wisdom on breastfeeding comfortably—from avoiding sore nipples to simply enjoying the amazing bonding experience
• new insights into old approaches toward latching and attaching, ages and stages, and answers to the most-asked questions
• strategies for moms who choose to breastfeed for a short time or who plan to nurse for a year or more
• reassuring information on nursing after a C-section or delivery complications
• recent scientific data that highlight the many lifelong health benefits of breastfeeding
• helpful tips for building your support network—at home or when back at work
• nursing special-needs infants, premies, multiples, and how to thrive no matter what curveball life throws
• guidance on breast health issues, weight gain, day care, colic, postpartum depression, food allergies, and medications
Plus—Internet references for further information, including La Leche League support sites and groups.
Mothers bringing babies into a new world want sustainable, healthy, positive ways to help their children blossom and thrive. There is no better beginning for your baby than the womanly art of breastfeeding.
MAMA REVIEW: I wish I'd read this book before my first child was born! I think it had great advice and was really in depth and thorough. I read a few other breastfeeding books before #1 was born but breastfeeding did not go smoothly and my references books were not very help - didn't address my problem at all. I honestly though the name of the book was weird so I picked something more bland and clinical. I saw 3 lactation consultants and was really frustrated and disappointment with my experience.
BECOMING BABY WISE: Giving Your Infant the Gift of Nighttime Sleep
ABOUT: The infant management concepts presented in this book have found favor with over two million parents and twice as many contented babies. On Becoming Babywise brings hope to the tired and bewildered parents looking for an alternative to sleepless nights and fussy babies. The Babywise Parent Directed Feeding concept has enough structure to bring security and order to your baby's world, yet enough flexibility to give mom freedom to respond to any need at any time. It teaches parents how to lovingly guide their baby's day rather than be guided or enslaved to the infant's unknown needs.
The information contained within On Becoming Babywise is loaded with success. Comprehensive breast-feeding follow-up surveys spanning three countries, of mothers using the PDF method verify that as a result of the PDF concepts, 88% breast-feed, compared to the national average of only 54% (from the National Center for Health Statistics). Of these breast-feeding mothers, 80% of them breast-feed exclusively without a formula complement. And while 70% of our mothers are still breast-feeding after six months, the national average encourage to follow demand feeding without any guidelines is only 20%. The mean average time of breast-feeding for PDF moms is 33 1/2 weeks, well above the national average. Over 50% of PDF mothers extend their breast-feeding toward and well into the first year.
Added to these statistics is another critical factor. The average breast-fed PDF baby sleeps continuously through night seven to eight hours between weeks seven and nine. Healthy sleep in infants is analogous to healthy growth and development. Find out for yourself why a world of parents and pediatricians utilize the concepts found in On Becoming Babywise
MAMA REVIEW: I know some people don't like the author or his ideas, but I found them lifesaving with our first baby. I saw how effective these methods were for my best friend, so I was very interested in reading this book for myself.
We started Babywise with Lily when she was two weeks old--basically, we started giving her life a consistent pattern of feeding, having waketime, then napping. The big difference between this and the way that most babies naturally operate is that babies like to fall asleep eating. The problem is that they often don't take a full feeding and end up snacking all day. So, you feed your baby when she's hungry (generally every 2.5-3 hours at first, though you adjust to your baby), keep her awake through the whole feeding (it gets easier after the first couple of weeks), play with her and have good "wake time," and then put her down for a nap. This regulates the baby's rhythms and worked really well with our first baby.
BABY LED WEANING by GILL RAPLEY
ABOUT: Contrary to popular belief, there is no research that supports the current mainstream view that babies should be weaned by being spoon-fed purées. Self-feeding allows babies to use their natural abilities to explore taste, texture, colour and smell. It encourages independence and confidence by allowing them to experiment with foods at their own pace and helps to develop hand-eye coordination and chewing.
Baby-led Weaning is a practical and authoritative guide to introducing solid food, enabling your child to grow up a happy and confident eater. It shows parents why baby-led weaning makes sense and gives them the confidence to trust their baby's natural skills and instincts.
With practical tips for getting started and the low-down on what to expect, Baby-led Weaning explodes the myth that babies need to be spoon-fed and shows why self-feeding from the start is the healthiest way for your child to develop. Your baby is allowed to decide how much he wants to eat, how to eat it and to experiment with everything at his own pace.
Baby-led weaning is a common-sense, safe, easy and enjoyable approach to feeding your baby. No more purées and weaning spoons, and no more mealtime battles. Simply let your baby feed himself healthy family food.
MAMA REVIEW: ”I loved this book so much I read through the entire thing in a day. We had already decided to do BLW before we bought this book, so we required very little convincing. Still, this book presented some of the research done on BLW and contained TONS of personal anecdotes by BLW parents, all of which really solidified our resolve to take this approach with our son”
CHERISH THE FIRST 6 WEEKS BY HELEN MOON
ABOUT: From baby nurse to the stars, Helen Moon, a step-by-step plan to managing sleep and feeding issues to survive--and enjoy--the first six weeks of your newborn baby's life.
Have you ever wondered why celebrities look so rested in such a short time after giving birth? The answer: baby specialists like Helen Moon. A baby specialist and professional nanny for the past 25 years, Helen has worked closely with hundreds of families, including some of Hollywood's biggest stars.
Helen knows that the first six weeks of a baby's life--when parents tend to be nervous, siblings are needy, and new babies need immediate and constant attention--has a huge impact on the entire family. Getting a baby on a sleeping and eating schedule is an achievable dream, and it's not a mystery. Helen's step-by-step plan shows new parents exactly how to integrate their baby into the family so that she will be able to sleep when she's tired, eat when she's hungry, and calm herself when she's fussy--self-regulating skills that will enable her to thrive for the rest of her life.
Assured that their babies are secure and happy, parents can confidently enjoy this most precious time of their baby's life, trusting their own instincts, and--most importantly--sleeping through the night themselves!
MAMA REVIEW: This book is a step-by-step guide to creating a daily routine with your newborn, including diapering, feeding, sleeping and soothing. In practical terms, the eventual goal of this routine is to help your baby sleep through the night (and nap well during the day) but it's more about creating security and structure for all members of the family. The philosophy is that parents act as guides, and baby looks to the parents to help her regulate and develop predictable routines that give her enough comfort and safety to be able to sleep on her own.
MOTHERLESS MOTHERS
ABOUT: When Hope Edelman finished writing Motherless Daughters, she thought she had said all she could about the long-term effects of early mother loss. Published in 1994, the book touched a nerve in women across the country and went on to become an enduring New York Times bestseller. Edelman, who was seventeen when her own mother died, told the collective story of mother loss with such candor, empathy, and informed wisdom that she quickly became a widely recognized expert on the topic.
But when she became a parent, she found herself revisiting her loss in ways she had never anticipated. Now the mother of two young girls, Edelman set out to learn how the loss of a mother to death or abandonment can affect the ways women raise their own children. From her exhaustive investigation, including a survey of more than one thousand women, comes Motherless Mothers, the enlightening and inspiring next step in the motherless journey.
Using her own story as a prism, Edelman reveals the unique anxieties and desires these mothers experience as they raise their children without the help of a living maternal guide. She examines their parenting choices, their unexpected triumphs, and their fears, from the initial decision to have a child, through pregnancy, the delivery room, and the child-rearing years. Identifying "Eight Themes of Motherless Mothers" that cut across all racial, ethnic, and socio-economic lines, Edelman illuminates how the experience of loss directly impacts the ways in which these women parent their own children.
Enriched by the voices of the mothers themselves, as well as filled with practical insight and advice from experienced professionals, this impeccably researched and luminously written book offers motherless mothers the guidance and support they want and need.
MAMA REVIEW: An incredible book. Gives some great insight into the mixed emotions that come of losing one's mother and becoming a mother. This isn't a topic people really want to hear you bring up and it's rare to find someone with whom to talk it over, so having this book was incredibly comforting at some very low points. I wish I could thank Hope Edelman in person for thinking of it and writing it.
WONDER WEEKS
ABOUT: The Wonder Weeks. How to stimulate your baby's mental development and help him turn his 10 predictable, great, fussy phases into magical leaps forward describes in easy-to-understand terms the incredible developmental changes that all babies go through during the first 20 months of their lives. This is the extended, "fat" edition with 2 more chapters covering 2 more leaps in the mental development of your baby up to the end of the sensorimotor period.
The book is based on the discovery of a little known phenomenon: all normal, healthy babies appear to be more tearful, troublesome, demanding and clingy at very nearly the same ages.
These age-related fluctuations in need for body contact and attention are related to major and quite dramatic changes in the brains of the children. These changes enable a baby to enter a whole new perceptual world and, as a consequence, to learn many new skills. This should be a reason for celebration, but as far as the baby is concerned these changes are bewildering. He's taken aback -- everything has changed overnight. It is as if he has woken up on a strange planet.
The book includes:
- Week-by-week guide to baby's behavior
- An explanation of the markers for cranky, clingy, crying (the three C's) behavior and how to deal with them
- A description from your baby's perspective of the world around him and how you can understand the changes he's going through
- Fun games and gentle activities you can do with your child
The book offers parents:
- Support in times of trouble
- Self-confidence
- Help in understanding their baby
- Hints on how to help their baby play and learn
- A unique account of their baby's development
For more detailed information about contents and the research behind the book, please visit www.thewonderweeks.com
MAMA REVIEW: I'm grateful for this book--if nothing else, it assured me that those random flows of fussiness aren't because I'm a bad parent or because my baby is actually the mayor of Crazytown. She is being fussy because she's actually doing something amazing. She learns more in a day than I do in a year, I swear.
BRINGING UP BEBE
ABOUT: The runaway New York Times bestseller that shows American parents the secrets behind France's amazingly well-behaved children
When American journalist Pamela Druckerman had a baby in Paris, she didn't aspire to become a "French parent." But she noticed that French children slept through the night by two or three months old. They ate braised leeks. They played by themselves while their parents sipped coffee. And yet French kids were still boisterous, curious, and creative. Why? How? With a notebook stashed in her diaper bag, Druckerman set out to investigate—and wound up sparking a national debate on parenting. Researched over three years and written in her warm, funny voice, Bringing Up Bébé is deeply wise, charmingly told, and destined to become a classic resource for American parents.
MAMA REVIEW: Also known as "French children don't throw food". One of the best parenting books I've ever read, and entertaining as well! I actually took notes and have been trying some things out. I love the author's attitude and I can see a lot of logic in many of the French ideas. But regardless, I really enjoyed reading the story of this family!
THE HAPPIEST BABY ON THE BLOCK
ABOUT: In perhaps the most important parenting book of the decade, Dr. Harvey Karp reveals an extraordinary treasure sought by parents for centuries --an automatic “off-switch” for their baby’s crying.
No wonder pediatricians across the country are praising him and thousands of Los Angeles parents, from working moms to superstars like Madonna and Pierce Brosnan, have turned to him to learn the secrets for making babies happy.
Never again will parents have to stand by helpless and frazzled while their poor baby cries and cries. Dr. Karp has found there isa remedy for colic. “I share with parents techniques known only to the most gifted baby soothers throughout history …and I explain exactly how they work.”
In an innovative and thought-provoking reevaluation of early infancy, Dr. Karp blends modern science and ancient wisdom to prove that newborns are not fully ready for the world when they are born. Through his research and experience, he has developed four basic principles that are crucial for understanding babies as well as improving their sleep and soothing their senses. ·The Missing Fourth Trimester: as odd as it may sound, one of the main reasons babies cry is because they are born three months too soon.
·The Calming Reflex: the automatic reset switch to stop crying of any baby in the first few months of life.
·The 5 “S’s”: the simple steps (swaddling, side/stomach position, shushing, swinging and sucking) that trigger the calming reflex. For centuries, parents have tried these methods only to fail because, as with a knee reflex, the calming reflex only works when it is triggered in precisely the right way. Unlike other books that merely list these techniques Dr. Karp teaches parents exactly how to do them, to guide cranky infants to calm and easy babies to serenity in minutes…and help them sleep longer too.
·The Cuddle Cure: the perfect mix the 5 “S’s” that can soothe even the most colicky of infants.
In the book, Dr. Karp also explains:
What is colic?
Why do most babies get much more upset in the evening?
How can a parent calm a baby--in mere minutes?
Can babies be spoiled?
When should a parent of a crying baby call the doctor?
How can a parent get their baby to sleep a few hours longer?
Even the most loving moms and dads sometimes feel pushed to the breaking point by their infant’s persistent cries. Coming to the rescue, however, Dr. Karp places in the hands of parents, grandparents, and all childcare givers the tools they need to be able to calm their babies almost as easily as…turning off a light.
MAMA REVIEW: This book is an absolute parenting essential. In the future, I will purchase this book, along with a swaddler, for every friend/relative who has a new baby. It's the closest thing to magic I have encountered during my brief time as a parent!
We used the techniques in this book almost every day for the first 4 months of our child's life. We still swaddle our son now and he's almost six months old.
I wold strongly recommend reading it before you give birth - we actually used the entire technique our first night home from the hospital.
The book really, truly works. I know a DVD is available too, but I would say read the book as well because it really gets into the science of sleep and infant development.
THE NEW CONTENDED BABY BOOK BY GINA FORD
MOMS ON CALL
ABOUT: Advice from two pediatric nurse moms with over 20 years of experience and eight children between them (including two sets of twins). Who says that babies don't come with instructions? They do now!
Everything that modern parents need to know about caring for babies in the first six months, including:
• Step by step guidelines for getting babies on a routine
• Hour by hour schedules at a glance
• Feeding instructions for breast, bottle or both!
• What symptoms warrant a trip to the emergency room
• How to get your baby to sleep all night so you can too!
Plus, much more!
Advice from two pediatric nurse moms with eight children between them has moms all over the globe hailing this as, "The absolute best baby book ever.
MAMA REVIEW: This book had my twins sleeping through the night at 2 months old! But it also gave me something even more valuable, which was confidence as a new mother. It has everything you need...no other books are necessary. And my pediatrician agreed with everything it advised. Just make sure you get it through their website and not Amazon for the best price.
DR. SEARS LIBRARY-
THE BABY BOOK
ABOUT: The "baby bible" of the post-Dr. Spock generation, already embraced by hundreds of thousands of American parents, has now been revised, expanded, and brought thoroughly up-to-date -- with the latest information on everything from diapering to day care, from midwifery to hospital birthing rooms, from postpartum nutrition to infant development. Dr. Bill and Martha Sears draw from their vast experience both as medical professionals and as the parents of eight children to provide comprehensive information on virtually every aspect of infant care. Working for the first time with their sons Dr. Bob and Dr. Jim, both pediatric specialists in their own right, the Searses have produced a completely updated guide that is unrivaled in its scope and authority. The Baby Book focuses on the essential needs of babies -- cating, sleeping, development, health, and comfort -- as it addresses the questions of greatest concern to today's parents. The Baby Book presents a practical, contemporary approach to parenting that reflects the way we live today. The Searses acknowledge that there is no one way to parent a baby, and they offer the basic guidance and inspiration you need to develop the parenting style that best suits you and your child. The Baby Book is a rich and invaluable resource that will help you get the most out of parenting -- for your child, for yourself, and for your entire family.
MAMA REVIEW: I'm finding that my favorite baby books were ones recommended to me by family and friends, and "The Baby Book" by William Sears, M.D. and Martha Sears, R.N., was recommended to me by one of my oldest friends. As with any parenting book, I would recommend taking from it the parts that you find most useful, acknowledging that there might be sections where you disagree.
Dr. Sears and his wife, Martha, are proponents of attachment parenting, a term which is often misunderstood. But even if you're not the sort of person who walks around 24/7 with a baby carrier strapped to you, there is plenty of good, practical advice within these pages.
What I liked most about this book is the relaxed tone. As both a parent of multiple children and a practicing pediatrician, Dr. Sears knows that it's easy to get worked up about possible problems or issues. The book's reassuring tone presents the latest medical information, combined with practical advice, and I can't count the number of times we raced to this book during a perceived emergency and received comfort from the information we learned.
Above all, the book is valuable because of its multiple charts and tables about such topics as sicknesses, immunizations, feeding solid foods, development, and more. The book is packed with useful information, as well as playful activities to encourage development and other useful tips.
I would highly recommend it to any first-time parent or guardian of a baby from birth to age 2.
THE DISCIPLINE BOOK
ABOUT: Everything you need to know about discipline to raise a happy, well-adjusted, well-behaved child-from America's foremost baby and childcare experts Disciplining children means equipping them with the tools to succeed in life. In this unique guide, Dr. Bill and Martha Sears, the pediatrics specialists whose books on birth, babies, and parenting have become widely praised bestsellers, explain what you can do to shape your child's behavior so that good conduct comes naturally. With a focus not just on managing behavior problems but also on preventing them, the Searses offer clear, practical advice on a broad range of disciplinary issues, including: * mother's role vs. father's role * developing the connection with your baby that will make discipline easier in years to come * saying no * taming temper tantrums * self-esteem as the foundation of good behavior * helping a child to express feelings * the constructive use of anger * good nutrition for good behavior * sleep and nighttime discipline * sibling rivalry * spanking and alternatives to spanking * how to eliminate bothersome behaviors such as whining and talking back * how to respond when your child lies, cheats, or steals * discipline after divorce and in the single-parent household Drawing on nearly thirty years of the Searses' experience as childcare professionals and as the parents of eight children, The Discipline Book will make you confident in your ability to correct undesirable behavior, to promote good behavior, and to instill the values that will help your child become morally literate.
MAMA REVIEW: This book was a game changer for me. I was already familiar with Dr. Sears' philosophies from reading "The Baby Book", and have tried my best to use "attachment parenting" principles because they make sense to me.
This book made a lot of sense to me too; I found myself agreeing with pretty much every idea presented. They are not all always easy to DO, but they all make sense.
The main idea that struck me was this: Discipline isn't about using any certain discipline, but rather about creating the right kind of relationship with your child. That relationship comes from attachment parenting, he says, simply because that is what establishes a connection and mutual sensitivity between parent and child.
Sears also addresses almost every conceivable bad behavior or annoyance and gives suggestions on how to address them (without spanking). I will be keeping this as a reference book for many years to come.
THE baby SLEEP BOOK
ABOUT: Everything you need to know about getting your baby or toddler to sleep -- from America's foremost baby and childcare experts.
Babies don't automatically know how to sleep through the night; they need to be taught. The Sears family has learned from decades of pediatric practice, bolstered by their own parenting experiences, that different babies have different nighttime temperaments -- and, of course, different families have different lifestyles. Instead of espousing the kind of "one method fits all" approach advocated in other baby sleep guides, the Sears family explains how you can create a sleep plan that suits the needs of your entire family.
With a sharp focus on the practical tools and techniques, The Baby Sleep Book covers such topics as:
the facts of infant sleep vs. adult sleep
figuring out where, when, and how your child sleeps best
fail-safe methods for soothing a crying infant
how to make night nursing easier, and how to stop
nighttime fathering tips
whether co-sleeping makes sense for you
nap-time strategies that work
medical and physical causes of night waking
sleep habits in special situations such as traveling, teething, and illness.
MAMA REVIEW: I'm a big fan of Dr. Sears. I think his thoughts on parenting are reasonable, compassionate, and gentle. Several times when I've been frustrated with DD's sleep problems, I read what Dr. Sears has written and it helps me to try and view things from my daughter's point of view. He reaffirms my own "gut" feelings about how to parent my child. I like that he doesn't advocate "crying it out", even dedicating a whole chapter on how it can be detrimental to your child. However, he does make the point of differentiating between "crying it out" and "crying it out alone". His tone is gentle and affirming. He always offers that every family is different and has to do what is best for them. I was a little frustrated at first that he doesn't offer any hard and fast solutions to nightwaking problems, but then I realized that there aren't any hard and fast solutions! I have to be patient.
12 HOURS BY 12 WEEKS
ABOUT: There is no bigger issue for healthy infants than sleeping through the night. In this simple, straightforward book, Suzy Giordano presents her amazingly effective "Limited- Crying Solution" that will get any baby to sleep for twelve hours at night—and three hours in the day—by the age of twelve weeks old.
Giordano is the mother of five children and one of the most sought-after baby sleep specialists in the country. The Washington Post calls her a baby sleep "guru" and "an underground legend in the Washington area for her ability to teach newborns how to achieve that parenting nirvana: sleeping through the night." Her sleep plan has been tested with singletons, twins, triplets, babies with special needs, and colicky babies—and it has never failed.
Whether you are pregnant, first-time parents, or parents who seek a different path with your second or third child, anyone can benefit from the Baby Coach’s popular system of regular feeding times, twelve hours of sleep at night and three hours of sleep during the day, and the peace of mind that comes with taking the parent and child out of a sleep- deprived world.
MAMA REVIEW: EASILY THE BEST ADVICE TO GET YOUR BABY TO SLEEP!!!!! I HIGHLY RECOMMEND THIS BOOK!!! Our first baby is 4 weeks old, and just barely hit 9 lbs (the minimum to start training). We did as the book instructed and were easily able to spread his day feedings to 4 hours apart (4 times/day). We kept him awake between the third and last feeding and that first night he slept for 7 hours (8pm-3am) then fed, and then slept till 8am!!! (The previous night he fed 3 times.) And he is still eating a TON of breastmilk and gaining weight. He also takes two naps a day and is the happiest baby ever and so playful during the day! Even when following this system he still gets about 15 hours of sleep per day (the recommended amount for his age).
This system works and is very easy to follow. It also doesn't involve doing anything that seems cruel or makes you feel bad for your baby. Most babies take longer to get to the point we are at, but using this system I believe all babies can get to 12 hours sleep at night.
EVERY NEW PARENT SHOULD GET THIS BOOK! I like that it is concise, easy to read and gets straight to the point. Other books have similar information, but take 2-3 times as many pages to give you the same information.
THE FERBER METHOD
ABOUT: In a nutshell, Ferber says you can teach your baby to soothe himself to sleep when he's physically and emotionally ready, usually between 3 and 5 months of age.
He recommends following a warm, loving bedtime routine and then putting your baby in bed awake and leaving him (even if he cries) for gradually longer periods of time. Putting a child to bed awake, says Ferber, is crucial to teaching him successfully to go to sleep on his own.
Parents are instructed to pat and comfort their baby after each predetermined period of time but not to pick up or feed their baby. This routine is called "progressive waiting."
The suggested waiting time, which Ferber charts in his book, is based on how comfortable you are with the technique, how many days you've been using it, and how many times you've already checked on your child that night.
The theory goes that after a few days to a week of gradually increasing the waiting time, most babies learn to fall asleep on their own, having realized that crying earns nothing more than a brief check from you.
MAMA REVIEW: If you choose to ferberize, it will take several nights of LO (little one) crying it out. You're already doing 2-3 hours nightly, you'll probably do the same the first few nights you try this. But after the fifth or sixth night when you place LO (little one) in bed, he will know to go to sleep. But I only have experience doing it with an older child. My cousin did it when her LO (little one) was about 6-7 mos, successfully. But once you start the "process", you shouldn't stop. First night 5 minutes, second night 10 minutes, etc until you have success.
123 MAGIC
ABOUT: Addressing the task of disciplining children ages 2 through 12 without arguing, yelling, or spanking, this program offers easy-to- follow steps to immediately manage troublesome behaviour with reason, patience, and compassion.
MAMA REVIEW: This book on the other hand is Excellent. Its a short book that really gives you a framework to:
1) Stop your kids obnoxious behavior,
2) Get your kids to Start doing stuff (chores, getting ready for bed, etc.) and
3) Helping you set aside time to build healthy friendships with your kids.
BABY 411
ABOUT: Dr. Spock meets Judge Judy--finally a parenting book that separates fact from fiction. What if you could bottle the wisdom of all those parents who've come before you...and combine them with the sold medical advice from an award-winning pediatrician? Baby 411 is the answer.
MAMA REVIEW: This is a great, information-packed book on baby's first year. It covers pretty much every topic you could hope for (feeding, sleeping, development, etc). It's very thorough. My only issue was getting paranoid after reading the second half of the book, since it's all about viruses, illnesses, and other freaky things that could go wrong. It's good to know, but not fun to think about.
DISEASE PROOF YOUR BABY BY DR. FUHRMAN
ABOUT: In his private practice, Joel Fuhrman, M.D. helps families transform their eating habits and recover their health. His nutrient-rich eating plan can have a significant impact on your child's resistance to dangerous infections, and a dramatic effect on reducing the occurrence of illnesses like asthma, ear infections, and allergies. Dr. Fuhrman explains how you can make sure your children are eating right to maintain a healthy mind and body, and how eating certain foods and avoiding others can positively impact your child's IQ and success in school.
He also presents the fascinating science that demonstrates that the current epidemic of adult cancers and other diseases is closely linked to what we eat in the first quarter of life. Eating well in our early years may enable us to win the war on cancer. Bolstered by this scientific evidence, he helps you do everything you can to protect your child against developing diabetes, cardiovascular disease, autoimmune diseases, and cancer through a solid nutritional groundwork.
Featuring easy-to-prepare, kid-friendly recipes that will satisfy even the pickiest eaters, Disease-Proof Your Child will help your whole family will learn to establish life-long healthful eating habits.
MAMA REVIEW: “…a timely response to America's health care crisis. The time to effectively institute healthy nutrition is during childhood. Dr. Fuhrman provides solutions for children, parents, and physicians.” ―Caldwell B. Esselstyn, Jr., M.D., Preventive Cardiology – Cleveland Clinic Foundation
“Dr. Fuhrman's latest book couldn't have come at a better time given the epidemic of obesity, cancer, diabetes and heart disease which is reaching earlier and earlier into the lives of our children. It is destined to take its place among the most important child-rearing books ever written…” ―Mark A. Huberman, President, National Health Association
“The reduction in disease and suffering from this book could exceed any ‘medical' advance one can conceive of.” ―John Kelly, MD, MPH, President, American College of Lifestyle Medicine, professor, Department of Nutrition, School of Public Health, Loma Linda University
TODDLER 411
ABOUT: With over 100,000 copies in print, Baby 411 is the country's fast-growing parenting series with legions of fans nationwide. Now, here comes the sequel: Toddler 411! From picky eaters to temper tantrums, Toddler 411 provides practical answers and advice from an award-winning pediatrician and mom who've been there, done that!
MAMA REVIEW: Toddler 411 (much as its predecessor, Baby 411) is a great book to have on hand when you have a question about your child that you don't feel warrants a doctor call, and yet you feel you need a little bit more than your own common sense. It's straight-laced answers are very calming in the wake of some of toddlerhood's scariest scenarios for a parent (illness, etc.). The Q&A form in which it's written makes things easy to find. Once you've read it through once, you can easily revert back to pertinent topics at a moment's notice. Or you can simply use it as a reference in general without ever needing to read it cover-to-cover. A+
HOW TODDLERS THRIVE
ABOUT: What makes a child succeed…or wander into an unfulfilled adulthood? New research indicates that the seeds for adult success are often planted in the toddler years, ages 2-5. Dr. Tovah Klein runs the Barnard College Center for Toddler Development, the laboratory at the forefront of understanding toddler behavior and development.
MAMA REVIEW: One of the best toddler-parenting books I've read, it focuses on: 1) the need to provide structure, 2) the need to let toddlers do things for themselves (parents not always fixing the problem), and 3) the importance of seeing a situation from a child's point of view. The book also discusses parents' natural inclinations to shame, and the harm it causes. Because the book is written by a daycare/pre-school director, the author is used to two working parents, which was a refreshing departure from many parenting books in providing tools that work in that environment
THE HAPPIEST TODDLER ON THE BLOCK
ABOUT: Toddlers can drive you bonkers...so adorable and fun one minute...so stubborn and demanding the next! Yet, as unbelievable as it sounds, there is a way to turn the daily stream of "nos" and "don'ts" into "yeses" and hugs...if you know how to speak your toddler's language. In one of the most useful advances in parenting techniques of the past twenty-five years, Dr. Karp reveals that toddlers, with their immature brains and stormy outbursts, should be thought of not as pint-size people but as pintsize...cavemen.
Having noticed that the usual techniques often failed to calm crying toddlers, Dr. Karp discovered that the key to effective communication was to speak to them in their own primitive language. When he did, suddenly he was able to soothe their outbursts almost every time! This amazing success led him to the realization that children between the ages of one and four go through four stages of "evolutionary" growth, each linked to the development of the brain, and each echoing a step in prehistoric humankind's journey to civilization:
- The "Charming Chimp-Child" (12 to 18 months): Wobbles around on two legs, grabs everything in reach, plays a nonstop game of "monkey see monkey do."
- The "Knee-High Neanderthal" (18 to 24 months): Strong-willed, fun-loving, messy, with a vocabulary of about thirty words, the favorites being "no" and "mine."
- The "Clever Caveman" (24 to 36 months):
Just beginning to learn how to share, make friends, take turns, and use the potty.
- The "Versatile Villager" (36 to 48 months): Loves to tell stories, sing songs and dance, while trying hard to behave.
To speak to these children, Dr. Karp has developed two extraordinarily effective techniques:
1) The "fast food" rule--restating what your child has said to make sure you got it right;
2) The four-step rule--using gesture, repetition, simplicity, and tone to help your
irate Stone-Ager be happy again.
Once you've mastered "toddler-ese," you will be ready to apply behavioral techniques specific to each stage of your child's development, such as teaching patience and calm, doing time-outs (and time-ins), praise through "gossiping," and many other strategies. Then all the major challenges of the toddler years--including separation anxiety, sibling rivalry, toilet training, night fears, sleep problems, picky eating, biting and hitting, medicine taking "-- "can be handled in a way that will make your toddler feel understood. The result: fewer tantrums, less yelling, and, best of all, more happy, loving time for you and your child. "From the Hardcover edition."
MAMA REVIEW: I have to disagree with most of the reviews of this book. I read this book during a period of severe tantrums from my one year old, and a lot of the strategies suggested in this book really seemed to help. Simply coming to the realization that my toddler was more like a little caveman rather than a little person helped dramatically. Before reading the book, I constantly was asking myself an anyone else near, "why is she acting like this?!?!" Reading this book have me some much needed insight. Also, some things I was doing wrong seemed so silly after reading the explanations. For example, a lot of parents make the mistake of always trying to distract their child when they're upset. This is similar to reacting to friend who is telling you about a bad day like "hey, look at my shoes", not helpful. I got a lot out of this book, and my daughter's tantrums have decreased and are much more manageable now
NO BAD KIDS
ABOUT: Janet Lansbury is unique among parenting experts. As a RIE teacher and student of pioneering child specialist Magda Gerber, her advice is not based solely on formal studies and the research of others, but also on her twenty years of hands-on experience guiding hundreds of parents and their toddlers. “No Bad Kids” is a collection of Janet's most popular and widely read articles pertaining to common toddler behaviors and how respectful parenting practices can be applied to benefit both parents and children. It covers such common topics as punishment, cooperation, boundaries, testing, tantrums, hitting, and more. “No Bad Kids” provides a practical, indispensable tool for parents who are anticipating or experiencing those critical years when toddlers are developmentally obliged to test the limits of our patience and love. Armed with knowledge and a clearer sense of the world through our children’s eyes, this period of uncertainty can afford a myriad of opportunities to forge unbreakable bonds of trust and respect.
MAMA REVIEW: This book came out at just the right time for my family. My son had just turned 20 months and was starting to hit my husband and me, his classmates, and other family members. He had thrown a couple of tantrums by this point, too; and he was becoming a bit defiant. I've followed Janet Lansbury's blog over the past couple of years, and even though I knew this would basically be a collection of posts I'd read before, I knew I needed to read it all again now that these topics were timely for me.
It has been such a benefit to my family and to our relationship with our son to know how to interact with him in a gentle and respectful way. I want to encourage his confidence and independence while instilling in him a healthy respect for boundaries and consequences, so Lansbury and RIE are just right for my family. We've had very few moments in which I did not feel in control and capable, and it's because the guidelines Lansbury sets up for readers are simple and effective.
I recommend this for all parents, regardless of age. I've even applied these concepts to my high school students and have been amazed at their effectiveness!
NO DRAMA DISCIPLINE
ABOUT: NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER - The pioneering experts behind The Whole-Brain Child and The Yes Brain tackle the ultimate parenting challenge: discipline.
Highlighting the fascinating link between a child's neurological development and the way a parent reacts to misbehavior, No-Drama Discipline provides an effective, compassionate road map for dealing with tantrums, tensions, and tears--without causing a scene.
Defining the true meaning of the "d" word (to instruct, not to shout or reprimand), the authors explain how to reach your child, redirect emotions, and turn a meltdown into an opportunity for growth. By doing so, the cycle of negative behavior (and punishment) is essentially brought to a halt, as problem solving becomes a win/win situation. Inside this sanity-saving guide you'll discover
- strategies that help parents identify their own discipline philosophy--and master the best methods to communicate the lessons they are trying to impart
- facts on child brain development--and what kind of discipline is most appropriate and constructive at all ages and stages
- the way to calmly and lovingly connect with a child--no matter how extreme the behavior--while still setting clear and consistent limits
- tips for navigating your child through a tantrum to achieve insight, empathy, and repair
- twenty discipline mistakes even the best parents make--and how to stay focused on the principles of whole-brain parenting and discipline techniques
Complete with candid stories and playful illustrations that bring the authors' suggestions to life, No-Drama Discipline shows you how to work with your child's developing mind, peacefully resolve conflicts, and inspire happiness and strengthen resilience in everyone in the family.
MAMA REVIEW: This book suggests that disciplinary moments are opportunities for parents to develop the executive function of their children’s brains. It presents a “connect, then redirect” model whereby parents first focus on connecting emotionally with their children to deescalate heightened situations and then work with them to redirect behaviour to a more positive outcome. It’s definitely too early for me to use this information now, but I’ll be revisiting this book in the future for sure!!
THE WHOLE BRAIN CHILD
ABOUT: Your toddler throws a tantrum in the middle of a store. Your preschooler refuses to get dressed. Your fifth-grader sulks on the bench instead of playing on the field. Do children conspire to make their parents’ lives endlessly challenging? No—it’s just their developing brain calling the shots!
In this pioneering, practical book, Daniel J. Siegel, neuropsychiatrist and author of the bestselling Mindsight, and parenting expert Tina Payne Bryson demystify the meltdowns and aggravation, explaining the new science of how a child’s brain is wired and how it matures. The “upstairs brain,” which makes decisions and balances emotions, is under construction until the mid-twenties. And especially in young children, the right brain and its emotions tend to rule over the logic of the left brain. No wonder kids can seem—and feel—so out of control. By applying these discoveries to everyday parenting, you can turn any outburst, argument, or fear into a chance to integrate your child’s brain and foster vital growth. Raise calmer, happier children using twelve key strategies, including
• Name It to Tame It: Corral raging right-brain behavior through left-brain storytelling, appealing to the left brain’s affinity for words and reasoning to calm emotional storms and bodily tension.
• Engage, Don’t Enrage: Keep your child thinking and listening, instead of purely reacting.
• Move It or Lose It: Use physical activities to shift your child’s emotional state.
• Let the Clouds of Emotion Roll By: Guide your children when they are stuck on a negative emotion, and help them understand that feelings come and go.
• SIFT: Help children pay attention to the Sensations, Images, Feelings, and Thoughts within them so that they can make better decisions and be more flexible.
• Connect Through Conflict: Use discord to encourage empathy and greater social success.
Complete with clear explanations, age-appropriate strategies for dealing with day-to-day struggles, and illustrations that will help you explain these concepts to your child, The Whole-Brain Child shows you how to cultivate healthy emotional and intellectual development so that your children can lead balanced, meaningful, and connected lives.
MAMA REVIEW: I am pleased to add this to my very, very small pile of approved discipline books.
1) It fits in very nicely with our family's go-to discipline philosophy, Positive Discipline (as taught by Jane Nelson)
2) It doesn't recommend punitive measures like time outs or spanking
3) it's relatively fast and easy to read with some quick reference tips when you need them most
4) it's fairly easy to implement...once you've made the paradigm shift, that is.
5) it honors and respects children and reminds parents that many of the "behavioral problems" we see are, in fact, totally normal developmental phases that children simply need additional support and nuturing to manage through.
6) it's not just a discipline book....but also a wonderful and eye-opening look at how children develop and what parents can do to ensure their children continue to thrive and grow
POSITIVE PARENTING BY REBECCA AENES
ABOUT: Popular parenting blogger Rebecca Eanes believes that parenting advice should be about more than just getting kids to behave. Struggling to maintain a meaningful connection with her two little ones and frustrated by the lack of emotionally aware books for parents, she began to share her own insights with readers online. Her following has grown into a thriving community--hundreds of thousands strong.
In this eagerly anticipated guide, Eanes shares her hard-won wisdom for overcoming limiting thought patterns and recognizing emotional triggers, as well as advice for connecting with kids at each stage, from infancy to adolescence. This heartfelt, insightful advice comes not from an "expert," but from a learning, evolving parent. Filled with practical, solution-oriented advice, this is an empowering guide for any parent who longs to end the yelling, power struggles, and downward spiral of acting out, punishment, resentment, and shame--and instead foster an emotional connection that helps kids learn self-discipline, feel confident, and create lasting, loving bonds.
MAMA REVIEW: This is a really great book for new moms. The way author has explained each everything is remarkable. In this book you will read about how to discipline your child and also how to maintain your marriage after having a baby.
I will highly recommend this book for all the moms out there.
PERMISSION TO PARENT BY ROBIN BERMAN
ABOUT: Over the past few decades, the power structure intrinsic to the family unit has flip-flopped. Children have become the center of the universe, ruling the roost with some serious ramifications for their wellbeing. By trying to constantly please their children and make them happy, parents are actually making their children anxious. In attempting to veer from the strictness of their own upbringing, many parents have gone too far the other way, showering praise onto their children in the hope of increasing self-esteem, forgetting that self-control is a key to instilling self-confidence.
Dr. Robin Berman’s extensive clinical experience has helped parents and children navigate the emotional and psychological minefields of family dynamics. In this essential parenting guide, she strikes the perfect balance of advice, anecdote, and research, explaining why parents need to be in charge and providing the tools they can use to give their children what they really need: limits, time, and more love.
Ten Tips from Permission to Parent
Parenting is not a democracy. Rules make kids feel safe.
Don’t be emotionally bullied by your child. Emotionally wimpy parenting leads to emotionally fragile kids.
A child who has too much power often becomes anxious.
Catering to your child’s every whim can lead to a child who is self-centered and lacks empathy.
Look long-term at a child who hasn’t faced consequences for behavior and, therefore, never learned accountability: Would you want to date this person as an adult?
If you say, “If you do that one more time,” mean it. Consistent follow-through is essential for a child’s emotional safety and your sanity.
Keep your eye on the long-term goal of raising a lovely child. Remember your mantra: Hate me now, thank me later.
Talk less, give fewer choices, keep it simple. Less is clearly more.
No is a complete sentence. No does not begin a negotiation.
Reverse negotiate. The more they argue, the less they get. It works like a charm.
MAMA REVIEW: My favorite parenting book (along side Ignore It! By Catherine Pearlman). It gives a great overview of peaceful parenting techniques I have read in other books, but it also gives clear examples on how to set proper boundaries and discipline techniques. If you are more on the permissive side of the parenting spectrum and you need reminders on why and how to implement strong leadership in your home this is a good book for you. It also goes over many topics such as technology, overbuying for our kids, and helicopter parenting. I would recommend this to any parent!
THE HAPPIEST PROJECT
ABOUT: Award-winning author Gretchen Rubin is back with a bang, with The Happiness Project. The author of the bestselling 40 Ways to Look at Winston Churchill has produced a work that is “a cross between the Dalai Lama’s The Art of Happiness and Elizabeth Gilbert’s Eat, Pray, Love.” (Sonya Lyubomirsky, author of The How of Happiness: A Scientific Approach to Getting the Life You Want) In the vein of Julie and Julia, The Happiness Project describes one person’s year-long attempt to discover what leads to true contentment. Drawing at once on cutting-edge science, classical philosophy, and real-world applicability, Rubin has written an engaging, eminently relatable chronicle of transformation.
MAMA REVIEW: “An enlightening, laugh-aloud read. . . . Filled with open, honest glimpses into [Rubin’s] real life, woven together with constant doses of humor.” (Terry Hong, Christian Science Monitor)
“For those who generally loathe the self-help genre, Rubin’s book is a breath of peppermint-scented air. Well-researched and sharply written. . . . Rubin takes an orderly, methodical approach to forging her own path to a happier state of mind.” (Kim Crow, Cleveland Plain Dealer)
“Practical and never preachy . . . the rare self-help tome that doesn’t feel shameful to read.” (Daily Beast)
“Packed with fascinating facts about the science of happiness and rich examples of how she improves her life through changes small and big The Happiness Project made me happier by just reading it.” (Amy Scribner, Bookpage)
SIMPLICITY PARENTING
ABOUT: Today’s busier, faster, supersized society is waging an undeclared war . . . on childhood. As the pace of life accelerates to hyperspeed–with too much stuff, too many choices, and too little time–children feel the pressure. They can become anxious, have trouble with friends and school, or even be diagnosed with behavioral problems. Now, in defense of the extraordinary power of less, internationally renowned family consultant Kim John Payne helps parents reclaim for their children the space and freedom that all kids need, allowing their children’s attention to focus and their individuality to flourish.
Based on Payne’s twenty year’s experience successfully counseling busy families, Simplicity Parenting teaches parents how to worry and hover less–and how to enjoy more. For those who want to slow their children’s lives down but don’t know where to start, Payne offers both inspiration and a blueprint for change.
• Streamline your home environment. The average child has more than 150 toys. Here are tips for reducing the amount of toys, books, and clutter–as well as the lights, sounds, and general sensory overload that crowd the space young imaginations need in order to grow.
• Establish rhythms and rituals. Predictability (routines) and transparency (knowing the day’s plan) are soothing pressure valves for children. Here are ways to ease daily tensions, create battle-free mealtimes and bedtimes, and tell if your child is overwhelmed.
• Schedule a break in the schedule. Too many activities may limit children’s ability to motivate and direct themselves. Learn how to establish intervals of calm in your child’s daily torrent of constant doing–and familiarize yourself with the pros and cons of organized sports and other “enrichment” activities.
• Scale back on media and parental involvement. Back out of hyperparenting by managing your children’s “screen time” to limit the endless and sometimes scary deluge of information and stimulation.
Parental hovering is really about anxiety; by doing less and trusting more, parents can create a sanctuary that nurtures children’s identity, well-being, and resiliency as they grow–slowly–into themselves. A manifesto for protecting the grace of childhood, Simplicity Parenting is an eloquent guide to bringing new rhythms to bear on the lifelong art of parenting.
MAMA REVIEW: Best parenting book I've read. And really more than a parenting book, this a book about how to live life well in modern times. The author is a family counselor and over his career of helping many families, has developed a particular theory and philosophy about what is challenging so many families. To simplify (which is the theme of the book), we've become too busy, and that busyness is particularly bad for children.