Rating: 
Summary: great information, but little practical advice
Review: I have used this and Burton White's other book (The First Three Years) since my daughter was six months old. Now she's 16 mos, and i feel ready to evaluate the books. I've found his information on how children develop to be extremely interesting (and this information overlaps the two books). He has enabled me to understand what i can expect my daughter to understand and do at different points in her development. I especially appreciate his point that many parents expect too much too early and that the best thing in the early stages is to just let your kid wander and explore in a varied environment that is safe and sound for her.
When it comes to "raising a happy, unspoiled child" (and let's be up front about what this is-- disciplining your kid) i have to agree with several other reviewers who complain that White doesnt deliver enough practical advice on how to actually go about it. Our "spirited" 16 mo old is now throwing tantrums, and while it's clear that sometimes they happen because she's not getting her way, most times (and sometimes more than once a day) she blows a gasket for no clear reason. There's nothing in the book to help with that. Also, he gives zero advice on how to deal with misbehaving in public.
I also concur with the reviewer who found White's examples for disciplining (which is where his concrete advice really lies) to be too few, and often too simplistic. For instance, White suggests that if you have a 16 month old who throws food on the floor (a *very* common problem), you turn your back on her and announce that you'll stay this way until she stops. But, there's a limit to how long one can do this and so, what do you do if she keeps throwing? Do you end the meal and let her go hungry?
I really like White's general approach and do believe that kids can and should be disciplined in an effective and loving manner. It really is too bad that he doesn't provide enough concrete advice. Still, I would recommend his books to anyone with a baby because they provide fascinating and useful insight in to how small children develop. I give this book 3 1/2 stars.
Rating: 
Summary: I am so glad I found this book!!!!
Review: I think any parent will benefit from the advice in this book. Dr. White's early childhood development techniques are practical and proven effective. If his claims are correct and the young children on his program are still, years later, better adjusted than their counterparts who weren't, this book should be mandatory reading for parents.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent Advice, Make Time to Read It!
Review: I think any parent will benefit from the advice in this book. Dr. White's early childhood development techniques are practical and proven effective. If his claims are correct and the young children on his program are still, years later, better adjusted than their counterparts who weren't, this book should be mandatory reading for parents.
Rating:
Summary: This is NOT the typical how to diaper your baby book.
Review: I truly feel this book was more valuable than anything I've read to date on how to raise my now 14-month old daughter. All parents should read this and very early on in their baby's life, if not during pregnancy. It's incredibly insightful. I was amazed at how well my experience with my daughter corresponded with the stages of development described. The first time she had a temper tantrum at 12 months I was shocked and had no instinct at all as to how to respond to her. This book really opened my eyes to what's going on and how to avoid letting that behavior turn into a bratty 3-year old screaming at me in the grocery store (isn't that what we all want?!). Worth every cent -- I wouldn't hesitate another moment deciding whether it's worth the purchase!
Rating:
Summary: This is NOT the typical how to diaper your baby book.
Review: I truly feel this book was more valuable than anything I've read to date on how to raise my now 14-month old daughter. All parents should read this and very early on in their baby's life, if not during pregnancy. It's incredibly insightful. I was amazed at how well my experience with my daughter corresponded with the stages of development described. The first time she had a temper tantrum at 12 months I was shocked and had no instinct at all as to how to respond to her. This book really opened my eyes to what's going on and how to avoid letting that behavior turn into a bratty 3-year old screaming at me in the grocery store (isn't that what we all want?!). Worth every cent -- I wouldn't hesitate another moment deciding whether it's worth the purchase!
Rating: 
Summary: Helping me to have a delightful unspoiled child
Review: I was given this book by a friend who told me she wished she had found when her then 4 year old was a baby. I gave this book 4 stars because as other reviewers have pointed out, the writing is a bit dry and after a few attempts I stopped even looking at the few graphs, but overall I have found this book enormously helpful. The advice given is very practical and the book has helped me to recognize my daughter's "new" (sometimes confusing) behaviors as normal stages in her development and also to form strategies to help her through the potential pit falls and to deal with the inevitable rough spots. I re-read the section dealing with her current age from time to time just to remind myself of what I should be looking for / doing. My daughter is 15 months old now and when we were visiting family this summer I got nothing but compliments on her. Thank you Burton White.
Rating:
Summary: Thank you, Burton White!
Review: My husband and I were both hesitant to start a family, as we've found so many of our experiences with small children to be so very unpleasant. We had also heard quite a few experienced parents express the belief that a parent really has a pretty limited ability to shape their child's behavior (you know, the just-you-wait-and-see comments). Well, we're still waiting. We've got an absolutely delightful, polite, even-tempered two year-old. Luck, maybe? We don't think so; like White, we've noticed a pretty clear-cut correlation between parental behavior and toddler behavior. Do we feel we've failed if our toddler occasionally acts out? No, we just work at parenting a little harder. This book may not have in-depth or novel solutions to all parenting problems, but it offers solid approaches to shaping behavior. It helped us to feel more confident as first-time parents and it eased the oftentimes emotionally painful task of doling out disclipine to a small child.
Rating:
Summary: Not for everyone.
Review: This book is wordy and dry. He makes the same point over and over and yet offers no practical solution or techinques a parent would be reading this book for in the first place.
Rating: 
Summary: Boring
Review: This book is wordy and dry. He makes the same point over and over and yet offers no practical solution or techinques a parent would be reading this book for in the first place.
Rating:
Summary: A must for first time mothers
Review: This is a must for first time mothers. It puts into perspective many aspects of child-rearing that isn't covered in other books; and uses research to explain child behaviour in a way that helps you to explain to your own mother or mother-in-law why you are bringing your child up to be "happy and unspoiled" . This is the book that I've been going by to raise my baby son and so far he's been a pleasant little guy to play and be with. I highly recommend this book to any one who is going to be a first time mother or wonder where they went wrong first time!
|
