Customer Reviews

Baby Steps: Exercises for Baby's First Year of Life

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When one of my twin sons was diagnosed with brain damage and probable cerebral palsy shortly after birth, I knew that we would do everything possible to help him overcome his physical problems. We started weekly physical therapy sessions and early intervention programs, which are important, but the greatest focus was on daily work and interaction at home. That's where Fox's "Baby Steps" proved a valuable resource. The activities outlined in the book provide simple ways to help your baby learn important developmental skills. The format is clear and to the point, including black and white photos. The chapters follow a logical progression as your baby builds on previously learned skills. There are also suggestions for age-appropriate toys that will complement the exercises.

Our whole family uses many of the games and exercises from this book with both our handicapped son and his typically-developing identical twin. It's fun to have a repetoire of activities that goes beyond "this little piggy" and even my pre-schooler enjoys "making the babies do their workout". My husband has proved to be the best at putting our little guys through their paces. The exercises provide him with a natural way to bond with the babies, even in the earliest months.

I'm a stay-at-home dad who craves any and all information that can assure me that I'm "doing it right." This book is a wonderful resouce for expaining what skills are needed for my son to accomplish the major goals of his young life (rolling over, sitting up, crawling, driving the jeep . . .) One example of how the book has helped us concerns "tummy time". Like most parents in this day and age, my wife and I have been drilled constantly on not letting our son sleep on his stomach. As essential as this advice is, the necessity of making up the time on his stomach so that he can work his back muscles while awake has been a great help. Knowing that taking the extra time to work on these skills will only help him sit up sooner. On the technical side the book's pictures probably need to be re-shot to make them look a little more professional. The text and organization though are right on target

I just bought this to use with my almost 7mo who just started crawling. Rather than exercises, it seems to be better described as tips to help your baby hold his/her head up, roll over, crawl, stand, and walk. My child can crawl, but doesn't meet the skill requirements for standing. Yet, the book gives no suggestions to help with those requirements. It just describes some things that may make learning to stand with stability easier. I didn't find the "exercises" all that helpful at all, and will be reselling my copy.

I was less than impressed by this volume. Its indexing is poor--I wanted to find the exercise for babies with tummyaches for a mom in my classroom, and I had to sit and flip through the book till I found it. What a waste of time! I'm sure the book is a great resource for physical therapists and under-threes special ed teachers working with infants with physical delays, but the exercises are not organized in an accessible manner.