Customer Reviews

The Birth to Five Book: Confident Childrearing Right from the Start

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As an educator and a parent, I was impressed with "The Birth to Five Book" by Brenda Nixon, who has an extensive background in childhood education.

The book covers the challenges of parenting newborns, toddlers and preschoolers, and has a wealth of information that would be beneficial to parents with children in these age-groups.

Here are a few of the nuggets of parenting wisdom found in this book:
For Infants:

~Learning to be confident as the parent of a newborn. This section helps new parents know what to expect.

~Nursing. This chapter points out the pros and cons of breast-feeding, and also lets the parents know that the decision is a personal one.

~The love of reading. Children who are read to from a young age learn to enjoy reading.

~Finding adequate child care. This chapter lists all the things parents should consider before selecting child care for their infant.

~Separation anxiety. Every parent struggles with leaving a screaming child. This chapter offers helpful insight into separation anxiety and how a parent should handle it.

For Toddlers:

~Understanding toddlers. Toddlers can be difficult to understand. This section lists the traits of toddlers, so parents know what to expect.

~Temper tantrums. If you've ever been around a toddler, you know how quickly temper tantrums can develop. This book will give you practical solutions for dealing with them.

~Weaning from the bottle. The process of weaning a child can prove to be a challenge. Understanding your toddler's need for security will make the process easier.

~Discipline. As an educator, I see the extreme value of disciplining children correctly. The word discipline actually means to teach, but many people view discipline as punishment. The author gives excellent advice on how to teach your toddler acceptable behavior.

~Paternal bonding. This chapter deals with the importance of fathers taking an active role in the parenting process.

For Pre-Schoolers

~The importance of play. Play is not all about recreation. In fact, for pre-schoolers it is a way of learning about real life. Through this book you will learn ways to promote healthy play time.

~Choosing the right preschool. This can be a life-altering decision for parents and children. The author gives tips on choosing the right preschool in this section.

~Learning responsibility. Children need to learn responsibility from a very young age. To not follow through on this is to raise a child who is completely dependent on you as the parent.

~Preparing your child for school. How do you know when your child is ready for school? The author gives a list of criteria to help you in your decision. In another chapter, Brenda Nixon gives suggestions on helping your child love school.

I would highly recommend "The Birth to Five Book" by Brenda Nixon for parents or soon-to-be parents. This book would also make a great gift.

Looking for practical answers on how to raise your child? Author Brenda Nixon gives honest and straightforward answers on what to expect during the first five years of your child's life. Brenda Nixon truly makes this a hands on parenting book by including a "My Success Strategy" section at the end of each chapter.

One of the biggest problems new parents face is not having a plan. A new mom will be exhausted from lack of sleep in the infant stage, frustrated with the "terrible twos" and perplexed by their preschooler. Without a plan, you are sure to react and may find yourself giving in to inappropriate behavior for some peace and quiet. Brenda gives new moms the information needed to formulate a plan that works for your family. When you know what to expect, have thought about solutions and made a decision on how to resolve it BEFORE it happens... that makes a confident parent.

The book is divided up into sections ranging from infant, to toddler, then preschooler and ends with a section on parenting anytime. These sections are broken down into small chapters, which make it a great resource book for quick answers. I would recommend reading through the entire book and writing your success strategies along the way. Then I would place this book on a shelf, for easy access. I believe this is a book that you will consistently refer to from the beginning through kindergarten. In addition, you will find yourself referring back to this book for encouragement and confidence as you children grow up.

I love the way Brenda opens up to the readers, admitting mistakes and feelings she had as a new parent. She mentioned when she was a new mother, people did not talk about some of the emotions most mothers have but few share. When reading through this book you pick up on her passion to encourage moms. She understands the high expectations we place on ourselves to be the perfect parent. She also understands the disappointment we feel when we don't meet these expectations. She reminds us that all kids misbehave and there are no perfect parents. Thank you, Brenda!

Author Brenda Nixon offers practical advice to help readers be confident and successful parents, with guidelines to help our babies and toddlers to become self-confident and independent as they grow up.

The author includes separate chapters on common situations all parents face, like "Cabin Fever Relievers", "Thumb Sucking Sally", and ""Bedtime Resistance Remedy." I counted about 50 chapters, each one loaded with good ideas, and even some funny quotes.

Her chapter "Talk Less, Act More" sums up effective parenting, for me. Instead of repeating an order countless times while your child ignores you, tell the child once and then take an appropriate action. Do not say "get dressed for school" 100 times. The author shares a funny story about her daughter and the school bus, on that topic.

Brenda also includes her recipe for blueberry milkshake that sounds like a yummy, and definitely healthy, breakfast or snack.

She suggests that if your child could answer the question of what she needs in a successful parent, the child might answer "I feel secure when adults run the household. Be the parents." This thread of being a wise parent is woven all through this must have book.

The Birth to Five Book: Confident Childrearing Right from the Start
by Brenda Nixon Reviewed by Jane Balvanz, MSE, RPT
Imagine having the right baby gift for expectant parents every time. Imagine giving a gift so utterly useful, the newborn benefits immediately and forever. Imagine new parents having a such a life-changing, powerful experience from your gift, they share their knowledge with other parents. Imagine giving new parents or yourself The Birth to Five Book by Brenda Nixon.
Reading this book is somewhat like being guided through the first years of parenthood by a wise aunt or knowledgeable big sister. It feels as if Brenda is right there with you holding your hand and saying, "Now, now, dear. This is normal. You're doing fine." If The Birth to Five Book had been written when my own children were born, I would have felt much less parenting anxiety. That, in itself, is worth the price of gold! (See page 66 - Ten Tips for Stress-less Parenting)
The book is divided into four chapters: Parenting Your Infant, Parenting Your Toddler, Parenting Your Preschooler, and Parenting Anytime. Each section addresses basic issues parents have about childrearing in early childhood. Brenda's answers are written straightforwardly in a conversational tone, so parents can get right to the nitty-gritty. After all, who has time to peruse medical books or thesauruses when your children are ages five and younger?
What is impressive about The Birth to Five Book is its range of childhood and parenting topics. One can read about the basics such as mother's milk, starting solid foods, biting, toilet training, and bad dreams. Brenda goes much farther than this, though. She intermingles milestone markers, early education, and character education. One can learn about growing a reader, traits of toddlers, raising responsible kids, and kindergarten readiness.
Research informs us early childhood is vitally important to a child's self-esteem, sense of well-being, and learning. The Birth to Five Book addresses the topics essential to giving a child good foundational footing. The bonus? All of this information comes in a book you can easily hold in one hand while holding a baby on your shoulder with a toddler seated in your lap!

The Birth to Five Book is a must have for all parents. Overall I really enjoyed reading this book. I have young children so I can relate to the book and the information in it perfectly. Many times I found myself nodding my head in agreement. The book was informative and interesting. The information listed in each chapter is there to encourage, help and support parents. Brenda does a wonderful job incorporating the parent into the parenting process instead of making them an outsider of it. She guides parents through each step of a child's early development, helping them to be the best parent and child they can be. Every parent has questions and it is nice to know there is a book out there that has the answers.

Brenda Nixon's new book "The Birth to Five Book: Confident Childrearing Right from the Start" makes it clear to parents that it's the methods that matter. If you want childrearing techniques that help to create a successful child and a happy parent than this is the book for you. Brenda doesn't cram her pages with complicated methods that are too difficult for today's busy parents; instead the methods are clear cut and make sense from the start. She touches on not only the major issues concerning parents like development and spanking to how to choose a preschool and building social skills during the toddler years. Also, Brenda includes quick concise appendices that highlight on milestones of child development and age appropriate gifts for development and safety.
As a soon-to-be new dad I found this book entertaining because Brenda has no fear in showing her own mistakes and successes in raising her two daughters. She puts you at ease and reassures you that you won't be perfect from the start, just keep trying and see what works best with your child. Childrearing should not be a daily challenge, but Nixon notes it is a journey where all parents learn to grow and become better parents.
For more information and tips you can check out Brenda's website at www.brendanixon.com

Every child needs to be exposed to the finest experiences, and every parent should know how to provide them. In the Birth to Five Book Brenda provides valuable early parenting information to help you find out what you need to know to get your child off to the best start possible. Her easy-to-read style calms you as you learn to guide and support your child.

Brenda's practical and wise advice will give great peace and knowledge to every parent--regardless of what kind of unpleasant behavior your child is exhibiting. I love Brenda's positive, comforting, and encouraging style. Every parent who reads this book will feel more confident about being a parent.

Nothing is more daunting than to bring home the first baby and have no point of reference for what lies ahead. Nixon's book is a handy little tool with user-friendly pointers for all parents with little ones. From answering the simplest questions of a new mother to tackling toilet training and preparing your child for school, The Birth to Five Book offers quick answers and encouragement for any parent. Information is relayed in a quick readable and interesting manner with short chapters that don't require a lot of time (mom's have little)to glean the important material. What a great gift for the new parent or the one at wit's end with a toddler!

Have little time to read a new book? Too many diapers to change, laundry to wash and someone pulling on your pant leg right now whining, "Mom, mom, mom, mom, mom..." a hundred times? The Birth to Five Book is perfect for you.

Author Brenda Nixon has created a great how to manual for busy moms with short, easy to read chapters that deal with all the questions moms want answered: how to handle clingy toddlers, potty training, thumb sucking, biting, fighting finicky eaters, and even how to get dad more involved in the parenting role.

As a busy mom of 4 myself, I know how chaotic life can be with preschoolers at home. I just launched my youngest into all day Kindergarten this past fall, and can hardly believe I survived those birth to five years four times over.

Boy, do I wish I had Brenda's book back then!

The Birth to Five Book is packed full of valuable information for moms of preschoolers, and would make a great baby shower gift, gift for you daughter or daughter-in-law, or for yourself if you have an ankle biter at home with you.

Don't stress, mom. Help is on the way. Let parenting expert Brenda Nixon help you figure out all the how-to's of mommy-hood.

Trish Berg
Author, Book Reviewer
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