Bringing Up Baby: Three Steps to Making Good Decisions in Your Child's First Years [Paperback]

Claire Lerner (Author), Amy Laura Dombro (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 2004

Inside you'll discover an easy 3-step approach to parenting. You'll learn how you can identify your own parenting style, you'll learn how to understand what your child is thinking, and what that means, and you'll find out how to use that information to make effective decisions.

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

At last, here is a parenting book that doesn't claim to have all the answers. New parenthood is challenging enough without having to sort through the vast supply of either redundant or conflicting advice; this clearly written, focused guide to good decision making will help stressed parents of infants find their way. Three steps are defined here: "Develop Self-Awareness," "Tune in to Your Child," and "Make Sensitive and Effective Decisions." Each step is presented briefly, along with examples and questions parents can ask themselves. This approach allows for different parenting styles and a wide variety of children's temperaments, in contrast to many parenting books on the market. The authors, seasoned parents themselves, dispense advice in a sympathetic, calm tone that is especially welcome. No quick fixes are offered here; new parents may feel they lack the time to devote to the introspection recommended here, but those who can muster the energy to peruse this succinct guide may find some relief. Diane Foote
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Review

"What a terrific addition to a parenting library!" -- Ellie Hamburger, MD, George Washington University School of Health and Health Sciences

"[This] encouraging, empowering approach arms parents with the most important tool of all: self-confidence." -- Ann Pleshette Murphy, Good Morning America Parenting Contributor

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 155 pages
• Publisher: Zero to Three (January 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0943657784
• ISBN-13: 978-0943657783
• Product Dimensions: 8.7 x 7.6 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,162,251 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Who You Are Is How You Parent, June 24, 2005

By 

The Parent Coach Company (Atlanta) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Bringing Up Baby: Three Steps to Making Good Decisions in Your Child's First Years (Paperback)

This book helps parents take a closer look at who they are and how their personal style and temperament influences the way they parent. The 3 step approach offered in this book helps parents increase self-awareness, gain a better understanding of the cues given by their child, and make parenting decisions that are responsive to the child. I found the authors' examples to be very helpful and often applicable to many different situations. The questions to the reader, offered in each section, tended to interrupt the flow of the book, but are great points of discussion for parents. Overall, this book approaches parenting with a true sense of respect, both for parents and children.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Well Written, Practical, Easy to Understand, March 21, 2005

By 

A. Dean (San Jose, CA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Bringing Up Baby: Three Steps to Making Good Decisions in Your Child's First Years (Paperback)

As a preschool teacher, I am often asked by parents about what books I would recommend for them to read in regards to many different parenting issues. When I came across this book I immediately added it to my list of exceptional books for new parents. It is well written, parent friendly, and full of quality information about developmental issues that occur during a child's first few years. I even purchased a second copy to give to my daughter and her husband who just became parents for the first time. If you are looking for a clear, well written, easily understandable book...this is the one for you!

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great support for parents of babies and toddlers, January 23, 2005

By 

Sonia Thomas (Oregon) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Bringing Up Baby: Three Steps to Making Good Decisions in Your Child's First Years (Paperback)

I would have loved to have this book when I was a new parent. The authors lay out the most important decisions that parents face. I appreciated the straightforward questions presented that guide readers through the process of making thoughtful decisions about parenting. Readers are not told what to do, but rather what to think about. The authors suggest taking a three step approach to parenting. The three steps include: 1. Develop self awareness, 2. Tune into your child, 3. Make sensitive and effective decisions. By taking the three step approach, parents will be better prepared and have more confidence in their parenting.

The section on developing self awareness was especially helpful. It explained how our reactions to our children's behavior may have more to do with our assumptions and past experiences than the behavior itself. I also enjoyed the section on temperament and how children respond to their world in different ways. Readers are encouraged to use what they know about themselves and their child to make sensitive and effective decisions to support healthy growth and development. The final section on sharing care with other adults was very useful. It provided reassurance and tools to have a good relationship with other adults in my child's life.

I am happy to recommend this book to both new and experienced parents.