Dear Parent: Caring for Infants With Respect (2nd Edition) [Paperback]

Magda Gerber (Author), Joan Weaver (Editor)

Product Details

• Paperback: 240 pages
• Publisher: Resources for Infant Educators (RIE); Expanded edition (January 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1892560062
• ISBN-13: 978-1892560063
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.6 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (16 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #61,670 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

27 of 27 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The perfect gift for every new or expectant parent., May 30, 1999

By 

McDume (Los Angeles, California) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Dear Parent: Caring for Infants with Respect (Paperback)

"DEAR PARENT" presents a simple yet ground-breaking, natural yet thought-provoking way to raise your child. Magda Gerber's philosophy of respect for your infant -- and for yourself as a parent -- changed my life. It transformed me from a baffled, overwhelmed new mother to a confident, fulfilled one.

Magda taught me that if I fully focused on my baby during "caring times" (feeding, diapering, bathing), I didn't have to 'teach' her how to sit, crawl, walk, talk or play. When she was ready to do those things, she did so naturally. And she owned them. I learned to let my child's play time be hers, a time to follow her own curiosity and direciton without interruption. The joy I found in observing my child and her discoveries helped me to survive the loneliness and doldrums of parenting an infant/toddler. My child is still inclined to spend long periods of time without TV, videos, or suggestions from me, entertaining and educating herself with self-initiated activities, creations, and daydreams.

"DEAR PARENT" is packed with Magda Gerber's wisdom from a lifetime of observations and writings. It can change forever the way you view infants, toddlers, all other human beings. Communicating with your child, taking his or her unspoken feelings into account from Day One, establishes a relationship based on mutual respect. This book is the perfect gift for a new or expectant parent, especially one who is willing to use common sense in parenting, foregoing all the latest baby gimmicks and contraptions. "DEAR PARENT" will inspire you (as Magda says) to "do less, enjoy more".

18 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars If I were an infant, I would want to be treated this way, June 3, 2003

By 

Jennifer and Mia (Portland, OR United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Dear Parent: Caring for Infants With Respect (2nd Edition) (Paperback)

Gerber's recommendations for caring for infants are direct and to the point, without the "come on, just try it" tone that baby experts sometimes fall into. She doesn't need to talk me into using her approach because it struck me immediately on a gut level that if I were an infant, I would want to be treated this way. Heck, as an adult I want to be treated this way.

She recommends simple, profound gestures that you can use from day one to show your infant that her feelings and preferences are important to you. They include telling your baby what you are going to do before you do it [ie. "Mommy's going to pick you up now"] and other basic ways to connect with your baby as a separate being rather than an object.

I've read Dr. Sears, Burton White, Penelope Leach, and others. There's useful nuts-and-bolts stuff with those other authors, but Magda Gerber's "Dear Parent: Caring for Infants with Respect" is a must-have addition to your parenting library.

This book takes a couple of hours to read and will make a huge improvement in my approach to parenting.

16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Must for Everybody Having a Baby!, July 10, 2000

By 

Julie A. Hager (Germany) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Dear Parent: Caring for Infants with Respect (Paperback)

Magda Gerder's approach to caring for an infant with respect is a WONDERFUL approach to parenting. I am so glad I found this book. If you're looking for a parenting book from birth to age 3, GET THIS!!! It is worth reading!! The nuts and bolts to Gerber's approach is treating your baby like a person- with RESPECT. She explains the importance of observing, how to handle those "sticky" situations (for example when your child bits), and why it is important to talk to your baby. Gerbers idea of respecting an infant sounds "commen sense" but you realize when you read this how often parents are not necessarily "respectful". In this day of running here and there, Gerber slows us parents down and brings a true enjoyment to being parents. Her approach to parenting is not only respectful to the infant but also to the parent! In the end you have a child that respects you and you that respect the child- not so bad!! I have a truelly wonderful relationship with my daughter, thank you Magda Gerber. I highly recommend this book!