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I loved this book. I read it when I was working as a nanny. It inspired me. The author believes that it is the primary role of a caregiver to stimulate the child's creativity. The book tells you how to do this. The chapters are arranged by age, starting from infancy. She gives advice about encouraging creative behavior through movement, music, art, language, etc. The baby I was taking care of at the time also loved the activities. Believe me, this book is worth the money.

I'm amazed at so few reviews...this book is in my top 5 fav parenting books. It just totally blew my mind! It's not just ideas for fostering creativity...no, it is so much more than that!

It's really about a mindset regarding our children.

For example, how many times have you seen a parent try to calm a fussy or rambunctious child by giving them their 'favorite toy?' What does the child do? Often, the child throws the toy aside, much to the parent's dismay!

Why? Why didn't the child eagerly grab the favorite toy?

Because the child has ALREADY EXPLORED that toy! The child is much more interested in the light switch, or the stereo, or tv remote control.

The child is inquisitive...always learning. Toys are educational to a young child. While parents may think of toys as just amusement, something to keep the child busy, they are totally missing the point. The child is interested in your new camera not to be obnoxious, because it is something NEW! Something to be EXPLORED!

This book totally blew my mind. After reading it, I understood why my baby delighted in turning the light switch on and off...why my toddler just HAD to go thru the childhood ritual of unrolling the entire tube of toilet tissue.

How many parents let their children unroll the toilet paper? It's a definite NO, right? And yet, these same parents spend so much on brain-dead toys for their children.

Guess what! My child only unrolled the toilet tissue about 3 times...for a total cost to me of, what, a dollar or so?

What an inexpensive way to stretch his mind!

That's just one example among many...I don't think the author is saying that you MUST let your child have free reign over your entire house...obviously you can't let him play with your expensive gadgets. But hey, why not save the OLD, broken camera and let him take it apart? Then he'll get it out of his system and maybe won't have the need to take your new camera apart (and you still need rules and discipline, and still need to keep stuff like that out of reach, of course). The point is in your thinking...to recognize what is driving your child's curiosity...the desire to learn about his environment.

AWESOME BOOK!

My children are now 24 and 19 and this book really helped me look at parenting from a different point of view. Sure some of the things Susan talks about are a bit out there...she herself admits this...but my children are both very creative and think outside the box naturally. Both of my children appreciate art because they were exposed to it at a young age: art calendar pages (at their eye level), their own Art Book (bought on sale and a great investment), mini trips to the Art Museum (on free days for 15 minutes) and so many more things to do and it was fun! My daughter is now pregnant with her first and I am getting her her own copy. My advice is to get the book. Use what works for you and forget the rest. It will be MORE than worth it!

I have three boys in a Montessori school and have assisted in their classrooms, and am now the Chair of the Governance Council. I'm sorry this author did not do her own research on Montessori. My children have had a FABULOUS experience in Montessori and are heavily involved in art and drawing. It is structured, organized, but encourages creative and fun time as well. The entire premise of the Montessori education is based on manipulatives. Where children not only learn the concepts but also get to "see" how it works. There is not one lesson taught in a Montessori environment that doesn't involve some piece that is touched and handled.

One of my personal favorites... they literally grew butterflies in their classrooms. I haven't seen so much excitement on little faces as the day we released them. I actually have pictures if anyone is interested in seeing them! Also, one of my sons has created an entire amusement park out of construction paper... I'd say that's pretty creative! Two of my boys had an artist come in and draw portaits of them and then my boys painted their self portaits entirely by themselves... again, pretty creative! In addition to the soft skills taught in Montessori, this education allows children to advance beyond their grade level to the edge of their capabilities in the fundamentals. How many 1st grade boys can claim to do long division with remainders and long multiplication?

CHECK OUT MONTESSORI FOR YOURSELF, DON'T LET THIS AUTHOR SWAY YOU. SOME OF THE MOST CREATIVE AND SUCCESSFUL MINDS WERE RAISED MONTESSORI, JULIA CHILD, THE FOUNDERS OF GOOGLE, THE FOUNDER OF AMAZON, PRINCES WILLIAM AND HARRY... NEED I SAY MORE????