Customer Reviews

The Portable Pediatrician for Parents: A Month-by-Month Guide to Your Child's Physical and Behavioral Development From Birth to Age Five

5 star:		(24)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

I am a registered nurse with two children and I am a family home child care provider. Because of this, I have read countless books about children and children's health and this book is by far one of the best. It is the first book I refer to, even before my nursing textbooks. In fact, I have referred to this book so many times in the past five years that my copy is nearly worn out. I have also bought this book for family members and friends with children as a gift. Dr.Nathanson speaks to the reader in easy-to-understand language, not "medical mumbo-jumbo" and explains what to expect in each age group of the first five years of childhood both developmentally and physically. She also has a guide for how to decide when a call or visit to your child's doctor is warranted. Dr. Nathanson's book can't replace your child's doctor but it can definitely answer many health questions and may save you unnecessary calls or visits to the doctor's office.

I have three children of my own as well as own a child care center. I still refer to THE PORTABLE PEDIATRICIAN FOR PARENTS weekly to answer my questions and satisfy my concerns. I have even found information on little known childhood ailments like my daughter's that other book's fail to recognize. Many of the parents I serve have borrowed this book to answers some of their child rearing questions and it is now my first choice for a baby shower gift. Parent's with children over five should also know that the author has another book available called THE PORTABLE PEDIATRICIAN"S GUIDE TO KIDS that covers medical and developmental issues of older children (5-12 years).

With two children, we probably received 15 different childcare books as gifts. The only one we still use is this one (5 years later). We now give it as gifts to friends expecting babies. This book is an excellent, quick reference for all those health and developmental worries (big and small, imagined and real) that parents have. It provides very practical advice for always concerned parents. And its written with great humor and style, always reminding us that raising kids requires humor as well as doctors! I would advise getting this book for anyone with children under 5.

My wife and I love this book -- it provides a great "by the age description" through Kindergarden, and great common sense advice on common illness and child rearing issues. AAA+++

The Portable Pediatrician is the most neutral, common sense guide and reference to raising children (and I've read them all)!! It gives the basics, from how formulas are different to what to expect of your two year old. It also provides the most comprehensive and understandable outline of illnesses, what they are, why they may or may not be dangerous and HOW TO MAKE AN ASSESSMENT of the seriousness of the illness! This is a must have reference book that every parent should own!!

This book is the most parent friendly reference book about small children that I have read. It far surpasses the concept that the "What to expect" series format popularized. It is easy to read. (Doesn't read like a medical textbook.) I particularly enjoyed the limits section and the essay on oppositional behavior as I have been having difficulty with my son with a strong personality since my second son was born. I have read Dr. Dobson and Dr. Brazelton extensively and understood concepts when dealing with a strong-willed child, but Dr. Nathanson's book provides vebatim examples and also includes how to look, what to make the child think and what your goal is in discipline. Her examples have helped enormously, and I am beginning to enjoy my 4-year old again instead of constantly engaging in a battle of wills with him all day long.

The book combines medical advice with behavioral information that I do not get at my well-child visits. (Which makes me question the quality of our visits...)

I must have the newer edition (white and blue), because mine does not have the horrible illustrations mentioned in previous reviews. I have already recommended this book to several fellow parents. And I was excited to see today that there is an older version for kids 5-12 as my oldest son is 4 and I was sad that the first book was ending at age 5. I would recommend the second book sight unseen just by how much I have liked the first volume.

In addition to great advice about health and first aid, it
has good explanations of what kids are going through
developmentally at different ages. These helped us to deal
with sleep issues, among other things.

I purchased a bunch of books, and even read most of several of them.
This is the one I keep going back to over and over again.

Wanting to be as well informed as possible when it came to raising my kids, I read just about every child-care book out there. I found this book to be the most comprehensive, easy to understand and reasonable. She gives the most extensive information concerning common(and not so common)childhood illnesses AND how to deal with them, and her views on child psychology are right on the mark. As with any author on this subject, you may not agree with EVERYTHING she says, but at least she provides explanations with possible solutions for most problems you'll encounter with children. I find myself referring to this book almost everytime I need information concerning my kids.

Her sense of humor is a real boon, and this is the book I give to anyone I know having a child. I saw she was criticized for the "illustrations" and lack of color, but if you need to be entertained and/or dazzled while reading a book of this nature maybe the welfare of your kids isn't your top priority!

I have 3 children and half-a-dozen parenting books. This is the only one I continue to use. It has great information to help you figure out when you actually NEED to call a doctor, and Dr. Nathanson talks like someone who actually likes to hear what parents think. This book has helped me catch some pretty significant illnesses early on, before they became more serious. I highly recommend it for anyone with young children, whether they are first time parents or more experienced. I give this book as a gift at every baby shower I attend.

I will admit, I am a little biased as I am a good friend of Dr. Nathanson's daughter. Even with this in mind, I have really used and enjoyed this book. Unlike many of the other parenting books in my possession (ranging from Dr. Sears to Dr. Dobbs), I feel this book offers a balanced approach to parenting issues. She's upfront as to where she stands, and often provides info on both sides. While not as touchy-feely as Dr. Sears, she really captured some of my feelings (her infant section talks about falling in love with your baby), and still tells stories while still staying to the point(my husband disliked Sears Baby Book because of the large amounts of stories).

The book is not meant as a substitute for medical care. Rather she tries to help clarify when a situation is something worth calling the doctor about, or running to the E.R. As a first time mom I find this very useful as I am never sure if I am overreacting or not.

Each section describes the babys emotional,physical, and skills development. She also discusses common illness for that age, and what to expect at the baby well-visit. She also has a profile on special issues like divorce and "if we get pregnant now", and how it would affect that age group. There is also several sections in the back that apply to all ages: letters to give to interferring relatives about the latest baby info like not smoking around baby, breastfeeding etc, more detailed illness information, and first aid.

My only complaint are the illustrations which are weird, and the fact that its slighly out of date in relation to some of the latest AAP recomendations.

Overall, I think its a great addition to a new parents library.