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!