The Wonder Weeks: How to stimulate your baby's mental development and help him turn his 10 predictable, great, fussy phases into magical leaps forward [Paperback]

Hetty van de Rijt (Author), Frans Plooij (Contributor)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 1, 2012

"The Wonder Weeks. How to stimulate your baby's mental development and help him turn his 10 predictable, great, fussy phases into magical leaps forward" describes in easy-to-understand terms the incredible developmental changes and regression periods that all babies go through during the first 20 months of their lives. The extended, white cover edition describes 2 more leaps in the mental development of your baby up to the end of the sensorimotor period. The book offers guidance how to ...: • Know when and why your baby is fussy • Help him/her (and yourself!) get through / survive the fussy phases • Get the most out of these developmental phases The book is based on the scientific- and parental-world-changing discovery of a phenomenon: all normal, healthy babies appear to be more fussy at very nearly the same ages, regression periods, and sleep less in these phases. A worldwide bestseller and sanity savior for parents around the globe. These age-related fluctuations in need for body contact and attention (regression periods) are related to major and quite dramatic changes in the brains of the children. These changes enable a baby to enter a whole new perceptual world and, as a consequence, to learn many new skills. This should be a reason for celebration, but as far as the baby is concerned these changes are bewildering. He's taken aback -- everything has changed overnight. It is as if he has woken up on a strange planet. The book includes: • Week-by-week guide to baby's behavior • When to expect the fussy behavior, what this implies (cranky, clingy, crying (the three C's) behavior) and how to deal with these regression periods (leaps) • A description from your baby's perspective of the world around him and how you can understand the changes he's going through • Fun games and gentle activities you can do with your child For more detailed information about contents and the research behind the book, please visit www.thewonderweeks.com Expert reviews: ---“This is a very practical and entertaining window into the baby’s first year and a half. van de Rijt and Plooij have observed and found the vulnerable times in an infant’s development that I independently came to in my book Touchpoints (Perseus). The authors’ observations and practical suggestions are wonderful.” (T. Berry Brazelton, M.D., professor emeritus, Harvard Medical School). ---“Anyone who deals with infants and young children will want to read 'The Wonder Weeks.' This book will open parents’ eyes to aspects of their children’s growth, development, changing behavior, and emotional responsiveness that they might otherwise not notice or find puzzling and distressing.” (Catherine Snow, Ph.D., Shattuck Professor of Education, Harvard Graduate School of Education). ---“van de Rijt and Plooij’s work on infant development has enormous value for clinical use and scientific application. Not only have they explained the periods of puzzling, difficult behavior in infancy which so worry parents, they have also shown how these behaviors mark developmental leaps and have described the stages in the infant’s understanding. Together, this gives parents and professionals soundly based insight into babies’ developing minds. What’s more, van de Rijt and Plooij have described the play and communication that work best with babies at different ages and thus helped parents understand and connect sensitively with their babies. This parent-child connection is the major prerequisite for the development of secure, well-adjusted children. 'The Wonder Weeks' is essential reading for everyone who works with infants: pediatricians, social workers, psychologists, and, of course, parents.” (John Richer, Ph.D., Dip. Clin. Psychol., consultant clinical psychologist and Head of Pediatric Psychology, Department of Pediatrics, John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford, England).

Editorial Reviews

Review

"This is a very practical and entertaining window into the baby's first year and a half. van de Rijt and Plooij have observed and found the vulnerable times in an infant's development that I independently came to in my book Touchpoints (Perseus). The authors' observations and practical suggestions are wonderful." (T. Berry Brazelton, M.D., professor emeritus, Harvard Medical School). ---"Anyone who deals with infants and young children will want to read 'The Wonder Weeks.' This book will open parents' eyes to aspects of their children's growth, development, changing behavior, and emotional responsiveness that they might otherwise not notice or find puzzling and distressing." (Catherine Snow, Ph.D., Shattuck Professor of Education, Harvard Graduate School of Education). ---"van de Rijt and Plooij's work on infant development has enormous value for clinical use and scientific application. Not only have they explained the periods of puzzling, difficult behavior in infancy which so worry parents, they have also shown how these behaviors mark developmental leaps and have described the stages in the infant's understanding. Together, this gives parents and professionals soundly based insight into babies' developing minds. What's more, van de Rijt and Plooij have described the play and communication that work best with babies at different ages and thus helped parents understand and connect sensitively with their babies. This parent-child connection is the major prerequisite for the development of secure, well-adjusted children. 'The Wonder Weeks' is essential reading for everyone who works with infants: pediatricians, social workers, psychologists, and, of course, parents." (John Richer, Ph.D., Dip. Clin. Psychol., consultant clinical psychologist and Head of Pediatric Psychology, Department of Pediatrics, John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford, England). ---"van de Rijt and Plooij will help you see the world the way an infant sees it. As the child grows, displays of emotion (such as crying) tell us the child is summoning reserves of energy and is calling out for help in finding new ways to perceive the changing world. Because van de Rijt and Plooij have discovered predictable stages in the widening of the infant's perceptions and skills, they can enable you, with their superb examples, to recognize the onset of these stressful episodes and to join your child in coping with them. So rich, indeed, are the implications of finding new perceptions and new skills in the midst of stress that whether or not you are a parent, it can never be too early or too late to profit from this book." (Philip J. Runkel, Ph.D., professor emeritus of psychology and education, University of Oregon). ---"'Terrible Twos' a Misnomer, According to Research; Extended Edition of International Bestseller Released, Helps Parents Weather Emotional Storms. Research shows that the so-called 'terrible twos' don't need to exist when it comes to child development. In fact, the behavior often associated with this stage - tantrums, moodiness, nagging and an affinity for the word 'no' - begins shortly after the first birthday. For parents, it is important to jump into action at this point so they can prevent the 'two's' from becoming terrible and turn them into something tremendous. A child doesn't need to act so 'terrible,' as long as you know what to do and, more important, why he is acting this way. By understanding these leaps you can make the transition into toddlerhood, and the subsequent stages including the 'terrible two's,' into the 'tremendous two's' and beyond. 'Tremendous,' says Dr. Plooij, 'because it is with these leaps that a huge part of socialization is set for life. And tremendous: because good values and norms start now. If you invest in your toddler in this time, it will pay off for lifetime and especially in puberty." (From the SFGate, home of the San Francisco Chronicle). "For those of us who love 'The Wonder Weeks' but wish it wasn't just about babies, your wish is granted. They've just released a new, expanded edition that goes up to 20 months and has more ideas about things you can do during the wonder week leaps to make the leaps more entertaining for you and, presumably, your baby. US$25 at Amazon, which makes it the perfect baby shower or new-parent or gift-giving-holiday-at-the-end-of-the-calendar-year gift." (AskMoxie.org). ---"Great News! 'The Wonder Weeks' have come out with their new, expanded edition up to 20 months old. I love this book, and highly recommend it for some fascinating reading on what is really happening in your little one's development. (Best Milk Bistro, via Facebook). ---" 'The Wonder Weeks' - a look at cognitive growth in the first year - why might the baby be fussy, and what can parents do." (via Carolyn Hax, The Washington Post Writers' Group, Facebook followers). ---" 'The Wonder Weeks' is a great book for new parents! It takes you step by step through the first two years of life and helps explain out those mysterious times in your child's life where you think your fabulously well behaved child has suddenly become possessed... I can't wait to get my hands on an updated copy of this book, because I think the insights will be invaluable in terms of being prepared and navigating the independence stage in a positive way!" (Heather, ActingBalanced.com). ---"We've found 'THE' must have gift for all parent's to be! 'The Wonder Weeks - How to stimulate your baby's mental development and help them turn their 10 predictable, great, fussy phases into magical leaps forward'!" (WHO Adelaide Chummy Mummy' and 'Tot Shop'). ---"Everything I know about when and what the actual developmental spurts are I learned from the book 'The Wonder Weeks.' One of the things I love about this book is that they don't tell you what to do, aside from suggesting games to play. They just tell you what's going on. I have a definite bias against books that tell you how to raise your kids, and I love that this book is just a roadmap of what's going on when." (AskMoxie.org). ---"If you want to be really prepared for the 'regressions,' I'd say borrow or buy 'the Wonder Weeks' book, read it, and pay attention to the signals your baby is giving you. Once you know what's going on, it becomes fasciating and annoying instead of worrisome and torturous." (AskMoxie.org). ---"You all know of my love for the book 'The Wonder Weeks.' I love it because it explains what developmental leaps happen when with your child, up through the first 15 months or so, so you know why your happy or sleeping baby is suddenly wigging out and/or not sleeping. By doing that, it revealed exactly why there's a hideous 4-month sleep regression as well as an equally-if-not-more-hideous 8-9-month sleep regression. It's a book that tells you what's going on, not what you're supposed to do. I can't count the number of times people have said to me, 'It let me have patience with my baby and realize I wasn't doing anything wrong.' Score." (AskMoxie.org). ---"So last week I was on Twitter and discovered that 'The Wonder Weeks' has a Twitter feed (http://twitter.com/thewonderweeks) and...an iPhone app. Which I think is just brilliant. Also, the iPhone app is only US$2 (yes, that's two dollars). Even more brilliant." (AskMoxie.org). ---"Anyone who knows me, knows how much I love this book, 'The Wonder Weeks,' to describe the age-linked changes (leaps) in development in a baby's first 14 mos. If you don't have this book, and you have a baby, GET IT! Fascinating read. And now they are here on FB and Twitter @thewonderweeks, they also have an iPhone App." (Stacy Rodes Meyers, Founder, BestMilkBistro.com). ---"Ask Moxie is a HUGE proponent of your book, that's how most people probably learned of it. At least I did, almost 3 years ago and waited for it to be back in print. I LOVE it!" (Stacy Rodes Meyers, Founder, BestMilkBistro.com). ---"I highly recommend the book, 'The Wonder Weeks' as they all really do go through extra clingy phases when going through developmental changes. If I recall, around now give or take a couple weeks they go through a stage of separation anxiety as developmentally they've realized that you're capable of moving away from them and that the distance between you is out of their control. I'd love to go into it more but I'm sneaking in some online time while feeding the monkey in between packing for holidays!" (Petra, Boston, via BundleJungle.com). ---"I've got 'The Wonder Weeks' and refer to it constantly. It's not just the odd day though, or even the odd group of days, its been every single day since he was born, he will go to other people once he knows them, but I still have to be in eye sight, and the sleeping thing is crazy, I can't even nurse him off to sleep and then sneak out off the room, its like he feels the pressure change on the mattress and instantly wakes." (Moderator, BundleJungle.com). ---"Thanks so much! I LOVE the book!!!" (AnnMarie, Kentucky). ---"I LOVE your book and cannot stop suggesting it to friends!" (Janelle, California). ---"I have been using the info in this book since I first got some notes on the Dutch version (in English) WAAAAY back more than a decade ago. I still give this book as an essential book for new parents. It makes so much just plain sense, when otherwise, it seems random!" (Heather, Delaware). ---"This book is 'exactly' what every new parent wants: a guide that tells exactly why your baby is fine one week and freaking out the next. We all know about the physical growth spurts at 3 and 6 weeks and then 3 and 6 months, but there isn't anything else that tells you when developmental spurts are happening. Until now. As soon as I got this book, I went back and looked in my journal from when my son was a baby, and all his fussy weeks matched up with the ones in the book! If I'd had this book at the time, it would have been so much easier just to roll with it and not wonder what was 'wrong'." (IME). ---"The best thing about this book is that it doesn't tell you how to be a perfect parent, or give you some focacta plan you have to follow exactly to make your baby turn out the right way. Instead it just tells you why your baby is doing what s/he is doing, so you can have p...

About the Author

Born in 1944, Hetty van de Rijt studied Educational Psychology at the University of Nijmegen, the Netherlands and she worked in an institute for the mentally handicapped. She obtained her Ph.D. in Physical Anthropology at the University of Cambridge, England in 1982. Born in 1946, her husband Frans X. Plooij studied behavioural biology in the Netherlands in Amsterdam, Nijmegen, and Groningen, where he received his Ph.D. in 1980. Together they studied infant development in free-living chimpanzees with Dr. Jane Goodall in the Gombe National Park, Tanzania, East Africa from 1971-1973. Consequently, from 1973 to 1976, they studied with Prof. Robert Hinde in the Medical Research Council unit on the Development and Integration of Behaviour, University of Cambridge, England. In 1976 their daughter Xaviera was born. From 1976-80 Frans worked at the department of Developmental Psychology, University of Nijmegen, the Netherlands, filming and observing babies in their home environment. From 1981 to 1993 he was head of the department of Research and Development at the institute for Child Studies of the City of Amsterdam, the Netherlands, where, among other things, he worked on the implementation of an innovative second- and foreign-language teaching method for preschool children. From 1993 to 1998, he was a professor at the Department of Developmental and Experimental Clinical Psychology, University of Groningen. Currently, Dr. Plooij is director of the International Research-institute on Infant Studies (IRIS) at Arnhem, and president of Kiddy World Promotions B.V., a consulting firm that serves companies producing products related to children, such as toys. He is a full member of several international, scientific societies including the New York Academy of Sciences. In addition to numerous scientific publications, Dr. Plooij has written several bestselling parenting books. As a post-doc at the University of Amsterdam, the Netherlands from 1986 to 1990, Dr. van de Rijt studied the development of human babies in their home environment. As lead author with her husband as co-author, she wrote the best-selling parenting book The Wonder Weeks, which has been published in twelve languages, from the USA to Japan. She designed a parental support and education program called "Leaping hurdles," based on the Wonder Weeks and published a scientific evaluation study to report on the effects of this program. She died far too young at the age of 59.

Product Details

• Paperback: 480 pages
• Publisher: Kiddy World Promotions B.V. (March 1, 2012)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 9079208043
• ISBN-13: 978-9079208043
• Product Dimensions: 6.7 x 1 x 9.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (103 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,454 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

40 of 42 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars If you could only read 1 book, make this it December 5, 2010

By SoCalAvAZ

Format:Paperback

Out of the many baby books I've read this is hands down the most useful. The information is excellent and makes me wonder why it's not readily available (outside this book ie on websites). Wow, when read it it's like I got the AHA moment and a glimpse into my daughters brain.

Some have complained that the dates are off for their child. They give a range/approximation and as well one thing to consider is that you need calculate from your baby's due date. So parent's of preemies or late babies, keep this in mind.

What I really enjoyed was: (a) The activities listed that you can play with your baby during each stage to help them learn faster, and (b) the parents' experience which helped me realize that I'm not alone in how I feel.

I will say though if anyone is for the CRY IT OUT method they need to read this book. Even though this isn't a sleep book it gave me the insight to realize that I will never use the cry it out method when I know that my baby is going through a developmental phase and needs moms comfort and support more than ever; that would just be torture.

Have recommended this book to several friends who also loved it and will continue to recommend to new parent's as the one must read.

21 of 25 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars oh YAY, additional content! December 3, 2010

By Heather Petit

Format:Paperback

If I have only enough money to buy one book for a new parent, this is the book I get them. I have yet to meet a parent who didn't wonder why their baby suddenly got fussy, stopped sleeping 'right' (or slept worse!), refused food, seemed to want to be held constantly... were they 'spoiled?' did we do something WRONG? AHHHH! And here, the answer - it isn't you, it is normal brain development, hang in there and watch for the fantastic new things your baby will understand in just a few weeks!

I first learned about this research back before it was translated to English, and scraped by with my sanity (and less fretting!) on just a few notes translated online. Having the book available is so much better! Being able to look ahead on the calendar and say 'oh, shoot, two weeks from now may not be a good time, hmm, adjust schedules'? So much better than being blindsided by the sudden-who-took-my-baby-and-left-me-this-changeling reaction! :)

It's even nicer to be able to see how long the fussy stage is likely to last. I can hang on better if I know it isn't a permanent condition. I can't emphasize enough how useful it is (especially for first-timers) to know that I didn't do something wrong. I've had people see my baby in a fussy stage all clingy and say 'oh, do you stay home? you've spoiled him, he's not used to being put down!' and then when they find out I was working turn around and say 'oh, so he just MISSES you' - uh, guilt trips either way you go? Nice to be able to say, 'nope, just the normal fussy stage for X weeks, his brain is learning about Programs (or whatever), there's a lot of changes going on inside there!'

Nothing parents need more than more sanity and less guilt. Bonus, ideas on how to play and interact in ways that 'fit' easily into the phase going on, supporting the development underway. (And no, not 'go out and buy' or 'spend hours focusing on...' but 'hey, this is a good time to just sit on the floor with them' or 'telling them about what you're doing is interesting for them right now' type stuff - we'd figure it out eventually, but a few hints don't hurt!)

LOVE LOVE LOVE this book, and so very glad it has extended - I remember getting to the end of the previous one and going AAHHHH WHAT ABOUT THE NEXT STAGE?! I need more! :)

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Best Mental/Physical Baby Development Book March 26, 2012

By T. Riser

Format:Kindle Edition

As a new parent, I heard about this book when having a discussion about infant sleep regressions. So, I bought the book - hard copy - when my child was 19wks old. It was an amazing read for me - so much research based data AND readable. The authors don't bog down the reading with research language, but make it easy to read for parents. Every week was right on the money in terms of mental & physical development of my child. I felt like I could predict the future of my child - developmentally - if I read ahead. I love that with each fussy period, the authors provide specific developmental milestones as well as activities/toys/games to help along the way. Sure, you can find generic baby milestones on a variety of websites, but this information answered my deeper questions. What does body control look like on a baby at 19wks old? How is my baby listening to me at 26wks old? And there is even a section in each chapter about how baby's changes will affect the parents. Smart stuff here. This is my favorite baby book regarding mental & physical development. The Wonder Weeks helped me be ready for the changes ahead with a lot less 1st time parent worry. I really enjoy helping my child grow because of this book.