Customer Reviews

Toddler 411: Clear Answers & Smart Advice for Your Toddler, 2nd Edition

5 star:		(89)
4 star:		(17)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

My wife and I were recently blessed with the placement of three beautiful children (ages 2, 3 & 6) through Children's Protective Services. Having never been parents before, we were initially overwhelmed with the responsibility and chaos. We spent several tearful evenings wondering if we were cut out for the challenges of child-rearing.

After a particularly bad temper tantrum by the 2 year old, I left the house in desperation. I spent the afternoon at the nearest bookstore and browsed a stack of over 20 books in search of the elusive "perfect resource". My search concluded when I picked up a copy of "Toddler 411". This book stood head and shoulders above any other book I had browsed... it was the crème on top of the coffee! It was the perfect parenting resource.

Since purchasing "Toddler 411" we have referred to the book on a near daily basis. From constipation to ear-aches, this book has provided an answer for EVERY question we have thrown at it. I highly recommend this book to all parents. In particular, I strongly recommend this book to new adoptive parents of toddlers. For them, this book should be required reading. It is the "Instruction Manual" our case worker forgot to give us.

I bought this book as another resource for ideas on the trickier areas of raising a toddler -- temper tantrums, taking away the pacifier, potty training and the like. I expected some medical-related chapters in addition to practical advice on other issues. After receiving the book, I eagerly sat down and started reading. To my disappointment, the book is mostly medical advice. While it's been great when I've wanted to figure out which teeth should be coming in next or narrow down what could be causing a rash, it has very little information about other topics. If you're looking for a medical reference book, this one is better than most. If you're looking for new or creative ideas on how to deal with the behavioral and social issues of raising a toddler, keep looking.

I love Baby 411 and I give it to every expecting parent that I know. I was hopeful that this sequel lived up to my high expectations. I will admit, when I originally previewed this book when my daughter was about 9 months old, I wasn't impressed. I didn't understand why so much of the book was focused on discipline. Well- the joke was on me! Now that my daughter is 12 months old I completely understand why so much was on discipline! That is what you do when you have a toddler! I am looking forward to using this book as a reference for many months to come. Lastly, if you are not familiar with the 411 series, the author's writing style is down-to-earth, to the point, and focused on common sense. They do not write in a clinical manner and I appreciate the advice coming from pediatrician's that sound like my friends.

I am a mom of 19 month old girl, and ordered this book a month ago. I've read it cover to cover, and in addition to it being packed full of useful information, I found it very entertaining.
There are a few things you should know before buying the book though - one of the authors is a spokesperson for the AAP and tows the line for the current advice the AAP is distributing. This is fine by me because personally, I have no trust issues with the AAP, but I realize some parents do. Along the same lines, this author is very pro-vaccine (which I am too, so I didn't have any difficulty with that), so if you are looking for an objective discussion of the potential pros and cons, you won't find it here. However, I found the discussion of vaccines to be very thorough and very informative - they go over each individual vaccine and the disease it vaccinates against, and the reasons why the vaccine exists.
Overall, I have found it to be a very useful, informative guide on the basics of toddler health and well-being. I would recommend it to anyone with a toddler aged child.

I was a BIG fan of Baby 411 and Toddler 411 is just as helpful. I have found answers to every question my husband and I have come up with and those answers have consistently been right on target. From when to take my little one to the doctor for a certain symptom to how to get him eat more fiber, first Baby 411 and now Toddler 411 have given me answers that get results.
There were a couple of times I've read things and thought "That won't possibly work" or "That can't be right." Lo and behold, I tried it and the book was right!
I also really like the real life examples that you get from the authors. The fact that they have gone through this themselves makes it even easier to rely on their advice. Also, knowing that even experts have these issues, makes it easier to deal with them yourself.

I am in love with this book!! It's exactly what I've been looking for and I needed this for a long time!! I'm the kind of person who needs someone to say "okay, do this with your kid and he'll listen" or do this and that. I'm not good at taking initiative , so this book is awesome. I think it covers EVERY SINGLE question any mother would ever have. It relates to us in too many ways, I'm like "okay, why can I relate to all of these questions??" Something is wrong if I can relate to everything in here haha. It covers everything from "is this normal?" to bedtime struggles, to tantrums, to eating issues, to hygiene etc. I can't believe that there is a book that answers all my questions and this book doesn't sugar coat anything. It get's right to the point. I refer to it all the time and everytime I do I wonder "why haven't I been reading this daily?" It's great when your child is going through phases and you have no idea what to do. But this book gives you the tools to handle any phase, problem, and question. I would HIGHLY recommend it to any parent whether or not you're struggling in any area of the toddler stage. They say kids don't come with instructions, well now they do! Get this book!!

After using the Baby bible of books for the first 12 months of my baby's life, I decided to try a different author to hear from another perspective. This book is very well laid out, and is written in a straight-forward, as if you were hearing advice from someone sitting across your kitchen table. A valuable book in any parent's library.

There is a wealth of information contained in this book on everything from nutrition to potty training. The book is organized well and it's easy to find the answers I need - quickly!

I recommend this book to all parents of toddlers!

I read Baby 411 and when I found out there was a Toddler 411, I had to go out and get it. These authors know there stuff and there advice is so straight forward and helpful. I have been looking for a book on what to do with my son who is amazingly active, stubborn, and in need of direction. Most books out there were of little or no help regarding discipline and this book is just the opposite. I highly recommend this book for anyone who has a toddler....and when I say toddler, I mean 12 months, NOT TWO YEARS OLD!!! Go out and buy a copy of this for your library. It will be so worth it. I am keeping Baby 411 for my next who is due any day and will also be keeping Toddler 411. It's great!

I LOVED Baby 411. I found it to be to so helpful that I was relieved when I discovered that the authors had written a follow-up guide and I wouldn't have to continue this uncertain path of parenthood without them. Unfortunately the book falls short of their first. Perhaps the first guide is so well constructed I learned how to understand my child - if that's the case it's a real tribute to the authors. But I haven't found as much helpful information in this edition. Even the environmental hazards section with occasional good advice doesn't explain why and how things are dangerous (so my toddler shouldn't be nearby when I dry my hair - but will she be forever scarred if she occasionally is?). It's worth a perusal but there are much better books out there with medical and developmental information for this age group.