Customer Reviews

Touchpoints: Your Child's Emotional and Behavioral Development, Birth to 3 -- The Essential Reference for the Early Years

5 star:		(40)
4 star:		(11)
3 star:		(6)
2 star:		(6)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

While still pregnant, we received a lot of advice and several books. We found Dr. Brazelton's approach the most caring and respectful to both parents and children. This book covers many topics and particularly saved us one night our baby wouldn't stop crying. We found his methods to be more in tune with our personalities and not the strict "scheduling" and "training" style of some of his counterparts.

Our 18-month old is developing well, confident and happy (and slept through the night at 3 weeks).

There is no "one way" to raise a child and each child is a unique individual; Dr. Brazelton takes this into account. We are constanly referring back to this book, not as a "baby handbook", but as a guide.

Being a "nervous" first-time parent of a premature baby (who isn't!) I was recommended this by the community early childhood nurse. In the plethora of child-rearing books on the shelves, I would recommend this as the pick of the bunch. Brazelton discusses all sorts of issues to do with children in their early years, always from the child's point of view, but never talking down to parents.

I found his words enormously helpful in getting thtough some tough times with colic - it didn't make it any less stressful, but I was able to hang on and get through it, knowing a bit more about it and what was happening to that little person.

Brazelton sounds like a wonderfully caring and compassionate pediatrician - I wish he could be cloned! At least you can get his book. I have bought it as a gift for a couple of new-parent friends, and they too have found it enormously useful.

T. Berry Brazelton describes the development of infants in their first year with an obvious respect for their amazing abilities. His gentle nature and child-centered approach are evident in his writings, and this book is no exception. "Touchpoint" is Dr. Brazelton's term for developmental milestones- times in a child's growth when she faces change and needs a parent's (and doctor's) understanding. This book serves as a good guide for parents who are looking for an overview of babies- a good overall discussion of child development and issues that new parents may face. Although it is touted as Dr. Brazelton's complete reference for children from birth to 6 years, it is heavy on infancy. The chapters dealing with specific concerns are a good starting point, but since they touch on a broad range of topics, they lack a depth of information for anyone with a real need for information. But if all you're looking for is a good read about child development from someone with a passion for the beauty of infancy, this is your book

This kind and nurturing advice is a must have for any parent. I recently lost my copy in a move and rushed out to repurchase it! I refer to it so often. I appreciate Dr. Brazeltons gentle tones in this book, he clearly has a great deal of respect for children and parents, and offers a wholistic view of parenting. I am a third grade teacher and mom, and I have found so much of his writing to be very wise.

I don't generally have a high opinion of parenting books, but someone got me this and I eventually read it. It's great! It walks you through the emotional and physical development of your child and tells you what you should expect and suggests how you should respond to it. It gives you plenty of practical advise (how to deal with picky eaters, how to toilet train painlessly) and a lot of encouragement.

I'd recommend the book to anyone committed to a child-centered approach to parenting and anyone who wants to learn more about kids needs. It's great to have around and re-read it every few month, as kids reach new developmental stages.

I had pretty much given up on parenting books when I found this one. It offered exactly what I wanted -- some insight into my baby's perspective. There are small chapters for each age that discuss developmental advances, emotional challenges, and other changes associated with each stage. I read one ahead, and find myself rereading stages when I am curious about my son's behavior. This book often helps me answer the question "why is he doing . . . " and gives great suggestions for helping a child work through the changes and also when to let them work things out themselves.

I bought this in conjunction with the "What to Expect" series. Read together they give an interesting and excellent mix of information. Dr. Brazelton approaches topics in a very personal way, and talks about different situations he approached in his career.
Moreover, he demonstrates how important it is to respect children and their fears of various situations. As an adult, it's easy to get caught up in everyday life and forget how TERRIFYING a trip to the doctors office can be. Dr. Brazelton covers how to discuss things with a very young child in a way they will understand, and a variety of other very important issues.
This book came highly recommended to me by a friend of Dr. Brazelton, but I recommend it to you only because it is a wonderful book, and worth every minute. I have read mine several times now, and find it very helpful with regards to approaching children.

What I liked about this book is that it's easy to read and understand. In part 1 of the book, Brazelton discusses a variety of topics in different stages of age development, from newborn to 3yrs. Some topics he writes about are bonding, teething, discipline, learning, toilet training and more... In part 2 of the book, he discusses the challenges in development a child may face. Some of the topics are allergies, developmental disabilities, divorce, hospitalization and sibling rivalry. In part 3 of the book, the author discusses people who may be involved in your child's life which includes the parents. Others are grandparents, friends, caregivers and your child's dovtor. At the end of the book, there are 14 useful addresses and phone numbers you may contact for more infomation about child development. I rated it 4 stars because I disagreed with a few specifc issues. One being, he mentioned that toddlers don't need snacks between meals until age 4-5yrs. I also disagreed with what he has to say about trying to schedule your baby's feeding at every 4 hours.

I constantly refer to it, and it's got great, relevant advice for a wide range of ages. Since my baby's now a toddler, most of my baby books are now gathering dust in my closet. But I still read and refer to this one all the time. A MUST have!

Whether you are a first-time parent, or an expert, this book is a valuable guide to understanding your baby and toddler as he or she develops. Dr. T. Berry Brazelton virtually climbs inside the heads of his patients in order to provide the reader with the child's point of view on such issues as feeding, sleeping, walking, and general independence as he/she matures. I have a gorgeous 10-month-old son, and am obviously approaching the all-important toddler phase, and Dr. Brazelton has already made me aware of what I can expect over the next 6 months or so. Some of it is already happening. Thank you, Dr. Brazelton. I love my son's pediatrician, but I respect your advice and can take your observations to my doctor for further discussion at his next check-ups. I will definitely look for more of your books, and have already recommended "Touchpoints" to my friends.