Twice Blessed: Everything You Need To Know About Having A Second Child-- Preparing Yourself, Your Marriage, And Your Firstborn For A New Family Of Four [Paperback]

Joan Leonard (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 10, 2000

Everything you need to know about having a second child - preparing yourself, your marriage, and your firstborn for a new family of four.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Less time, more demands, jealous siblings, displaced spouses, bigger bills, and bigger automobiles: given all these cons, why on earth would any sane couple consider having more than one child? Author Joan Leonard deals readers a rather loaded deck of cards as she succinctly describes the joys--but mostly the burdens--of "welcoming" a second child to the family. Despite its sweet title, this little book takes a rather acrid look at the unique challenges second-time moms and dads encounter. Luckily for the reader, Leonard presents plenty of advice from pediatricians, gynecologists, family therapists, and parents who have been through it themselves. Topics cover changes couples face during pregnancy, birth, and all of baby number two's first year.

A confessed firstborn herself, Leonard openly admits she did not enjoy being knocked off her proverbial pedestal when "The Other One," her own baby sister, arrived. Perhaps that's why this former contributing editor to Parent's Magazine and author of Tales from Toddler Hell seems to take such glee in reporting the many stresses and strains caused by adding to the family. Don't expect any gloppy, saccharin-tainted anecdotes from Leonard's contributing parents, either. Their "Tips from the Trenches" offer important food for thought about maternity leave and treating your spouse as a mate rather than as a business partner. Some of Leonard's own advice about appeasing the oldest child--like asking if the newborn can wear his or her outgrown clothes rather than just making it happen--lean a little too far toward spoiling. Most helpful are Leonard's chapters on assessing the first labor and delivery and taking steps to ensure a better one the second time around and her final chapter on effective family management. --Liane Thomas

Review

"In many ways the challenges of a second child are greater (and more complex) than those of the first! This book can help!"--Richard and Linda Eyre, authors of Teaching Your Children Values and How to Talk to Your Child About Sex

"As a mother of four, I can say that this book really zeroes in on the issues that are different after the first baby. I especially love the you-are-there reality of 'Tips from the Trenches' at the end of each chapter!"--Paula Spencer, author of Everything Else You Need to Know When You're Expecting and Parenting Guide to Pregnancy and Childbirth

"Having a second child is a whole new ball game. Joan Leonard's humorous and heartwarming tales and tips help to prepare those brave and fortunate enough to do it all over again!"--Dr. Ruth Peters, author of It's Never Too Soon to Discipline, Don't be Afraid to Discipline, and Who's in Charge?

"Reading this book has made me feel twice blessed-- once from the touching and expressive account of life in a family of four, and twice from the sensitivity and insights about life itself."--Myrna B. Shure, Ph.D., author of Raising a Thinking Child and Raising a Thinking Preteen

"Joan Leonard has emotional perfect pitch when she writes about being a mom. Neither sentimental or cynical, she describes modern life with children in all its complexities, celebrating the manifold challenges and profound rewards with humor, wonder and awe."--Roberta Israeloff, author of Kindling the Flame, Lost and Found, In Confidence, and Coming to Terms

"Joan Leonard has written a gentle, nurturing, and no-nonsense guide to the world of being 'twice blessed.' She pays homage to the courage, love and sense of humor it takes to embark on a family of four."--Leah Komaiko, author of the bestselling Annie Bananie and Am I Old Yet?

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 224 pages
• Publisher: Golden Guides from St. Martin's Press; 1st edition (March 10, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 031225430X
• ISBN-13: 978-0312254308
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.5 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (24 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #63,362 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #21 in Books > Parenting & Relationships > Family Relationships > Siblings

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

67 of 68 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Good Advice and Very Easy to Read., January 31, 2006

By 

K. Scruggs "kmichael" (SF, CA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Twice Blessed: Everything You Need To Know About Having A Second Child-- Preparing Yourself, Your Marriage, And Your Firstborn For A New Family Of Four (Paperback)

Reading other reviews of this book, I had considered not purchasing this book. But I decided to go ahead and take a chance since many reviews did say that she was brutally honest.

I am glad I did.

From the first few pages I realized that this was a good book. It was easy to read, the author had a great voice and I loved the tips throughout the book.

The book offers unvarnished advice on what will happen, what could happen and what might happen when a second child is introduced into the mix. Some things I knew intuitively. Some things I never considered.

For example, Ms. Leonard suggests making any changes to the first child's routine long before the second child comes into the picture to minimize the stess on the first child. As it a time up upheaval for the entire family, as much stability as you can give will help the first child adjust.

She tells us that jealousy is a normal reaction for the first born. To help relieve some of the jealousy, make sure that you allocate some time each day to give the child uninterupted, unorganized time with the first born.

I will say that I always read three books on any subject to give me multiple points of view and found this book to be good, but not the best I read on having a second child. That distinction is given to Judy Dunn's From One Child to Two. In comparison, this book offered sound advice often through personal interviews that really drove home the author's points. But in comparison, Ms. Leonard's book included less information than Ms. Dunn's book. Thus if I was only going to read one book on the subject, I would suggest From One Child to Two. It is a denser book that takes more effort to read, but gives you much more to think about.

35 of 36 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Twice Blessed, March 14, 2000

By 

Mary Larson (Chicago) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Twice Blessed: Everything You Need To Know About Having A Second Child-- Preparing Yourself, Your Marriage, And Your Firstborn For A New Family Of Four (Paperback)

Twice Blessed is a great read! I couldn't put down this informative, FUNNY, comforting and chock-full-of-life stories book. Joan Leonard writes from the heart and offers her first-hand experiences with joy and tears. The questions I had about my second pregnancy, preparing my first child for a new brother or sister, life with two children were all answered here. You'll be much wiser (and feel a lot less alone!), as you read about the true happiness of a new life with baby number two. A must read!

27 of 28 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Getting Ready to be twice blessed, March 21, 2000

By 

John Alexander (Palm Beach, Florida) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Twice Blessed: Everything You Need To Know About Having A Second Child-- Preparing Yourself, Your Marriage, And Your Firstborn For A New Family Of Four (Paperback)

We are expecting our second child in three months. When I found this book on our coffee table(the place where my wife leaves "hint" reading for me) I expected a rehash of old Spock. Instead I found an enjoyable, readable book which addresses many of my concerns. Leonard spices the important questions and answers with a lively and often humorous narrative. My wife and I enjoy reading excerpts from this book to each other. A wonderful read and resource!