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What Babies Say Before They Can Talk: The Nine Signals Infants Use to Express Their Feelings [Paperback]

Paul Holinger , Kalia Doner
4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (25 customer reviews)

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Book Description

July 29, 2003
How many times have you held your fussing or crying baby and thought, "Come on, please tell me what's going on with you!"

Well, your infant does tell you.

In What Babies Say Before They Can Talk, Paul C. Holinger, M.D., M.P.H., a psychiatrist and psychoanalyst who has been studying children and their emotions for more than twenty-five years, explains how infants communicate with us, and we with them.

Dr. Holinger decodes the nine easily identifiable signals -- interest, enjoyment, surprise, distress, anger, fear, shame, disgust (a reaction to bad tastes), and dissmell (a reaction to bad smells) -- that all babies use to express their needs and wants. These insights will aid parents in discerning what their baby is feeling. This book can help all parents become more confident and self-aware in their interactions with their children, create positive communication, and put the joy back into parenting.

This is a unique work. It provides a foundation for understanding feelings and behavior. Based on emerging research, What Babies Say Before They Can Talk offers parents a new perspective on their babies' sense of the world and the people around them. The goal of this book is to help parents enhance their infants' potential, prevent problems, and raise happy, healthy, responsible children.


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Editorial Reviews

Review

Pamela C. Cantor, Ph.D. Harvard Medical School author of Understanding Children and Youth If I could own only one book on parenting and children, What Babies Say Before They Can Talk would be it!

About the Author

Paul C. Holinger, M.D., M.P.H., is a psychiatrist and child/adult psychoanalyst. He is Professor of Psychiatry at Rush-Presbyterian-St. Luke's Medical Center, Chicago. He is also Faculty, Training/Supervising Analyst at the Chicago Institute for Psychoanalysis.

Product Details

  • Paperback: 288 pages
  • Publisher: Touchstone; Original edition (July 29, 2003)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 0743406672
  • ISBN-13: 978-0743406673
  • Product Dimensions: 5.5 x 0.6 x 8.5 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
  • Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (25 customer reviews)
  • Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #68,552 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

4.6 out of 5 stars
(25)
4.6 out of 5 stars
I would recommend this book to every parent. Charlene Ronquillo  |  11 reviewers made a similar statement
This is a very interesting and informative book. Manjit Singh  |  5 reviewers made a similar statement
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
33 of 33 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars Recommended By Psychologist & Esteemed Professor November 26, 2006
Format:Paperback
On the last day of my developmental psychology class, just before I completed my degree, my professor ended the class with one sentence: "I know all of you have wondered at some point during the semester what you will some day do as parents. My advice is simple. Read What Babies Say Before They Can Talk." I frantically jotted this down in my planner and went on with life. A while later when we were expecting our son, I gladly ordered this book and was blown away at how far above and beyond it exceeded my expectations.

I must admit after completing the book I am very jealous. I worked extremely hard on my school's pre-medical psychology degree track to obtain pieces of the knowledge presented in this book. While I had to also learn names, theory and cite endless laboratory proof just to come away with the "good stuff", like how to be a thoughtful and effective parent, it seems a teensy bit unfair that this one small book could give parents the same arsenal of knowledge I am coming into parenthood with after years of extensive study. Nevertheless, I whole-heartedly recommend it to anyone who is wanting to break the bonds of over-protective, bossy, traditional parenthood roles and allow their children to truly grow with wise and empowering guidance. If I had to pick only one parenting book to read, this would be it. I think you'll find your fears of turining into your parents (or having out-of-control toddlers) melt away with each page that you turn.

(For anyone, psychology-degreed or not, who is interested in reading further on the subject of non-judgemental parenting, may I also recommend "Redirecting Children's Behavior" by Kathryn J. Kvols. This gives you the skills to parent beyond the baby years into the toddler and teenage years with wisdom that could not be learned by yourself in a thousand lifetimes of raising children.)
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12 of 12 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
The saying "a picture is worth a thousand words," is very true...especially when it comes to facial expressions. How many times have you looked at a baby's face and wondered what they were thinking? How frustrating it must be for them to want to verbally communicate with others, but being too young to know how. What if you could "read" a baby's cues, and know exactly what they were feeling?

In the book, "What Babies Say Before They Can Talk: The Nine Signals Infants Use to Express Their Feelings," Paul C. Holinger, M.D., M.P.H., discusses nine simple "signals" that babies use to express their feelings: These signals are: interest, enjoyment, surprise, distress, anger, fear, shame, disgust, and dissmell. The author explains how children are born knowing how to communicate their feelings with these symbols, and that adults need to take the time to understand and learn how their child communicates using these symbols.

This book also includes much information about parenting, helping your children develop high self-esteem, and explains the nine signals in detail.

MyParenTime.com highly recommends this book -- learning how a baby communicates creates better understanding, better interaction, and a better relationship between parent and child. In addition, responding to a child's needs early on, makes happier and healthier parents and children.
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6 of 6 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars Great psychology book! October 3, 2005
By Anna K.
Format:Paperback
One of the best baby books out there from a psychological perspective. If I could only buy one baby book, this book would be it! Dr. Holinger is a psychoanalyst and he applies theory in a way that is very accessible. As a therapist I am surprised to see how few baby books are written by psychologists and psychoanalysts. I was happy to find this book and recommend it highly. It helps parents understand what being attuned truly means and it makes parenting more enjoyable. The first two years are so important and this book helps make them easier. It can also be applied to parenting in general because it promotes being responsive, empathic, and validating.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars a must read for every parent
I loved this book. I give it to everyone as baby shower gifts because I think the information is so useful. Read more
Published 1 month ago by Melissa
5.0 out of 5 stars Good read!
A very good book. I am a first time Mom as well as an infant caregiver and I found this book to be very interesting and very insightful! Read more
Published 4 months ago by Allison
3.0 out of 5 stars content not reflected by title
i didnt like this book. have only read a few chapters. the content of the book doesnt seem to be reflected by the title. Read more
Published 5 months ago by Rosie
4.0 out of 5 stars Emotional guide
This is a good book, offering many insights in children feelings and emotions, which are their primary way of communicating. It also provides information on how to comprehend them. Read more
Published 19 months ago by Spy
3.0 out of 5 stars What Babies Say...
First of all, I purchased this book with specific questions in mind. I wanted to know why my two month old was arching her back, or shaking her head during feeding. Read more
Published 19 months ago by Emily
5.0 out of 5 stars I will be buying from you again very soon!
The book was in perfect shape brand new and in better shape than originally stated!! I received my package within the time frame stated and I'm very pleased with my purchase I will... Read more
Published 20 months ago by Holly
5.0 out of 5 stars Great book
I bought this book for my daughter, who had a little boy 10 days ago. I previewed it before I gave it to her and found it to be full of great info and good advice. Read more
Published 20 months ago by Mama Ann
3.0 out of 5 stars Informative, but too technical
I bought this because of good reviews on the book, but I find it hard to follow because English is not my first language. I'm having difficulty to get the author's meaning. Read more
Published on February 28, 2011 by Cion
5.0 out of 5 stars THIS BOOK IS AMAZING! BUY IT BEFORE ANY OTHER!
I accidentally stumbled upon this book on Amazon and thought I would check it out. It was so much more than the title. Read more
Published on June 22, 2010 by T. Johnson
5.0 out of 5 stars Getting to Know Babies
All new parents should have a copy of this book. It explains so much about the emotional capabilities and reactions of infants, and it allows parents to get to know their children... Read more
Published on June 22, 2010 by Verda L. Little
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