Customer Reviews

Your Eight Year Old: Lively and Outgoing

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4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(0)
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1 star:		(1)

 

 

My husband and I are in the process of raising three daughters, ranging in age from 15 to 6. Throughout I have found this series, although sometimes outdated in specifics, right on in terms of emotional and behavioral development.

I have found it comforting to see that the books define certain behaviors as stages, just as they are occurring. And I have felt less alone as I have battled some of the less desirable behavior.

These authors really know what they are talking about.

I am buying this book because I already own "Your two year old" through "Your six year old" written by the same author. The books I have read by this author are succinct and written in a conversational tone. The insight that I've gained into the developmental/behavioral stages of a child in this series have been great.

When my then 5 1/2 year old was behaving much differently than he had at age 5, my mother pulled out an old hardcover version of the Gesell Institute Books and - oh my! - much of the changes seemed to be quite common among 5 1/2 year olds!

These are 'old' books (I'm one of the earliest of the baby boomers, though my child is now nearly 9), but they are still useful.

This book and all in the series are little paperbacks, quick to read. Our society has changed since they were written, so a bit of the book may seem dated if you don't like 'traditional roles. However, there is much good information and wisdom in here, unencumbered by the modern day concerns about ADD and such. In expensive, a good investment to ease a parent's mind. A nice gift from grandparents to their own children, and for young parents, just nice to have on the shelf for those days when we forget that kids behaviors and interests change as they grow up.

Look for the updated copy by typing out 8 - Your Eight Year Old - by Louise Bates Ames, Printed 1990. I love this series and almost didn't find it in here.

Having bought "Your 6-Year-Old" and found it terrific, we purchased this book when we were going through some problems with our then 8-year-old. "Your 6-year-old" was extremely helpful to us at the time, giving us lots of tools to deal with the changes our daughter was going through. However, "Your 8-Year-Old" didn't seem to go into as much depth as the 6-year-old one did. The descriptions of various personality traits and development phases seemed more general in this book than in the 6-year-old book. Although it was helpful, we felt that it could have gone into more detail.

Ames and Harber explore this livley energized challenging time in a child's life and provide insights for parents to guide them through this rollar coaster ride between seven and nine years old. The authors aim to offer parents insight on everything from relationships and family life to routines and birthday parties. Each chapter is rich with observation and empirical and anecdotal data. While you may not always agree with the conclusions the authors reach, credit is easily given to the skill with which they are able to articulate their observations. Your Eight Year Old: Lively and Outgoing is a practical systematic guide to better understanding eight year old behavior.

I have bought these books each year as my son grows up. The social context is fairly dated, but the behaviorial and abilities information is very helpful. It has been reassuring to find his behaviors are not totally out of sync with one interpretation of typical development. I usually read the next age shortly before his birthday and refer to it thoughout the year. It is definitely an inexpensive and fairly helpful reference.

These books are kinda old. The pictures are old, but the ideas and the gist of it are timeless. The material inside does give you insight into what your child is thinking and/or feeling but you feel like you have jumped into a time warp. If you can get passed that, you can glean a lot of information from these books at all ages and stages.

I was told about this book by my therapist, whom I am seeing before I marry my fiance. It has a lot of great information and very resourceful; great buy.

This book serves as a great tool for me in raising my children! It provides a great assessment as to what I can expect from my children, and explains the reasoning for some of the issues that go on with their behavior. I wish more adults in the education profession and politics would use the information provided in this book in an effort to get a better perspective on what it's like to be a child of eight. Particularly as we continue to hold our children more and more accountable for reaching such rigorous education standards.