Trees Make the Best Mobiles: Simple Ways to Raise Your Child in a Complex World (Paperback)

by Jessica Teich (Author), Brandel France de Bravo (Author) "There's a Zen Buddhist saying, "Haste is a form of violence..." (more)

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Moms-to-be Gwyneth Paltrow and Heidi Klum are gaga for this back-to-basics childcare guide."
- US Weekly, (5/3/2004)

"Moms-to-be Gwyneth Paltrow and Heidi Klum are gaga for this back-to-basics childcare guide."

(US Weekly ) --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Description
Books like Simplify Your Life and Don't Sweat the Small Stuff have encouraged millions of readers to slow down and enjoy life more. Now, Jessica Teich and Brandel France de Bravo help new parents- who barely have time to return a phone call or wash a sock- learn to do less, listen more, and spend focused, fruitful time with their children. Practical and fun to read, Trees Make the Best Mobiles urges parents to treat every task-even diapering and feeding-as a chance to connect with their child, and gives calming advice about hot-button issues from pacifier use to temper tantrums. Parents will be relieved to discover that they don't have to buy lots of stuff-a tree outside a baby's window can serve as a mobile-or shuttle kids from one activity to another. In fact, in today's hectic, high-speed world, children need less "stimulation" and more unhurried interaction with the people who matter most. The authors call their approach "present parenting," because they believe being "present in the moment," without resentment or distraction, is the greatest present any parent can give.


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Product Details

• Paperback: 208 pages
• Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin (September 1, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0312303254
• ISBN-13: 978-0312303259
• Product Dimensions: 7.1 x 4.8 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars See all reviews (33 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #383,710 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Gem of a Parenting Book!, January 23, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: Trees Make the Best Mobiles: Simple Ways to Raise Your Child in a Complex World (Hardcover)

I have read many books on parenting and usually come away from them feeling more overwhlemed than reassured. Trees Make the Best Mobiles is the exception. We live in a culture that seems to demand MORE-FASTER-BETTER but Jessica Teich and Brandel France de Bravo take issue with that mantra and encourage parents to slow down, listen, act with mindfulness, and throw away the mechanical dolls. The two authors - mothers themselves - offer sensible and creative suggestions that are empowering to both parent and child. I was able to use their advice to bring a bit of calm into my own hectic household and I strongly encourage every new parent-- and old one, too-- to take a look at this terrific book.

11 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars TOP-NOTCH BOOK ON PARENTING!, December 11, 2001

By	Sandra D. Peters "Seagull Books" (Prince Edward Island, Canada) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Trees Make the Best Mobiles: Simple Ways to Raise Your Child in a Complex World (Hardcover)

As both a counsellor in behavioural psychology and a mother who has raised three daughters to adulthood, this will be a highly recommended book for those seeking information on parenting. This book could more aptly be called, "Simplifying Parenting and Getting Back to the Basics," for really, that is the theme of the book.

It is a natural reaction to want to give children the best of everything; however, many parents (particularly in two-parent households where both parents work outside the home) are overly caught up in a materialistic world. Baby has an ornately designed, expensive bed; toddlers with relatively short attention spans play among brand name, state-of-the-art play centres, and young children start school in designer jeans and jackets. All that is fine if one can afford it, but as a counsellor, I have seen far too many parents sit in front of my desk and say, "How do I keep up? We can't afford this stuff but, you know, the kids need to have it." Well, there is a big difference in the world between what one "wants" and what one actually "needs."

This book is an excellent example of setting priorities when it comes to effective parenting. It spells out what a child needs most in life: quality time, love and acceptance. No where does it say that designer jeans rate among the priorities. New parents, particularly, will find this book well worth reading. By getting your child off to a solid start in life, you could be saving you and your child a world of heartache and frustration (not to mention financial difficulties) down the road. It is not the young child who lives in a materialistic world; it is the parent(s), and children learn from examples. This book is highly recommended and worth far more than a five-star rating. Even those parents who truly do live a simplistic life style will have their current ideas reinforced and find plenty of new ideas to contemplate.

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Parenting Wisdom, December 10, 2001

By	rosanne bluestien,M.D. (Torrance, Ca) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Trees Make the Best Mobiles: Simple Ways to Raise Your Child in a Complex World (Hardcover)

This delightful book will reward its readers with wit, wisdom, and a reassuring clarity about the value of parenthood. The authors advocate a refreshing, child-centered approach to child rearing. Their simple, yet vital priorities are reflected in the organization of the book, itself, into brief, concise chapters, which may be browsed or read straight through. I would imagine that even the most harried and sleep-deprived of parents would find this book accessible and easy to read. The authors, who are students of Resources for Infant Educarers (RIE) and parents of young children themselves, share thoughtful meditations on a diverse array of parenting topics, from temper tantrums to toilet training. Throughout, they emphasize the fundamental truth that the greatest gift parents can give to children is... themselves. The empathic attunement that a parent who is truly present and "in the moment" can provide is truly priceless to a developing child. To their credit, the authors translate this ideal into a set of pragmatic suggestions for approaching such routine tasks as a diaper change in a more relaxed, unhurried, and mindful manner. Parenting books can overwhelm readers with professional prescriptions that may seem impossible for the average mom and dad to implement on their own. This practical and wise little book serves to remind parents that they already possess the essential tools to successfully nuture and guide their children.