The Wonder Weeks. Eight predictable, age-linked leaps in your baby's mental development characterized by the three C's (Crying, Cranky, Clingy), a change ... and the development of new skills (Paperback)

~ (Author), Frans Plooij (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

The Wonder Weeks : Eight predictable, age-linked leaps in your baby's mental development describes in easy-to-understand terms the incredible developmental changes that all babies go through during the first 60 weeks of their lives.

The book is based on the discovery of a little known phenomenon: all normal, healthy babies appear to be more tearful, troublesome, demanding and clingy at very nearly the same ages.

These age-related fluctuations in need for body contact and attention are related to major and quite dramatic changes in the brains of the children. These changes enable a baby to enter a whole new perceptual world and, as a consequence, to learn many new skills. This should be a reason for celebration, but as far as the baby is concerned these changes are bewildering. He's taken aback-everything has changed overnight. It is as if he has woken up on a strange planet.

The book includes:

•  Week-by-week guide to baby's behavior

•  An explanation of the markers for cranky, clingy, crying (the three C's) behavior and how to deal with them

•  A description from your baby's perspective of the world around him and how you can understand the changes he's going through

•  Fun games and gentle activities you can do with your child

The book offers parents:

•  Support in times of trouble

•  Self-confidence

•  Help in understanding their baby

•  Hints on how to help their baby play and learn

•  A unique account of their baby's development

For more detailed information about contents and the research behind the book, please visit www.thewonderweeks.com

Product Details

• Paperback: 352 pages
• Publisher: Kiddy World Promotions B.V. (February 29, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 9079208019
• ISBN-13: 978-9079208012
• Product Dimensions: 9.5 x 6.5 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (17 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #10,149 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

  Popular in these categories: (What's this?)

  #17 in	Books > Parenting & Families > Parenting > Emotions & Feelings
  #30 in	Books > Parenting & Families > Parenting > Babies & Toddlers > Infants
  #82 in	Books > Parenting & Families > Parenting > Child Care

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Sanity Saver, March 26, 2008

By	Sarah Eaves "Sarah" (Houston, TX) - See all my reviews

SO happy they reprinted it!!! I had to borrow a copy from my sister but now I'll order my own... yes it's THAT good.

Okay...so maybe a tad simplistic and repetitive (it tells you not to shake the baby every chapter)... BUT as a new mom it was nice to know that it was NORMAL for my happy boy to turn into a fussy clingy non-sleeper. I like that the book encourages moms to pick up their babies, to respond to their cues, and reinforces that their crying indicates a NEED not manipulation.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Helpful but Repetitive, June 7, 2009

By	Sara Beck (Portland, OR) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I recently purchased The Wonder Weeks to try to help understand why my 4 month old daughter was going through a horrible sleep regression. I found the book to be reassuring--knowing that some things are phases rather than the "new her". As expected, she went back to being more predictable after the new developments. It's helpful to know when the next developmental stage is coming and when it will be over.

Having said that, what to expect is pretty much the same at each of the 8 stages. They do talk about what new skills will be learned and some activities to help develop those skills. But otherwise the chapters are quite repetitive.

I paid $22 for this book. That made this the most expensive baby book I purchased. I'm not sure it was worth that price. I would have purchased it used if available.

If you just want to know when to expect the fussy periods, go to The Wonder Weeks website and download their chart from the extras section. To me, that was the most valuable part of the book.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars One of the MUST HAVES when it comes to baby books!, September 2, 2009

By	On line shopper "S.W." (Texas) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This book literally saved my sanity! My son had had some medical problems up until about 8 months old, causing him to not sleep well. At around 8 months old he recovered, and, after a bit of work, started sleeping BEAUTIFULLY. Just like I kept hearing he was supposed to sleep. This lasted until he was 9 months old. Then, out of nowhere, the peaceful going to sleep and staying asleep stopped. He would cry, he would scream. He would wake up often in the middle of the night. He became less cooperative and much more clingy. I didn't know what to do. I thought this sudden shift in sleep pattern and behavior was caused by something I had done. The pediatrician was NO help when I explained the problem. Desperate for answers, I began searching the web. After typing in "9 mo old not sleeping," I found the website [...]. This site talked about sleep regressions, explaining that babies' sleep does not progress in a linear fashion; they have sleep setbacks when they hit developmental milestones. The website recommended this book for further information. I ordered it right away. This wonderful, wonderful, book explains that babies go through a variety of developmental milestones; some you can see, and some you can't. Crawling, for example, is a milestone you can see. Understanding patterns, unless you know what to look for, is a milestone your baby will hit that you won't see. When babies hit these milestones, at weeks 5, 8, 12, 19, 26, 37, 46, and 55, their sleep is effected and they tend to become more fussy and clingy. The good/bad news is that you can't really do anything about it, but their behavior and poor sleep is not your fault. It is a natural occurrence in each child's life. This book is broken up into chapters for each week. Each chapter lists the weeks fussy signs, soothing tips, sleeping tips, what you can do to help, what milestone is being reached, and top toys for that wonder week. Parent comments are listed too. While the fussy signs are usually the same, and it would be repetitive to read the book cover to cover, as much of what to expect is the same week to week, this format allows the parent with an older baby to pick up and read the chapter pertaining to his/her baby's age without having to read the entire book the entire way through. I, for example, didn't get this book until my son was 9 months old. Being so terribly sleep deprived, the last thing I needed was to have to read an entire book. Also, it is nice to have a refresher of fussy signs for each week.
This book should be required reading for all pediatricians!