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Summary: I changed my parenting style!
Review: What a relief, when I read this book and found that being attached to my infant was acceptable. Dr. Sears prescribes a parenting style that has been used for eons and only changed recently in the Western world. According to Sears, sleeping in the same bed with your baby is...He offers other solutions to common day problems that may be frowned upon by other experts but can only benefit your child. My baby is now almost two and she is a happy, confidant and very strong-willed child. I have a feeling that the loving atmosphere prescribed by Dr. Sears and followed by me had something to do with it.
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Summary: The best book on babies that I know of.
Review: Hi, I am a Childbirth and Family Life Educator and Breastfeeding Counsellor. I would like to recommend this book for every young couple with a new baby. If you are going to buy only one book on parenting, this would be the one. The book covers all aspects of the baby's development and needs. It covers babyhood from a parental, medical and psychological angle. Breastfeeding advice is excellent. Illustrations make the book interesting, and pictures can always say more than words. Having this book is like having a paediatrician in your home. I recommend it highly.Sincerely, Pat Torngren
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Summary: Disappointing "tone" of book
Review: I was very eager to read this book, but once I did I was surprised and disappointed to find that the way the book is written, parents are made to feel selfish or wrong for doing things another way than they suggest. For instance,on page 375 there is a section on "Keys to working and attaching" and they claim that the two stories they highlight are true. Under the story entitled "What Not To Do" They highlight Jan, a woman who has worked to build a good career and wishes to go back to work. The story is straightforward - she finds a good caregiver, goes back to work and soon after discovers a "distance" between herself and her baby. Then they highlight another story entitled "A Story About Healthy Working and Attaching" about Mary and Tom. The story is twice as long as Jan's and goes into flowery detail about how "She chooses her birth scene wisely" and "The attached couple thoughtfully selects asubstitute caregiver, one who is naturally nurturing and sensitively responsive." This kind of writing is all over the book - the stories of attachment are absolutely wonderful, the parents are "wise" and "sensitive". To be fair, there are occassional references to it not working for everyone and to do what works for you, but the overall tone leaves you feeling like you have failed to nurture your child if you don't do attachment parenting. I was also interested in reading more about all the studies they refer to in the book, but no references were given. It's a lot of "Studies show that..." and "confirmed by studies", but I would be interested in reading the data on those studies - how many subjects? How long a period? I know a lot of people get a lot out of this book, and if it works for you, great! I was just turned off by the way it was written. BTW, my daughter (born early Nov.) slept in our bed for 2 weeks before going to a basinette for about another 2, and then into her crib. I breastfed until I returned to work two and a half months later. I did not "wear" her all the time, and I made sure she was socialized. She is a very happy baby who began sleeping through the night on New Years. She is just as happy with her sitter, our friends, our family, etc as she is with my husband and myself... While she is cautious, she warms up to new people within minutes, but she never demands "mommy" or "daddy" - she feels just as secure with the people she is familiar with.
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Summary: The Baby Book
Review: This is the best baby book around. It is my "if I could have only one book about babies" book. I have bought it for every good frined who has had a baby. It covers everything wellenoughthat you can ask the right questions or start research on some virus or problem. It doesn't answer EVERYTHING but really covers enough to qualify as a neccessity.
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Summary: Another great one from Dr. Sears...
Review: We can always depend on Dr. Sears to deliver a great book, and this was one is no exception. Unlike other books dealing with Attachment Parenting methods, this one offers information is a less militant, more caring way. Dr. Sears has actually been-there-done-that, and openly shares his experiences (both good and bad). At no point, does he say you HAVE TO do something- he simply offers the benefits to following methods that work for countless other parents (including himself). He does say that you have to find what works best for you and your child, that no situation is the same. The one message that is clear, however, is that a child's needs should never be overlooked- afterall, it is our duty as parents to do what is best for our children. Thanks again, Dr. Sears!
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Summary: best baby book I've seen
Review: This comprehensive book blows all the others (that I've seen) away. Follow Sears' "attachment parenting" guidelines, and you'll be really glad you did. Ignore everybody else, just go with Sears, and watch what a happy family and great parenting experience you build as a result. You have to try it to agree.
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Summary: Baby advice you will use!
Review: Dr. Sears advocates the attachment method of parenting which is based on the fact that you can't spoil a child by attending to her every need as an infant. I have found that in using Dr. Sears' advice with my daughter that she has grown to be a happy, well-adjusted, and reasonable (for a 2-year old) toddler. In addition to sections on the family bed, wonderful sling-use instructions, and other ways to keep your baby close and calm, there is advice on what to do if your child is not feeling well (obviously not to be used in place of a doctor's check), and information about keeping her healthy. I have flipped through this book looking for information on many things as my daughter gets older and even though she's now over two, I still use it for gaining sound, basic knowledge of raising a happy, healthy child.
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Summary: Dr. Sears has written a classic
Review: I love this book. It reinforces all of the parenting skills that my husband and I have used since our son's birth. Dr. Sears gives information and support in an understanding and comforting manner. Being "Attached Parents" in a world of mainstreamers - who believe it's alright to let a newborn cry alone in a crib or to give him artificial milk without even considering breastfeeding - is a challenge. Thankfully, Dr. Sears reminds us that we aren't freaks and we aren't alone in our parenting style of sharing sleep, using a sling, and breastfeeding with child-led weaning. This book ought to be read by all expectant parents. Society has taught us that we need to be detached from our babies and look where it's gotten us: kids shooting each other, parents not knowing how to relate to their kids, etc. Let's all remember that we need each other, especially the tiniest members of society! Thanks, Dr. Sears!
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Summary: I can't imagine new parenthood without it!
Review: This book is undoubtedly the absolute best book I have ever seen about baby and child care. It celebrates the inate common sense of a loving parent and reassures new parents that they can and will care for their children in the best way possible. The Sears medical degrees and parenthood of eight children make them doubly qualified to advise parents everywhere. I can't even guess how many times I turned to this book in my daughter's first two years, but I can say that my copy is quite dogeared! A perfect baby shower gift!
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Summary: Attachment parenting very important with adoption
Review: This book was actually recommended by a friend who also happens to be a kindergarten teacher. Unlike most of the baby "how to" books, I felt as if a friend were giving suggestions and advice. I turned to this book many times when my children have been ill and I have been scared. As with any advice no one is going to agree with EVERYTHING, but there are many more opinions in this book with which I agree than other books and authors I have read. My first child was much easier to practice the attachment style parenting than my second for various reasons. He is much more affectionate and loving than my second child seems to be. I very much recommend this book - I have given it as a gift over and over.
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