Rating: Summary: Great information but the format is not as effective... Review: as in Eisenberg's earlier books, "What to Expect When You're Expecting" and "What to Expect The First Year."Like those two volumes, "What to Expect Toddler Years" is arranged month-by-month. This doesn't work as well since toddler development is much less predictable and more individualistic than infants development; hence, the issue in question might be found in "The Twentieth Month" even though your toddler is only, say, 15 months old. Also, the monthly "milestone" lists for toddlers are guaranteed to make you neurotic, as toddler development is much more individual than infant development. However, the book contains a lot of great information and advice. I think it would have been better to organize it into sections such as "Feeding," "Discipline," "Sleeping," "Playtime," etc., rather than trying to break it down month-by-month, but taken as a whole it is a valuable reference. Just don't panic if your 13-month-old is already throwing tantrums and they aren't addressed til Month 24, and if your 18-month-old still hasn't mastered a spoon even though the list says she "should" be able to do it by now.
Rating: Summary: Good Info Review: These books are nice for first time parents. Nice to have general information to use. Great for a baby shower gift.
Rating: Summary: Very Comprehensive---but Lacks an Easy Access Topic Format Review: My wife and I feel that the WHAT TO EXPECT TODDLER YEARS belongs in every new parent's library along with the other 2 books in the series. They have truly been our "parenting bibles." There is a great deal of useful information in this comprehensive reference guide about 1's, 2's and 3's, and we especially like the medical advice offered. However, we are sometimes disappointed when we attempt to quickly look up insight and answers to specific behavioral questions that continue to pop up with our 2 and 3 year-old daughters. Since the chapter format is organized by months of age instead of topics, we sometimes become frustrated searching for the guidance we need at the moment scattered under different months of age. Additionally, when we do find the information, we often want more depth and more tips to try for each misbehavior. However, we do realize that no one book can have it all-even one with over 900 pages! Recently, my wife found a very helpful pocket-guide in her OB's waiting room, called appropriately- THE POCKET PARENT. It is filled with hundreds of sensible quick-read bulleted suggestions to many of the behavior concerns that we have with our children. "The Pocket Parent" is published by the same publisher (Workman) and is exclusively written for parents of 2's, 3's, 4's, and 5's. The many topics are in an A-Z format, sprinkled with a good dose of compassion and humor that we find helpful and comforting. This totally up-beat book does not preach (no should's or dont's) and is a great little companion for the more encyclopedic "What to Expect Toddlers". "The Pocket Parent" recognizes that the parents are the real experts with their children. The authors suggest that each parent filter the advice through their own personalities and parenting styles and select those strategies that seem to be a good fit for their family. It addresses such common concerns as Bad Words, Bedtime, Biting, Fears at night, Gimmes, Lying, Morning "Crazies", Separation Anxiety, Sibling Rivalry, Tantrums, and Whining . I found myself chuckling as a read some of the brief anecdotes (many specifically about dads) that I coincidently just encountered with my own kids. Both of these reference guides continue to ease our anxieties and frustrations while building the confidence necessary to make good choices as parents. We highly recommend both of these books for your home library to refer to again and again especially when you're in need of some sensible information or just a caring verbal hug that everything is going to be OK.
Rating: Summary: Fair to Medium in real life. Review: In my experience as an early childhood teacher, toddlers and early preschoolers are similar in the basic parenting needs. Getting them to become independent is a good policy as long as it doesn't go over board. Why can't kids stay kids a little longer? This book has some excellent ideas but very little that parents can contribute as a reference towards the beginning stages towards emerging into early preschool. Toddlers learn so quickly and many enter a parent's day out program at 18-months-old. The book is a little behind. For parents who would like a book to take them from one reference to another beginning stage, I'd recommend a book we just finished in a parenting class: "Mommy-CEO." This gives 5 golden rules parents can use from infants to teens and we can go back again and again to pick up tips. It's different than Eisenberg and Murkoff's book because it tells us in simple terms exactly how to promote and motivate acceptable behavior from toddlers to teens from parents who have had success. Eisenberg's toddler book is fair to medium in today's fast track families.
Rating: Summary: bad advice on discipline, tantrums and behavior Review: This book does an ok job of covering the medical and developmental topics, but let's face it: most questions we all have about toddlers involve behavior! I followed their advice for 6 months, and in retrospect feel that they too frequently make parents feel that we risk harming our toddlers self esteem by setting firm boundaries. In general, I feel their philosophy is too wimpy. They even say that some kids are just unhappy/grumpy by nature and that you can't do anything about it. I strongly disagree, and after purchasing a few more parenting books, feel that my son is so much happier, communicates with me better, and I enjoy being a mother so much more! There are no right/wrong answers to parenting toddlers, but this book is way too wimpy and submissive when addressing very little people with big opinions.
Rating: Summary: Decent advice, poorly organized Review: The advice in this book is helpful, but it is very poorly organized. The month-by-month approach works for pregnancy and the first year, but not for the toddler years. In almost every answer there is at least one "(see page xxx)" - I find myself flipping all over the place looking for the answer to a specific question. And the book seems very repetitive. But they do cover a lot of topics fairly thoroughly, so I do use it, I just feel a bit frustruated doing so.
Rating: Summary: yet another great book in this series Review: Although what to expect when your expecting is my favorite of this series. I thought this book was wonderful. It help you understand ages and stages and isn't OPINIONATED like some others. It has more than one doctors point of view so you don't feel like it has to0 be one way or the other. I am not a fan of the Dr.Sears way of parenting and this book is a good alternative to that. I think this book is more open minded and less do it this way and that's it. I highly recommend this book. I understand it doesn't cover EVERYTHING but no book will. Not unless it's the size of an un abriged dictionary.
Rating: Summary: Bought It For My Wife Review: I bought this book for my wife and she loves it. We don't own a bunch of these type of books but have found it to be full of very useful information.
Rating: Summary: A good reference book Review: The advice is paranoid and overly cautious at times, but in general it helps to answer most questions while validating the feelings of what it's like to be inexperienced at parenting. The dietary advice is completely unrealistic however - although scientifically correct, it's extremely idealized and strict. Everyone knows toddlers don't eat that way so you shouldn't feel guilty when they don't follow the Best Odds Diet!
Rating: Summary: This book could be harmful Review: ... I was quickly appalled at much of the "facts" presented by the book. It is quite one-sided and often missses the true needs of many toddlers. Nursing beyond the first year has many benefits, including in the middle of night for some children. This book only gives one side on this issue (as well as many others) and it's the negative one. I was also appalled by the recipe section. It contained only a few recipes and most of them were desserts. Toddlers don't need desserts even those that are "healthier." I could go on, this book is off base more than it's on. Overall, I feel sorry for the children whose parents follow this book's advice.
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