Rating: 
Summary: New Parents should read.
Review: Almost 7 months pregnant I have started to read parenting books. This book has helped us a lot. Being our first pregnancy I wanted to go out and by all the stuff that I thought I needed because of what other people have done. This book tells you why not to buy all that stuff like the mobile because it actually is a distraction and deters away from the babys learning. If I didn't read this book I would have been one of those parents that would over stimulate there baby during the day and they wouldn't want to go to sleep at night. I didn't know you could over stimulate a baby. So much information in this book about crying when to let them cry why to let them cry. When to pick them up why not to pick them up. Where to sleep. Why not to swaddle them!!! Great book. Lots of information and it keeps your attention so you will want to read it every night. I highlighted some parts so I can refer to them after our little girl is born. Like others have said I like the constantly talking to the baby. Let the baby explore. Great advice.
Rating:
Summary: New Parents should read.
Review: Almost 7 months pregnant I have started to read parenting books. This book has helped us a lot. Being our first pregnancy I wanted to go out and by all the stuff that I thought I needed because of what other people have done. This book tells you why not to buy all that stuff like the mobile because it actually is a distraction and deters away from the babys learning. If I didn't read this book I would have been one of those parents that would over stimulate there baby during the day and they wouldn't want to go to sleep at night. I didn't know you could over stimulate a baby. So much information in this book about crying when to let them cry why to let them cry. When to pick them up why not to pick them up. Where to sleep. Why not to swaddle them!!! Great book. Lots of information and it keeps your attention so you will want to read it every night. I highlighted some parts so I can refer to them after our little girl is born. Like others have said I like the constantly talking to the baby. Let the baby explore. Great advice.
Rating:
Summary: The best how-to book on raising a child from birth to two
Review: As a new mother, Your Self-Confident Baby gave me the confidence to raise my son gently, respectfully and in a non-violent way. I didn't believe in spanking before, and Gerber's and Johnson's book supported this. When you have a new baby, everyone--in-laws, other parents, friends, even friends without kids--all know the best way. I wanted to raise my son so he'd still like me when he was older, of all things! There's a saying, that if you let your kids step on your toes when they're little, they won't step all over you when they're older. I like that. These authors have practical things to say about common occurances like changing your baby's diaper... to have it be a positive time, and not a time to chastise them, to shame them. And to let them have a say. This is a book whose time has come. Thank God.
Rating:
Summary: The best book on parenting that I've read
Review: Do you worry if your infant is "doing things on time"? Magda Gerber reassures parents that a baby will self-develop peacefully when parents follow her guidelines. There is no need to buy a lot of baby equipment or enroll in baby gymnastic classes. Babies will develop naturally when guided gently and given lots of time to work freely. Her words are so practical that one wonders why we have moved away from this method of infant care. This book is not only informative but also warmly reassuring for parents.
Rating:
Summary: Peaceful Infant Care
Review: Do you worry if your infant is "doing things on time"? Magda Gerber reassures parents that a baby will self-develop peacefully when parents follow her guidelines. There is no need to buy a lot of baby equipment or enroll in baby gymnastic classes. Babies will develop naturally when guided gently and given lots of time to work freely. Her words are so practical that one wonders why we have moved away from this method of infant care. This book is not only informative but also warmly reassuring for parents.
Rating:
Summary: MUST READ !
Review: I am a mother of 7 months and have read about 10 parenting books. This is my favourite one! Informative, easy to read, concise, and useful (and practical !!) advice. I will definitely read second time later. I regret that I haven't found the book earlier. It will be suitable for parents of newborns up to toddlers. The principles actually applied to childrens of all ages. I am forcing my husband to read it also!
Rating:
Summary: It works....
Review: I have a now 3.3 year old and this book WORKED for us. I used the key principles of this book with my son when he was an infant and now I have an incredibly confident, self assured child. He walks into rooms and greets people pleasantly, is not affected by those who don't speak back and keeps on trekking. Recently someone described him as a "pistol"---meaning no one will ever call him a doormat. He is confident in what he does and even when he isn't we use some of the tried and true techniques and he is fine and moves through that transition time well.This book is a must have....this along with Dorothy Einon's "Learning Early" and "You are Your Child's first Teacher. I firmly believe that this combination when followed in a modified fashion helped my child develop into this really cool preschooler who is fun to be around.
Rating:
Summary: Your Self-Confident Baby
Review: I read this book when my son was 14 months old and began implementing Magda Gerber's philosphy of respect for infants and toddler's. It is amazing to my husband and myself how easy it was to gain the cooperation of our little boy just by explaining what we would be doing and giving him time to participate in his own care. Primary times for interacting with your child are diapering, feeding and bathing. These times are no longer tasks to be hurried through, but moments of communication and interaction that set the stage for a lifetime of relating. The book also addresses the needs of parents. It is the first book I have read that truly deals with the family as a unit. Realizing that parents also have needs and are better at parenting when these needs for rest and time apart from the infant are met was very helpful. Also helpful were the ideas around creating safe areas for Noah to play in ... both indoors and out as a way for him to have space and time alone. Allowing Noah to have his feelings when something comes up that doesn't suit him was another area that the book deals with. It is ok to be mad or upset or uncomfortable...and as a parent not to distract my son from being upset, which seems to be a knee-jerk response at times. It never occurred to me that just acknowleging Noah's feelings was enough. I didn't have to give in to all the demands to keep peace in the house. In fact, our home is very peaceful since implementing Gerber's ideas. This is more than just a parenting book. It has helped me be more present with my son. I only wish I would have discovered this book before we had our son so that I could have done some of the things she suggests earlier in Noah's life. It is a book that I enthusiastically recommend.
Rating:
Summary: These techniques will help you raise a self confident child
Review: I read this book when my son was an infant and used the techniques described herein: no spanking, no tricking (you know, sneaking out the back door so your baby isn't upset), no overstimulation. My son is no longer a baby and he's sweet, kind, calm and can entertain himself. An excellent book on raising a wonderful child.
Rating:
Summary: The most common sense approach of any time
Review: It is often said, "When you don't know what to do, you do what you know." Without the RIE approach, I would have repeated many of the very serious mistakes my mother made. This book so articulately describes the "how to's" and "why's" of child-rearing. There are very few unanswered questions. It is a wonderful guide book not only for raising children, but for relating to people of all ages. Magda Gerber reminds us that frustration, anxiety, fear and other stresses are normal experiences for parents and children. Even with the struggles life dishes out, one can realistically build a life-long relationship with your infant by modeling respect. One of the many of the messages I came away with from reading this book is that aside from the obvious fact that parenting is hard work, it also can be fun and we have the right to relax and enjoy it. Magda Gerber presents guidelines that really work because they are so logical. The experiental aspects of the RIE approach in raising an infant are described in a clear, understandable and applicable way. I wish it were required reading for all parents. This book is now the gift I give to all my friends who are parents or soon-to-be parents. My only criticizm is that the book ended. Wendy Kronick - Los Angeles, CA.
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