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Summary: My Children are the Proof
Review: Just a quick note to say that I raised both of my children on the principles that this book puts forth--and they work! I have two amazing daughters--age 21 and age 17 and I couldn't be happier with the way they have turned out. The teen years were relatively sane--they are both top students, happy, outgoing, interesting, intelligent, passionate, hard-working and wonderful human beings. Their souls shine through--and everyone who meets them loves them. My eldest is a student in one of the top art schools in the US and doing well, despite the fact that most of the students are considerably older than her and that she works full-time (she loves working and earning money!). She is an avid gardener, cook and loves her pets and her tank-fulls of colorful fish. She has lots of friends and even manages a rock band! Although my role is now pretty much complete, I see her self-educating constantly. My youngest spread her wings and flew early--a top student in one of the best boarding schools in the world. In addition to getting an excellent academic, arts and sports education, she is dog-sledding, white-water canoeing, tall-ship sailing and traveling the world (next stop Barbados and then over Christmas building a science lab for the Masai tribe in Kenya). Both girls live life to the fullest and to their own full potential and I couldn't be happier!! Looking for the keys? Read this book. My best, Nancy in Pasadena. http://kino-team.com
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Summary: The Publisher, Ten Speed Press
Review: Nowadays parents are bombarded by any number of approaches about how to be with their children. This book introduces a new way of understanding the human being so that parents can best serve as their children's first teacher.
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Summary: worth taking your time to read
Review: Rahima Baldwin Dancy doesn't just offer inspiration, she gives palpability to vague ideals some of us have had trouble finding ways to practice.
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Summary: You Are Your child's 1st Teacher
Review: The best book on parenting. Start with this one and add others for specific areas. If you are looking for a baby shower gift for a friend or relative, give them this book. The other gifts will fall by the wayside, this book will help the child (and parents) for life.
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Summary: A gentle and peaceful guide to parenting
Review: The title of this book is a little misleading if you are expecting (as I was) to learn about ways to develop your child's intellect and communication skills. Rather, the author takes a broader approach, that you are your child's teacher in all matters of life. Moreover, you best serve your child not by trying to "instruct" them but by giving them the space to develop in their own time and manner, without undue influence from other sources.As a full-time mother, I found a lot that was thought provoking in this book. It is quite repetitive and tends to feel like a promotion for Rudolph Steiner schooling. At times I found this a bit much. However it is nice to find a book that says that you are doing a good job just by being there for your child. I was also intrigued by the idea that I should be doing less, not more for my son. That children need space to do their own thing and to observe what you do as an adult more than they need you crawling round on the floor with them or taking them to gymbaroo classes. I take from this book a few ideas of things to try and the reassurance that there are some things that I don't need to worry about. I am sure that I will read it again as my son gets older. It is a very readable book and one that I would recommend to any thoughtful parent.
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Summary: A gentle approach to parenting
Review: The title of this book is a little misleading if you are expecting (as I was) to learn about ways to develop your child's intellect and communication skills. Rather, the author takes a broader approach, that you are your child's teacher in all matters of life. Moreover, you best serve your child not by trying to "instruct" them but by giving them the space to develop in their own time and manner, without undue influence from other sources. As a full-time mother, I found a lot that was thought provoking in this book. It is quite repetitive and tends to feel like a promotion for Rudolph Steiner schooling. At times I found this a bit much. However it is nice to find a book that says that you are doing a good job just by being there for your child. I was also intrigued by the idea that I should be doing less, not more for my son. That children need space to do their own thing and to observe what you do as an adult more than they need you crawling round on the floor with them or taking them to gymbaroo classes. I take from this book a few ideas of things to try and the reassurance that there are some things that I don't need to worry about. I am sure that I will read it again as my son gets older. It is a very readable book and one that I would recommend to any thoughtful parent.
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Summary: An excellent guide for parents of young children.
Review: This book IS available through Amazon. Go back and search for "You Are Your Child's 1st Teacher," substituting "1st" for "First." This book addresses ways that we, as parents, can nurture, preserve and protect our young children's childhoods. This book changed the way I viewed young children and made me much more sensitive to their inner needs. Invaluable.
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Summary: Refined my perspective on what is best for my children
Review: This book is one of the few books on parenting and early childhood education that is based on the child's true needs. This book truly allowed my inner parenting philosophy to blossom. Other readers should note that this isn't another book on what to do with your child to "make them smarter" or "advance their development", and such conceptual paradigms are actually inappropriate for promoting our children's internal developmental timetables and learning processes. It is also important to note that the foundation of this book is based on Rudolph Steiner's approach to parenting and early childhood education, known as the Waldorf method. My twins are soon approaching toddlerhood and we are researching different educational styles before they reach their preschool years. Even though I am not sure if my husband and I will choose a Waldorf education for our children, I believe the arguments in this book made sense in terms of creative and explorative play being the critical foundations of learning for small children, and that drilling them with academic lessons too soon may be harmful to their ability to truly learn once they reach their school age years in terms of developing critical thinking and problem solving skills as well as giving small children the impression that learning is a chore rather than something that is fun and exciting. As a new parent I was so tempted to fall into the media-based hype of how to make my babies "smarter" or "advance their development" and buy various advertised products that make those claims. I now undestand how miseducated I was on early childhood development and my children's true needs during their first year in spite of the many books and magazine articles I've read. I think that so many parents feel the pressure to feed into that hype because we are made to feel that our competence as parents is based on how much our children fit into our socially conditioned definition of success which involves placing a high value on attributes that will allow one to have power and financial wealth, thus the temptation to mold our children into whiz kids and star athletes when some kids just aren't meant to be whiz kids and star athletes. This book gave me a reference point as a new parent on the kind of learning foundation and home environment I want to provide for my children, and assured me of the benefits of seeing my children as whole people -mentally, physically, spiritually, and emotionally.
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Summary: The best parenting resource I have found.
Review: This is a terrific parenting resource, offering: insights into your child from birth through age six; suggestions for meeting parenting challenges from discipline to fostering creativity; and reinforcement of the importance of your role as a parent. I found the section on Rhythm and Discipline in home life particularly helpful. A friend passed this on to me; I have since bought 4 copies and passed them on to other mothers.
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Summary: The Book That Changed My Life
Review: This is the book that not only profoundly changed my parenting style, but led to a career change and major lifestyle change for my family. This was the book that introduced me to Waldorf education and led me to pursue Waldorf teacher training. As a result of this introduction, my husband and I were led to re-evaluate our values and our lifestyle, and we ultimately made the transition from a fast-paced life in the show-business world of Los Angeles, to a quiet life living on a small farm in rural Maine. As a Waldorf early childhood teacher, I have recommended this book to countless families as an introduction to Waldorf education. I always give it as a gift to friends and family with new babies. It is the book I wish I'd had before the birth of my first child. I don't expect most families would experience such a dramatic lifestyle change as a result of this book as ours did, but it may help you relax into your role as a parent, realize that less is indeed more, and make your journey as a parent more meaningful and satisfying.
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