The Irreducible Needs of Children: What Every Child Must Have to Grow, Learn, and Flourish

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Summary: Listening to the experts!
Review: As a Ph.D. candidate, I read many child development books and this is one that I can get very excited about. Granted, many parents will find the advice hard to swallow, but this is a research based book. In the perfect world, this is how we would raise our children. I think this book is geared more for activists and professionals, but I also believe all parents should be an activist for their child. I wish every senator and congressman were required to read this book. Frankly, I'm grateful to Drs. Brazelton and Greenspan for giving us this opportunity for a glimse into their brillent minds. I would rate this as a must read for anyone concerned about our nation's children and social policies.

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Summary: This book was a bit boring
Review: Chapter 1 The Need for Ongoing Nurturing Relationships
Chapter 2 The Need for Physical Protection, Safety, and Regulation,
Chapter 3 The Need for Experiences Tailored to Individual Differences
Chapter 4 The Need for Developmentally Appropriate Experiences
Chapter 5 The Need for Limit Setting, Structure, and Expectations
Chapter 6 The Need for Stable, Supportive Communities and Cultural Continunity
Chapter 7 Protecting the Future

This book was somewhat infomative and worthwhile to read because it gave suggestions and ideas on how we can make this world a better place for children. However, in the last chapter, I felt it was poorly written because the authors just stated the problems of our global enviornment and gave little advice or ideas on how we can protect out children's future. I also felt that the authors discussed too much on some of the issues mentioned in the book. While I found this book useful for a research paper, I didn't feel the authors did a excellent job of explaning the needs of children and how we can make it a better place for them.

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Summary: speaking up for children
Review: Gail Hudson's review above words things a little oddly. True, you could argue that this book says children ideally should be in day care less than 30 hours a week, but what it actually says it that ideally, an infant should be at home with a full=time parent! Less than ideal is excellent day care, and it should not happen more than 30 hours a week.

These and other specifics are in this book - how many floor sessions to have with a toddler, how much holding time an infant needs, how many hours of one on one an elementary schooler needs.

This book is marvelous. All parents will find they've fallen short of the ideal, but here's some directions to follow in geting back on track.

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Summary: Love Brazleton, Hated the book...
Review: I am a fan of Brazleton, and I eagerly awaited this book. (I even pre-ordered it before publication.) I was disappointed, however, when I read it, even though I agree with most, if not all, of what Brazleton says.

Much of it is obvious and basic information, at least to most parents I know. (I would think that most people interested enough in child care to order the book don't actually need it. Those who do need it are not likely to read it or agree with its philosophies.)

Some of the book is tedious and boring, getting into developmental studies and theories that set out graphs and charts that are meaningless to parents.

Very little of the book was informative and interesting. (The only thing interesting that I even remember is a section about two visits to daycare centers and how the average daycare worker spends time with infants and children, compared to the ideal parent or childcare provider. It is horrifying.)

I also found the writing style to be offputing, especially where the two authors repeatedly say "One of us (T.B.)found that ..."

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Summary: Graet Review
Review: I have read this book and its a great title to read.

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Summary: Beware: A Policy Paper - Not a Parenting Manual
Review: I read this book expecting to obtain help and information on disciplining and understanding my 2 year old. Instead, the book outlined cleary and forcefully policy points for addressing the various problems facing todays world youth.

While this book (i) makes for interesting "cocktail party" conversation for the casual observer and (ii) provides valid and interesting action plans for those in the legislative, judicial or social work arenas addressing various problems facing children(e.g., custody dispute resolution norms), this book is not a how-to book for parents (like some of Brazelton's other books).

This book should not be bought by those seeking a how-to parenting book. Other more informative books on this subject should be consulted instead. On the other hand, this book should be bought by those engaged in any aspect of work with children.

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Summary: Good read for educators.
Review: I was a little disappointed in this book. I am an educator but was reading from the perspective of a first time parent. It would be helpful for any teacher interested in teaching to individual differences. I wouldn't recommend this to parents unless they happen to be teachers as well.

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Summary: Good read for educators.
Review: It's hard to believe Dr. Brazelton, who has written so many other brilliant parenting books, was an author of this book! It's not that the content was bad or controversially new - but as I read it I kept thinking "Been there, heard that. Where is the infamous Brazelton wisdom and humor usually found in his books?" This book reads like a thesis and is nothing like his other parenting books. This book was such a disappointment for a Dr. Brazelton fan.

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Summary: Nothing Revolutionary and it's like reading a Thesis!
Review: It's hard to believe Dr. Brazelton, who has written so many other brilliant parenting books, was an author of this book! It's not that the content was bad or controversially new - but as I read it I kept thinking "Been there, heard that. Where is the infamous Brazelton wisdom and humor usually found in his books?" This book reads like a thesis and is nothing like his other parenting books. This book was such a disappointment for a Dr. Brazelton fan.

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Summary: Unrealistic expectations?
Review: The title of this book is somewhat misleading - Brazelton and Greenspan have outlined a set of needs which, although qualitatively reasonable, are quantitatively outside the reach of most families - in all areas of the world , for all of human history. The economic necessity for parents to work most of the day, either in or outside the home, is not a function of modern western society, as is presumed by the authors. This being the case, to claim that active face-to face play with an unoccupied adult for most of a baby or toddlers waking hours is an irreducible need, appears somewhat bizarre. Remember, there has been an enormous range of child-rearing practices throughout human history, and most of them have turned out generally competent adults - children are more robust than Brazelton and Greenspan give them credit for.