Rating: 
Summary: Tears and Tantrums
Review: If you've ever been caring for a child who is behaving in what I would call a `fussy' way, and you have not known what to do next, then this book is for you.
As the title suggests, Tears and Tantrums deals with the very delicate and highly loaded subject of why babies and children cry and rage, and what to do when they do. It is an excellent source of straightforward, well-researched information which gives the reader a rich and useable knowledge of the emotional world of not only babies and children, but teenagers and adults too! If you want to understand more about human emotions in general, and in particular how to help young children deal with their own strong emotions, then this book is an absolute must.
Before reading Tears and Tantrums I had a particularly difficult (fussy) child of three. Using the information in this book, I was able to help my daughter release her strong emotions in a safe and practical way. She is now a more relaxed, happier, and more confident and lively child. She is no longer fussy and difficult to live with, but rather able to express her full array of emotions, and therefore not weighed down with pent-up feelings. All of this was achieved by following Dr Solter's advice in this book and her other two books (The Aware Baby and Helping Young Children Flourish). These books offer a comprehensive approach to parenting which avoids the usual approach of punishment and/or reward. The books are packed full of practical, useful examples, and they are well referenced and laid out. They will serve for years as an excellent point of reference for parents and caretakers. I cannot recommend Dr Solter's books highly enough, and I haven't looked back since the day I discovered these gems.
Rating:
Summary: A new way to understand our children's tears
Review: Our family was blessed with the loan of this book from a teacher we know. We were having a hard time determining how to correctly deal with the "tears and tantrums" of our children (3 years and 18 months at the time).Solter's book provided advice that immediately cut through our indecision and allowed us to understand what our children were trying so desperately to communicate to us and to deal with it in a the most loving way possible. In retrospect, more traditional approaches to "handling" children's crises such as distracting the child, telling/yelling the child to stop, giving into demands, or the dreaded pacifier, all seem to be incredibly short-sighted, serving only the parent's needs. This book has shifted my personal feelings when I hear my children cry. I no longer feel annoyed and martyrized by these "interruptions". Loud crying in response to some small little owwie no longer makes me feel fustrated. Instead I just open my arms, offer my shoulder and feel confident being in the moment with my children as they let it all out. I highly recommend this book.
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