My Toddler: The Beginning of Independence (The Stepping-Stones Series for Christian Parents)

Rating:
Summary: Good reading to add to the stack of nightstand books.
Review: Good reading to add to the stack of parenting books one reads. Easy to get through and to the point. Very encouraging was the Effective Parent vs. the Perfect Parent chapter. A great reminder that the best you can do IS the best you can do, so do it!

Rating:
Summary: Sensible, Practical Help
Review: This is the first parenting book I have read and once I got into it--about the 2nd chapter--I found it very helpful. My 18-month old was beginning to be independent, opinionated, unruly and occasionally tempermental. I had previously considered this to be bad behavior but Dr. Warren's book helped me understand what was behind the behavior--frustration, exhaustion, etc.--as well as understand how many emotional shifts a toddler goes through in a rapid-fire manner. Once I could sense what my daughter was actually communicating with her behavior, I could respond, rather than react. He covers a wide variety of toddler behavior and how to respond positively. Something he said that really hit home was not to worry about how you're perceived as a parent because the "image" can become the focus, rather than what is really best for the child's growth. A parent should strive for effectiveness, rather than perfection.