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Originally uploaded by riblet.
At 6:30 AM this morning, as I was washing an "accident" off of Ira in the tub (am I setting my child up to hate me?), I started thinking about this girl I knew in high school. Her mom had parenting books. I thought this was a wild idea. Parenting books?! There's no manual for kids. Even as a bratty teenager, I knew that. We scoffed at the thought of an adult not being able to figure out their own kid and needing a book to even try. We thought her mom inept, clueless. Now, I am that mom! I am constantly searching for that kid manual.
Here's a short list of books I found pretty helpful:
1. The Happiest Baby on the Block by Dr. Harvey Karp
Indispensable advice on how to keep your newborn happy, quell any fussing and all without making them cry it out.
2. Just about anything in the Sears parenting library. The Baby Book by Dr. and Martha Sears covers almost everything you need to know about babies from birth to 2 years. Right now, I'm all over the chapter about picky eaters.
3. Super Baby Food by Ruth Yaron. Really good information on what to feed babies when they're ready to start solid food. What I loved is that she gives portion sizes on what babies actually might eat. I still turn to this book almost daily. It's rife with typos and I disagree with her giving peanut butter at 12 months. Our pediatrician told us to wait until age 3.
4. Touchpoints by Barry Brazelton. So touchy, so feely! This book proclaims "be proud to love your baby and care about his/her emotional growth. Oh yeah, and when your toddler can't sleep it's probably because he or she is just about to conquer a developmental milestone."
And here's what I'm reading now/read recently:
1. The Happiest Toddler on the Block, also by Dr. Harvey Karp
2. How to Get Your Baby to Sleep by Dr. and Martha Sears
3. The No Cry Sleep Solution by Elizabeth Pantley
So hey, Kelly. I have turned into your mother.
3 comments:
My mom was all about some Dr. Spock. But how could you not want child-rearing advice from a half-Vulcan space officer?
i know i'd be all about the books if i have a kid. i'll buy the books, i'll probably even subscribe to some pediatric medical journal or do tons of research on pubmed. i guess i'd have to hide that neurosis from the kid, however, or else he might feel like a medical experiment!
at least you won't have to give Ira "Our bodies ourselves" when he hits puberty. although leon will probably have to have some dude talks with him!
does he eat dried fruit yet, like raisins?
I ask because dried cherries are loaded with melatonin.
very helpful!!!
der wingernutter
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