Listening to Littlest

I am a psychotherapist dedicated to helping families function well. I so often hear from parents, "Why don't children come with instruction books?!" Well, this is as close as you can get to that. Learning to listen well. It is incredibly insightful and well-written. I recommend it to all the parents I work with and give it as a baby shower gift to all the new parents I know. It is an excellent must read.

This books offers wonderful insight to becoming a more attentive parent. Through real life events, the author represents a particular view which parents can tap into and gain a greater understanding into their child world. Ruth Reardon's (author) perspectives easily surpasses many theoretical parenting books available today.

As a pschiartric RN, I discovered this book with delight and tears. It is written from a child's perspective with geniune perception and understanding of the children in our lives. I have found the book very useful in therapeutic environments as a successful tool to reach feeling levels with troubled children and adolescents in a psychiatric hospital setting. The book enabled me to illicit feelings and emotions that are hidden by scarring and abuse, in a swifter time frame, and to develop trust with the children which is needed to aid in recovery. Thusly, the troubled children were able to identify, own, and express feelings that had been buried in so much pain, hurt, anger, and fear with a swifter insight into their problems and depression. Not only have I used this book in therapy, I use it with my own child and she loved hearing the poems and verses (even at the age of three) and "Let's blow bubbles" became frequently uttered words from her. The book helped me, in that I had no true preparation for parenting and it became a guide through the difficult step of "Let me cry sometimes" with understanding and resolution of my own guilt. I have given this book to several psychiatrists that have given the book rave reviews. I always give the book as a shower gift to new mothers, in hope that it leads to the understanding of their children and enables them to learn parenting skills without a sterile classroom setting. I, truly, enjoy this book and feel that it can help millions of parents with problems that they do not know they will have to face. Thank you, Ruth, for such a wonderful learning and teaching tool that is presented in such a beautiful profound, poetic fashion. Angels in your pockets, as a reward for a five star book.

This book has completely changed my way of parenting. I was an overwhelmed parent of two. I was constantly full of anxiety, wondering how to juggle it all. When I came accross this book, it was the best thing that could have happend to my children, my husband and myself. I suddenly realized that I don't have to "juggle" it all, just enjoy it all. This made all the difference in the world concerning the relationship between my children and myself. Thank you.

What a treasure. I received this book as a gift to mark the birth of my first child and I can't think of a more appropriate gift. Pearls of gentle wisdom to keep parents focused on what is truly important to a child and her family.