New First Three Years of Life: Completely Revised and Updated

I had this book by my bedside for ten years as I raised my three children. At times, the advice and wisdom seemed so contrary to what I was being told in the media and popular culture in the 1980's. Yet it was so refreshing to read about practical ways to assist my children in their develpoment, without the bells and whistles that our world tells us we must have. Burton White shows how to nurture your child's curiosity, which is a foundational element to their intelligence. My oldest son is in medical school, my second not far behind, and my third is keeping up with her two brothers. If anyone ever asks me my secret, this book is part of my answer.

This book has been wonderfully interesting to my husband and I as we have become parents. White divides the first three years into seven phases. For each phase, he describes:- The developments to be expected (in detail) - The child's interests and how to support them (for example, a newborn is primarily interested in simple comfort, being handled, sucking, etc.) - The learning developments that should take place - Recommended child-rearing practices- Child-rearing practices NOT recommended - Recommended toys- The behaviors that signal the onset of the next phase.We have used this book to select toys for our son, and I think it has saved us some money on toys that wouldn't be interesting to him (as first-time parents, we didn't know a whole lot about babies). We love to read about the developments he is going through, as well as what is coming next. There is also a great Recommended Reading section in the back for more info on many of the topics.

This book contains outdated infomation such as using pacifiers and its effect on teeth. I found this book informative and agreed with a lot of the things he had to say such as not letting a baby "cry it out" and explaining the importance of monitoring hearing ability. What I liked about this author is that he accepts differences of opinion of other readers who may disagree with him. The author discusses the role of the father, bonding, toilet training and gives a list of recommended books to read. Some of the things he discusses:Recommended Child-Rearing PracticesLanguage DevelopmentSome Childrearing practices he doesn't recommendHelping the infant develop specific skillsHow to screen for mild to moderate hearing loss in childrenToys he recommends for babies and toddlersTalks a little about the effects of restrictive devices such as playpensObstacles to optimal achievement in the 5 fundamental edcational processesNuturing the Roots of IntelligenceA chart of recommended materials for your child to play with such as pots & pansSibling RivalryDisciplineThe Critical Importance of Hearing Ability which includes a parents' checklist and steps to take if hearing loss is detectedThe Needs of Infants & ToddlersPlay

This book is an absolute must if you'd like to avoid the terrible twos stage. I read this book as well as his other entitled "How to Raise a Happy Unspoiled Child". I followed his guidlines as best as I could and today I credit Burton White for how wonderful my five yr old turned out to be! My son went through what I call the "terrific twos" and people comment on his well-behaved and happy disposition all the time! He teaches you how to "discipline" appropriately according to age without inflicting physical pain to the child. But you must begin by ten months at the latest. Starting early is the secret. Get his books and begin now for the sake of your child's happiness and maturity. Good luck!

The most valuable baby gift we received when our daughter was born. More worn than the "What to Expect" books. We always read one stage ahead of where our daughter was at.... and we watched with amazement as she mirrored each developmental stages. Techniques for avoiding the overdevelopment of the intentional cry to eliminating undesirable behavior worked like a charm. Buy it.