The Birth to Five Book: Confident Childrearing Right from the Start

As an educator and a parent, I was impressed with "The Birth to Five Book" by Brenda Nixon, who has an extensive background in childhood education. The book covers the challenges of parenting newborns, toddlers and preschoolers, and has a wealth of information that would be beneficial to parents with children in these age-groups. Here are a few of the nuggets of parenting wisdom found in this book: For Infants: ~Learning to be confident as the parent of a newborn. This section helps new parents know what to expect. ~Nursing. This chapter points out the pros and cons of breast-feeding, and also lets the parents know that the decision is a personal one. ~The love of reading. Children who are read to from a young age learn to enjoy reading. ~Finding adequate child care. This chapter lists all the things parents should consider before selecting child care for their infant. ~Separation anxiety. Every parent struggles with leaving a screaming child. This chapter offers helpful insight into separation anxiety and how a parent should handle it. For Toddlers: ~Understanding toddlers. Toddlers can be difficult to understand. This section lists the traits of toddlers, so parents know what to expect. ~Temper tantrums. If you've ever been around a toddler, you know how quickly temper tantrums can develop. This book will give you practical solutions for dealing with them. ~Weaning from the bottle. The process of weaning a child can prove to be a challenge. Understanding your toddler's need for security will make the process easier. ~Discipline. As an educator, I see the extreme value of disciplining children correctly. The word discipline actually means to teach, but many people view discipline as punishment. The author gives excellent advice on how to teach your toddler acceptable behavior. ~Paternal bonding. This chapter deals with the importance of fathers taking an active role in the parenting process. For Pre-Schoolers ~The importance of play. Play is not all about recreation. In fact, for pre-schoolers it is a way of learning about real life. Through this book you will learn ways to promote healthy play time. ~Choosing the right preschool. This can be a life-altering decision for parents and children. The author gives tips on choosing the right preschool in this section. ~Learning responsibility. Children need to learn responsibility from a very young age. To not follow through on this is to raise a child who is completely dependent on you as the parent. ~Preparing your child for school. How do you know when your child is ready for school? The author gives a list of criteria to help you in your decision. In another chapter, Brenda Nixon gives suggestions on helping your child love school. I would highly recommend "The Birth to Five Book" by Brenda Nixon for parents or soon-to-be parents. This book would also make a great gift.

Every child needs to be exposed to the finest experiences, and every parent should know how to provide them. In the Birth to Five Book Brenda provides valuable early parenting information to help you find out what you need to know to get your child off to the best start possible. Her easy-to-read style calms you as you learn to guide and support your child.

Brenda's practical and wise advice will give great peace and knowledge to every parent--regardless of what kind of unpleasant behavior your child is exhibiting. I love Brenda's positive, comforting, and encouraging style. Every parent who reads this book will feel more confident about being a parent.

Nothing is more daunting than to bring home the first baby and have no point of reference for what lies ahead. Nixon's book is a handy little tool with user-friendly pointers for all parents with little ones. From answering the simplest questions of a new mother to tackling toilet training and preparing your child for school, The Birth to Five Book offers quick answers and encouragement for any parent. Information is relayed in a quick readable and interesting manner with short chapters that don't require a lot of time (mom's have little)to glean the important material. What a great gift for the new parent or the one at wit's end with a toddler!

Have little time to read a new book? Too many diapers to change, laundry to wash and someone pulling on your pant leg right now whining, "Mom, mom, mom, mom, mom..." a hundred times? The Birth to Five Book is perfect for you. Author Brenda Nixon has created a great how to manual for busy moms with short, easy to read chapters that deal with all the questions moms want answered: how to handle clingy toddlers, potty training, thumb sucking, biting, fighting finicky eaters, and even how to get dad more involved in the parenting role. As a busy mom of 4 myself, I know how chaotic life can be with preschoolers at home. I just launched my youngest into all day Kindergarten this past fall, and can hardly believe I survived those birth to five years four times over. Boy, do I wish I had Brenda's book back then! The Birth to Five Book is packed full of valuable information for moms of preschoolers, and would make a great baby shower gift, gift for you daughter or daughter-in-law, or for yourself if you have an ankle biter at home with you. Don't stress, mom. Help is on the way. Let parenting expert Brenda Nixon help you figure out all the how-to's of mommy-hood. Trish Berg Author, Book Reviewer [...] Rattled: Surviving Your Baby's First Year Without Losing Your Cool Frazzled: Surviving the Preschool Years Without Blowing Your Top The Great American Supper Swap - Solving the Busy Woman's Family Dinnertime Dilemma A Scrapbook of Christmas Firsts: Stories to Warm Your Heart and Tips to Simplify Your Holidays