Your One-Year-Old: The Fun-Loving, Fussy 12-To 24-Month-Old

This series is wonderful. I relied on it heavily in raising my children after being raised myself in a way I did not want to imulate. My now grown children comment fondly on their childhoods, and are both compassionate, interesting people with good family and career goals of their own. These books helped me figure out what "the small stuff" was, so, I could identify "normal" behavior and relax. If you are determined to raise your children in a nurturing, supportive way, without a lot of criticism and policing, this series will help you. Knowing what developmental stage your child is in really helps keep the anxiety level low. Be forewarned, though, no matter how relaxed you are as a parent, teenagers probably never are completely "normal." Some are only mildly wacky. Some are very wacky. We had one at each end of the spectrum. The key with them must be to remember they are still a work in progress. Humans take a long time to get "done." Set standards, hold your breath, pray a lot,and wait--never give up.

I must disagree with the above reviewer who complained that the book is 15 years old and is therefore outdated. That criticism would be more vaild if it concerned a book about teenagers or pre-teens, since our culture has changed so much in just 15 years. However, one-year-old children have behaved in similar fashion since the beginning of time. They learn to stand, to totter, they grab ahold of everything in sight. This book is short, easy to read, and packed with a lot of insight. I especially like the suggested toys section--old magazines, blocks, plastic play hammer, old purse, etc. One-year-olds are fascinated by everything, so concentrate on simple, unbreakable items instead of spending hundreds on smashable toys. Good read!

This was a regrettably late addition to our library of first-time parent books. I cannot begin to tell you what a FANTASTIC book this was...it dares to avoid categorizing your child into a particular style (i.e., Brazelton, Sears, etc.) and instead offers sound, practical advice on how to deal with a variety of toddlers. We found the breakdown of the year into 3 distinct stages to be especially insightful. Best of all, my husband, who found that many of our other books alienated or ignored the dad, read the whole thing cover to cover. Don't be fooled by the fact it's been around a few years--its advice is still sound. And as soon as I get down writing this review, I'm placing my order for "Your Two Year Old"

No offense to the venerated Dr. Spock and his devoted readers or to other authors of child rearing books, but this series ought to be required reading for all parents. As an only child and the mother of a wonderful (now 15 year old) only child, I was at a loss of the changes that my daughter went through during her growing years. A kindergarden teacher recommended this book and I was hooked! I read the whole series and by understanding the _developmental_ changes of my daughter, I was able to raise her in a calm and loving manner. I emphasize the word 'developmental' because that is the key to all child development and in the raising of a happy and healthy human being. I came here today looking for the book for a friend who just had a baby. I HIGHLY recommend it!

I had purchased Your Two Year Old for my eldest child, so knew that I liked the format and writing style of this series- many anecdotes mixed with summarizing generalizations, yet still respecting the individuality of the child. Thought I would have no trouble rearing my second one to that point, but boy was I wrong. At 19 months, I wondered what had become of the tender child I had given birth to! This book helped calm my fears and keep me sane in the knowledge that my second born daughter was perfectly normal- my elder daughter was simply a very easy child. I highly recommend this book to anyone who has the bad habit of comparing their child to others, as this book will easily ease your fears.