A comprehensive guide to the psychology of parenting. Jargon-free, accessible and succinct, with cross-referencing throughout.
A comprehensive guide to the psychology of parenting. Jargon-free, accessible and succinct, with cross-referencing throughout.
Child rearing, Parent participation, Parenting (general)
Parenthood can be the most pleasurable and worthwhile task in the world. But how can we be sure we are doing it right?
'Understanding Your Child' is an A-Z guide to the psychology of parenting. It covers over 175 key topics, from adolescence and working mums to thumbsucking, dyslexia and discipline, in an easily accessible and reassuring way. Also included are overviews of the important issues for each developmental stage: birth to six months, six months to a year, one to three years, three to six, six to twelve, twelve to sixteen and over.
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We bought this book when our first son was 3. He is now 17. We still refer to it when we need to. We also have a 12 year old son who is sometimes harder to understand than our older lad. This book puts everything into perspective in any easy to use manual that teaches parents the best techniques for handling pretty much every possible situation. All of the topics are in alphabetical order. The other night my husband and I found out, after reading the section "Twelve to Sixteen" that our 12 year old was acting in a perfectly normal way for his age ... and to think we thought he had just flipped for no reason! It's a long time since I was a kid. I don't remember what it felt like to be 12 and things were going wrong for me. Mavis Klein explains everything in such a clear and practical way. This is a practical handbook of real tools explaining clearly what to do in at least 200 instances ranging from 'abandonment' and 'adoption' to 'dyslexia', 'drug abuse', 'phobias', 'punishment' and 'worrying about your children'. It gives us confidence in our parenting skills because if there is a problem that we don't know or have forgotten how to deal with it, we just look it up and bingo! The answer is right there, without any emotion, just plain common sense. Part One takes you through the 7 stages of childhood: birth to 6 months, 6 months to 1 year, one to three, three to six, six to twelve, twelve to sixteen (puberty), and sixteen and up (adolescence). Part Two is an A-Z of topics concerning things that might come up in any or all of the 7 developmental stages. The best thing of all is tha we are, as parents, not meant to be perfect ... but just to be 'good enough'. This helps me to be a good enough parent. Just last week I had to re-read the sections on defiance and rebellion. Things have been a lot happier since I dipped in to get 'the fix'. This book should be issued to all parents as soon as the first child is born! It's like having your own brilliant child psychotherapist/clever grandmother just sitting right there on your book shelf. ~ L.M. Hayes, Amazon
