Touchpoints-Birth to Three (Touchpoints)
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By: T. Berry Brazelton and Joshua D. Sparrow
Format: Paperback
From: Da Capo Press
Pub. Date: August 2006
Product Details:
Catalog: Book
Release Date: 2006-09-25
Media: Paperback
Number Of Pages: 528
Ean: 9780738210490
Isbn: 0738210498
ABOUT THE BOOK
All over the U.S. and in over twenty countries around the world, Touchpoints has become required reading for anxious parents of babies and small children. T. Berry Brazelton's great empathy for the universal concerns of parenthood, and honesty about the complex feelings it engenders, as well as his uncanny insight into the predictable leaps and regressions of early childhood, have comforted and supported families since its publication in 1992. In this completely revised edition Dr. Brazelton introduces new information on physical, emotional, and behavioral development. He also addresses the new stresses on families and fears of children, with a fresh focus on the role of fathers and other caregivers. This updated volume also offers new insights on prematurity, sleep patterns, early communication, toilet training, co-sleeping, play and learning, SIDS, cognitive development and signs of developmental delay, childcare, asthma, a child's immune system, and safety. Dr. Sparrow, Brazelton's co-author on several other books, brings a child psychiatrist's insights into the many perennial childhood issues covered in this comprehensive book. No parent should be without the reassurance and wisdom Touchpoints provides.
"I did not know much about this book before I purchased it, but I expected it to be about my baby's development just like it says on the cover. Instead this book seems to be mostly about how Dr. Brazelton interacts with parents and what he does when babies come for a checkup. Instead of focusing on babies, it goes on about how he tricks fathers into thinking babies recognize their voices or how mothers who come to his office look bedraggled because they are spending too much time dressing their babies in impractical outfits. He even seems to mock new parents for being so careful with their babies. There is useful information in this book, but if you aren't looking for a book that tells you how to be a pediatrician, you might want to keep looking."
~ Written on 2008-05-26
"There are so many books on the market about parenting in the first few years of your baby's life. I have read a dozen of them, and was mostly disappointed. The "What To Expect" books, for example, are very wordy, and have very pragmatic advice, but for me lack some "depth". Brazelton's book, by contrast is both pragmatic and philosophical, giving parents much more depth on this subject. I loved reading this book; I found it to be engaging, interesting, and very relevant to raising my 2-year old.
In particular, some things that impressed me:
* The author has great insight into infant and toddler behavioral development (in fact, he has great insight into parental behavior as well). This background gives parents some inclination for what is going on with their child, and is useful in crafting responses to various behaviors that are observed in the early years of a child's life.
* The book is comprehensive, touching on most aspects of parenting in the first three years.
* The book is extremely well organized. It serves well as both a reference, and a cover-to-cover read.
I do agree with other reviewers who have said the author is opinionated. I think this is a good thing -- and I gained more and more confidence in the author's opinions as I went along. Most new parents will do well to have a "starting point" when forming their own opinions. As an example, Brazelton discusses at length the importance of establishing boundaries with infants and toddlers, as this will help the child to feel competent and secure as they continually gain new dimensions of independence which both excites and scares children. But this is balanced with the moderating view that parents minimize negativity by not making big deals of things that don't really matter. This is related to discussion on what it means to "spoil" a child. To this end, Brazelton advises: (1) do sometimes let the child get frustrated when trying to accomplish a new task by themselves -- this is a feeling they're going to have to learn to manage, and (2) establish boundaries so the child has a good sense for his own competence.
"
~ Written on 2008-04-28
"this book was recommended to me twice but it took me awhile to actually buy & read it. I wish I hadn't waited. Absolutely great! This is a terrific book that manages to give excellent advice without being too touchy feely - or too militant. My daughter is a very active and strong willed girl and this book has been extremely helpful."
~ Written on 2008-01-27
"I picked this up from the library on a whim and quite frankly, after skimming through the first chapter, I decided that it was not detailed nor objective enough to be useful for decision-making. It basically reads like a dialog with a very opinionated pediatrician. Since he is busy discussing his own organization and research, one can only assume that he is giving short thrift to any other popular ideas/research currently available. Other books with fewer pages provide greater depth into the topics that he covered in the first chapter."
~ Written on 2008-01-23
"I found this book through PBS's "Whole Child" website. I initially checked it out from the library when my then four-month-old daughter resumed crying at night, seeming to regress from the progress she was making. After reading through the book, I realized that she was going through a normal development step, or "touchpoint" as Dr.Brazelton calls it. I've found the author's tips work well with my two children and am especially grateful for his tips on sleep (patting the child's back to settle her down, using a lovie). I've also found that he adopts an understanding tone --- he tries to work with the parents and caregivers regardless of their circumstances (working vs. stay-at-home). The book is now an essential part of our collection. "
~ Written on 2008-01-10