Martha Sears

This is my all-time favorite book on parenting young children. Sears is an "attachment parenting" advocate, which is the way I instinctively parented my son. Breastfeeding (on demand), not forcing the child to "cry it out," that sort of thing. Sometimes, I do think Sears goes just a bit too far with not being open-minded to non-attachment solutions, but on the whole, I think he presents a gentle and compassionate book, filled with the wisdom of much personal experience (I think he and his show more wife have raised something like seven children of their own). I would recommend this book VERY HIGHLY to any first-time parents. I found it had just about all the answers to my questions, and I always felt comfortable with the advice. show less

Becoming a parent was miraculous and wonderful. It was also, for me, terrifying. I learned a lot from my Sears' Baby Book. The most important thing I learned is that --I-- am my children's mother. Only I can love them like their mother, because only --I-- am their mother. And so I, a person who used to be blown around by other's opinions like dandelion fluff in the wind, learned to raise my own children and be confident in my own self. Yes, I gathered facts from the Baby Book. I gathered show more information from family members and friends and the internet and other books and that woman I met at the grocery store and we chatted for fifteen minutes, and so forth.

But after getting all the facts and information, at the end of the day --I-- was the one who was living with and raising my babies. I wouldn't always make the right decisions, but I am satisfied in myself and very proud of both of my, now adult, children.

I credit the Sears' Baby Book and the attachment style parenting I was introduced to in that book, for helping me greatly in the raising of my children and highly recommend it, to parents, expectant parents, and people considering becoming parents. show less

What Dr. Sears makes sense. The only part of this book that I question is sleeping with your baby. You just hear so many news reports about babies that have been suffocated by sleeping parents rolling on them. We have an Arm's Reach co-sleeper next to the bed because I don't want to roll over on the baby. This co-sleeping arrangement works well for breastfeeding - she is close by to nurse but not in the same bed.

I personally am a huge fan of babywearing. We have a Moby sling, and it works show more wonders for calming her down. Sometimes being in the Moby is the only thing that works. Babywearing is a lifesaver for my sanity, and it is also wonderful for going out in public and in nature with baby.

If you have been told to schedule your baby by "experts," or told you are spoiling your baby, go ahead and read this book. It will help you trust your instincts again! show less

This guide is written for both parents and children to explain the potty training process. Unlike the other picture books we have read in this course, it is an informative text. Instead of a straight-forward story, the book is a prompt for conversation(s) between children and caregivers. There is a lot of text on each page, so parents reading the book aloud to children may want to edit, or perhaps revisit sections of the book at different times.

I would recommend the book to parents who are show more potty training their children. The combination of bright, colorful child-friendly illustrations and medically-accurate information for parents makes it a helpful resource. Overall, the book sends a positive message about potty training, what it entails, and what children can look forward to as they learn to use toilets. show less