Dream Babies: Childcare Advice from John Locke to Gina Ford
by Christina Hardyment
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Book Summary Information
Author: Christina HardymentEdition: Paperback
Audio: English (Original Language); English (Unknown); English (Published)
Published: 2008-06-25
ISBN: 0711227993
Number of pages: 384
Publisher: Frances Lincoln
Book Reviews of Dream Babies: Childcare Advice from John Locke to Gina Ford
Book Review: A wonderful corrective to excessive parenting advice
Summary: 4 Stars
I bought this book because it compares childcare advice over three centuries, and I wanted to see what issues previous generations found pressing. The most helpful thing about this book is that you realize that EVERY generation has noisy advocates of one style of parenting or another, and you see the swing from discipline to leniency and back again. As Hardyment points out, a thorough study of centuries of childcare advice shows that whatever advice is given has "science" to back it up, and will almost certainly be overturned by new "scientific" research. So, do what the "experts" do - read the research, then come to your own decision based on what makes sense to you and works with your circumstances. There is no "one right way" to parent, and the vast majority of children turn out just fine, despite the many different ways they are raised. Ultimately, YOU are responsible for your parenting decisions, and this book is designed to reassure you that you will do just fine using your own intellect and intuition, regardless of what "experts" may try to make you believe.
A drawback to this book is that the author tends to jump back and forth in her quotes of authors, which I sometimes found confusing because I felt the authors hadn't been identified sufficiently in the beginning. And sometimes she skips briefly over topics I would be interested in knowing more about. But a little flipping back and forth is worth it for the message, and she does give a good general overview of changes in parenting trends and scientific advice. I'd recommend this book for any new mother, because it certainly helped me.
Summary of Dream Babies: Childcare Advice from John Locke to Gina Ford
Analyzes the anxieties of our own age and gives parents much-needed confidence in their own ability to choose the advice that best suits them and their babies.General Books
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