Raise young children with their well-being in mind, gaining the confidence to trust your instincts and live by the baby - not by the book. In this new edition of the best-selling guide to childcare, Penelope Leach combines her warmth, wisdom and child psychology expertise with new scientific research on the way that infants react to the world around them. Find guidance on sleeping, feeds, washing and playtime, as well as advice on your baby's physical, intellectual and emotional development through each stage of life, from birth to age five. Learn to respond to your child in a way that will create a happy and harmonious family environment as you communicate and grow together. More than just a guide to childcare, Penelope Leach's supportive approach, anchored in child psychology, is based on the idea that a child's well-being is just as important as any physical need. Explore pages or parenting tips as you explore: - A child's journey from the first few days as a newborn right through to the first days of school - Tips for sleeping, comforting, feeding and teething plus everyday care at each stage - Ideas for playing, learning, muscle power and making sounds Penelope Leach is highly regarded as one of the world's leading writers on parenting. In Your Baby and Child, she effortlessly offers practical childcare advice, perfect for a new generation of parents seeking parental guidance from a trusted child development psychologist, in a down-to-earth writing style.

Covers infant care, provides medical information, guidelines on growth, safety rules, and a discussion of family issues such as adoption, twins, etc.

The "Complete Book of Baby and Child Care" is an up-to-date, comprehensive reference book every parent will repeatedly use as their children grow through the teen years. The approach is to deal with the complete person, in the physical, mental, emotional and spiritual spheres of life. The contributors are members of the Focus on the Family "Physicians Resource Council". Many are leading Christian physicians, psychiatrists, pediatricians, psychologists and professors in their respective medical professions.

An easy-to-follow manual for feeding babies exactly what they need to hit physical and intellectual milestones from 6 to 24 months, with 60 simple and delicious recipes. The month-by-month format offers a clear understanding of what foods to incorporate and avoid in a baby's diet. World-renowned research neuroscientist, nutrition expert, and author of What to Eat When You're Pregnant Dr. Nicole M. Avena presents an essential guide for new parents on feeding babies during their critical first two years. Answering common questions about picky eaters, food allergies, diversifying baby's appetite, eating out or on the go, feeding baby at daycare or when with another caregiver, and food safety, this comprehensive guide offers easy monthly meal plans and baby-friendly, nutrient-rich recipes designed to support your baby's developmental milestones.

As many of us become parents at a later stage, when our adult lives are well established, the arrival of a baby brings an unpredictability that can be hard to cope with. Those who are used to managing their time in the workplace can be tempted to try to manage their infant in the same way. So-called "controlled crying" has been recommended by many recent childcare guides, but parents should be aware of the high cost of such methods to their baby. In The Essential First Year Penelope Leach shows parents how they can reach a harmonious balance between their baby's needs and their own. While babies and their needs have not changed, our lifestyles have, and Penelope Leach has written the perfect manual for busy 21st century parents, which spans from pregnancy to the child's first birthday. The book is a gentle, but timely reminder that the fundamental purpose of having children is to share happiness. The happier a baby is, the more parents will enjoy being with him or her; being responsive to one's baby does not mean that it has to be at personal expense - the happiness of parents and baby is inextricably intertwined. The Essential First Year is not just full of sensible, practical advice, it is backed by more than ten years of new research into infant development, especially in brain growth, which now confirms, for instance, just how much fathers matter to their infant's progress, how girls' and boys' brains are different at birth (anddevelop differently) and how helping a baby to be calm, contented, amused, and interested leads to optimum development of body and brain. Using such information, Penelope Leach shows parents how to deal with problems as well as how to prevent them. Every parent wants to do the best for their baby and for the child that the baby will become. The Essential First Year gives parents the knowledge and the tools to nurture and care for every aspect of their infant's life - to meet the baby's physical needs, to stimulate their intellectual development and ensure their emotional well-being - and most importantly, The Essential First Year helps parents to simply enjoy being parents.

Medical professionals who are mothers of premature babies offer guidance for similarly situated parents, starting from bringing the baby home to putting the child in school. Illustrations.