To think Wonder Weeks is just rubbish

[NorthernRosie]

Nothing ties in with anything my baby does date wise and then the book caveats it by stating the leaps can pretty much happen at any time. So really it's just a general development book listing the things babies do in chronological order and nothing new.

Also it seems to be telling me that at her current leap 'relationships' she could possibly be standing up on her own and walking. She is only 6 months. She's just about learning to sit. Am very confused....

Yes

It's shit, people are what they want to see. Selective bias.

Whatever gets you through that first year though

People see

We loved it as it gave us reason to "explain" the fussy phases, but I agree that it all happens anyway at some point! Don't think it's entirely rubbish though.

Agreed, it's rubbish.

I had decided with dd2 that I was gonna to avoid all such books but in a moment of vulnerability and due to hype, I weakened and bought this. None of it has fitted with her development and wish I had saved that money and stuck to my initial resolution.

pantone that's exactly it, selective bias - it's just a massive long diatribe on all the things your baby could possibly be doing at some point in a few month timeframe. You find the few things that match and go 'oh yes, how insightful' ignoring the 50 other things they're doing or not doing.

And I love the fact it says fussy phases can last a few days or a few weeks. I'm sure all babies have some fussy days every few weeks or so - it's what baby's do!

babies

Going to be a dissenting voice - I was a bit sceptical before reading but the timing was uncanny. It fit exactly with my son's leaps in the first year, clingy times etc. Found it incredibly useful. But YANBU - it's not one size fits all

I've got 4dc and found it to be complete rubbish with all of them. 'stormy' and 'sunny' periods have never fitted with any of them. Yanbu.

I actually found it very useful and my son has followed the leaps mostly

I thought I was absolute codswallop.

All this "oh my baby is unsettled, must be going through a leap"

No, they're unsettled because THEY'RE A NORMAL BABY AND BABIES OFTEN CRY FOR NO REASON.

One of mine appeared to follow it exactly and the other didn't. YMMV, I suppose.

Another vote here for 'whatever gets you through the first year'.

It's utter bollocks.

If all babies adhered to the same weekly schedule they'd all crawl, walk and talk on the same specified week.

I liked bits of it, but agree it's sufficiently vague to read what you want into it.

Also, the quotes were clearly made-up bull shit.

I found it really helpful, as did DSis and my friends. YANBU to not like it, but lots of people love it and anything to get through the first year.

Wonder weeks, growth spurts...........never heard of them til I joined MN !!

Honestly?

I think it's a self fufilling prophecy that people who are a bit insecure about their parenting skills might use for reassurance.

I may have just been unlucky in my acquaintances though.

In the first few months of DS's life, I drove myself halfway demented worrying about all these stages, spurts, leaps and so on, whether he was doing everything 'right' and at the 'right' time and what I should be doing to facilitate it all. Then I realised that he was going to do what he was going to do, in his own time and on his own terms regardless of what I did. So I haven't bothered with any of this stuff since. He's now 7 months old, can sit perfectly well and is obsessed with getting me to help him stand up. He's weaning like a good 'un, thinks blowing raspberries is the very pinnacle of comedy and sometimes screams for half an hour at a clip for no discernible reason.

So, in my very limited experience, it's all bolleaux designed to gouge yet more money out of worried parents. Babies have been growing up for millennia without all this gubbins. So long as they're fed, warm, dry and loved, they'll be just fine.

NiNoKuni exactly. I got myself so worried for the first few months. Then I thought bollocks to it all. I'd forgotten I had the book then when I glanced at it today it made me feel all anxious again when it suggested my 6 month old should be walking. Then I realised just had ludicrous the whole thing was.

I only have the app but the storm clouds were so accurate for ds, he definitely followed the schedule. Less so for the skills acquired. Now he's off the chart but I can spot a leap a mile off, he'll be a nightmare for a couple of weeks and then emerge with a new ability

God yes, I hated it.

"Baby acting up? Crying? Fussy? Have you been a bit of a shit parent lately?? NEVER FEAR! This week your baby is discovering TRIGONOMETRY.
This may result in him:
Acting up
Crying
Being fussy
Making you a temporarily shit parent."

I think it's a self fufilling prophecy that people who are a bit insecure about their parenting skills might use for reassurance.**
**
What she said.

Baby has been a mare last few days. But this morning i found she had advanced the field of string theory - so all forgiven!