toddler taming or contented toddler (gf) book - which would you recommend?

[annady]

hello,

i'm about to buy my first ever baby book (dc is 18 months so it's about time!) but am split between the toddler taming and gf contented toddler books.

i guess the main areas of advice i'm seeking at the moment are:

• hitting / tantrums
• the arrival of another sibling

dc is overall great (so far!) and has a lovely character, and until now we've been pretty easy going about raising her - although we did a bit of nap training and brief controlled crying to get her night (12 hours) and lunchtime (2-3 hours) sleeps in check...

that said, with another baby on the way, and dc's emerging predilection for hitting me, (in order to provoke a reaction, she knows it's wrong), i think it's time to seek advice on some ways of approaching these areas... (and many as-yet unchartered areas that no doubt await me in the coming months!)

or should i just buy both books? or just ask mumsnet?

TIA!

anna x

toddler taming is okay but if you want routines etc. then Ford might be for you

OR join a library and get both

I liked Toddler Taming

Go to the library and have a look at both and see which style you prefer, then borrow it !

oh, and can i also recommend "how to talk so kids will listen and listen so kids will talk"

tis marvellous!

I wouldn't bother with a book

I'd stick to MN

But, I did find Tanya Byron's approach sat well with me (I watched the House of Tiny Tearaways series as they coincided with dd1 hitting toddlerhood)

IME, no way of knowing how a dc will adjust to a new sibling... and a book prob won't be much help with that sort of thing!

I'd say toddler taming - very practical, down to earth and above all realistic about toddler behaviour. GF says lots of stuff about her first contented little baby book and there is an assumption that your child will already be in the routine, and if not that you will put your child into her routine . she does have good tips but not always compatible with real life, imo.

I don't know about the gf book, but I found toddler taming a bit disappointing, in that he basically seems to say, 'well, they'll grow out of it' and 'ignore bad, praise good'. I have certainly had more help from mumsnet.

I really liked Elizabeth Pantley's No cry sleep solution, and think she has done one on discipline, which i would like to see, also the woman who does Tiny Tearaways is supposed to be good (sorry to be so vague - long day!)

Toddler taming is great because it reassures you that most behaviours are totally normal. The main gist is distract and divert and weather the storm.

I find Toddler taming really helpful, have used it as a reference to potty training, tantrums and sleep issues.

I liked toddler taming too ( in fact I'm just rereading for dd2!)

I loved Toddler Taming - a good amusing and relaxed approach

I haven't read Toddler Taming, but bought the Contented toddler book a month or so back. It was quite useful re: arrival of new sibling and tantrums (which was why I got it), but to be honest, no more useful than having a look in the forums on mumsnet!

Oh, and GF bangs on about the whole routine thing too....which was useful in some ways as it gave me an idea of how my imminent new born will fit in with DC1, but then the whole routine thing stressed me out a bit when DC1 was born, so didn't want to get sucked into all that again!

Good for common sense advice and reassurance anyway.

thanks so much for all your replies!
a x