From contented baby to confident child....anyone read it

[Melly]

Has anyone read Gina Ford's follow up book From contented baby to confident child. I bought it recently but was a little bit disappointed that there seemed to be quite alot of repetition i.e feeding/sleeping advice for young babies which is covered in the first book. The routines in the CLBB are covered up to age of 12 months but there seems to be a distinct lack of advice about routines for babies say between the age of 12-18 months.
Having said this I am enjoying the book and was interested to see a section at the back about setting up local CLB support groups. I was wondering if anyone else had done this and how they have got on? I am quite tempted to ring up but feel a bit apprehensive, not sure why as I'm sure I can't be the only GF fan in the South West.

I am a (with reservations) GF fan in the South West Melly! I did actually get sent details of the club but it was quite expensive to join and I was going through a bit of a backlash at that point and thought I wouldn't bother!

I was also quite disappointed in the book, I don't think her strengths lie with toddlers, she's better with babies.

My childminder has just given me the new contented little baby book, and I think it incorporates some things from Confident child...but haven't compared so can't be sure.

Having said that, I will try potty training the gina way, as I think routines and discipline are what she is strongest at.

Oh boy Melly! I suggest you do a quick search of the message boards for the name Gina Ford, you may be surprised!!!

Not meaning to be provocative, Melly, but why would you want a routine for a 12-18 month old decided for you in a book, by someone who doesn't know you, your life or your priorities? I have read the book - the first one, and this newer one, too - and I am even more mystified by the appeal of the newer one.

Melly, if this helps, dd dropped her morning nap at about 15 months and then slept through till 8am - GF does talk about this in the first book. She kept having a 1.5/2 hour nap at lunchtime until she was over 2, she still has one if she's very tired (she's 2.5 now). So she sleeps 7/7.30pm to 8am, that hasnt changed since she was 15 months.

Melly - I agree with Enid- BTW I rang the number at the back and they were nice enough but as they never sent me anything I thought that they were poorly organised and I didn't want to bother ! So I didn't and get my kicks on Mumsnet... I am the resident GF consultant

I thought the second book sounded good on potty training too and also thought she had some good things to say re new babies. In the examples given I always thought the mother had handled the situation in exactly the right way and though 'well done' until I read GF's criticism of it and her solution to the problem.

But it seems a lot to pay for a couple sections!

I have just bought the follow up book, having used the first book loads and I was disappointed too. Your right Melly - too much repetition. I've got a 12mo and was looking for advice on the next step, but didnt really find it.

I'm moving to Norfolk next month and wont know anyone so maybe I'll see if there is a CLB group in that area.

Agree that the second book adds very little to the first.

Art - let me know when you move to Norfolk, perhaps we could have an East Anglian get together, I am in Suffolk.

Thanks for all replies, think I will steer clear of contacting the number at the back of the book.

Tiktok, no you aren't being provocative, it's just for me, I was absolutely clueless when my dd was born, first baby and all that. I found GF worked for me and my dd, although I certainly didn't follow her routines to the letter and still don't, in fact I said b......cks to a couple of her suggestions in the book. I guess it's down to personal choice, I weighed up what sort of way I wanted to bring up my child and decided that to follow a routine would fit in with our lifestyle. Although I am a GF fan I would never try to persuade anyone else to put their child in a routine, quite frankly I couldn't really give a monkeys what other people do and how they bring up their children as long as all concerned are happy and healthy. I think the reason I was a bit disappointed with her second book was that because the first book had been such a help to me, I was eager to soak up any further tips and advice. I wasn't looking for strictly laid out routines prescribed for a 12-18 month old, because, even I, have progressed from clueless panicker to confident mummy in the space of 10.5 months!!

Melly - I totally agree with your points. I too followed GF because I did not have a clue and was not a natural - I am now. I also have a 12-18 month old and was interested in The Confident Child book, but I kept on reading it to see if there was anything new, so I was a little dissappointed. I am sure I will find the next stage - Potty Training useful, but there is not a lot more than that.

You would be surprised at how many people in my area have used her routines, I am friends with five other mothers in Wiltshire who incidently go to the same groups as we do, which is great. Some have stuck to the routines, others have amended them, so its very interesting to see what is happening now to the sleeping patterns.