Gina Ford's book on baby and toddler?

[arabella36]

Has anyone got her book on having a baby and a toddler? Is it useful? Are there any others you'd recommend?

Was inspired to think of this after reading someone else's thread about having 2 children close together.

Gina.... who? Nah, never heard of her.

I got it for dc3 due in a few weeks so not tried it out yet. Got nowhere near the routines with ds1 but I need some structure with 3 under 3's so am going to give it a go. It looks quite good - has more than one routine for bedtime for example depending on how/when you want to bath baby.

Gina Ford is VERY prescriptive. I read the Contented Toddler book and was a bit scared by some of what she recommends (I'm quite organised, but not THAT organised!) However, she did have some wonderful nuggets in her book which I did adopt such as no going downstairs until you are dressed.

For babies, my personal favourite is The Baby Whisperer by Tracey Hogg. This will do up to about 8 months. You can get her baby and toddler books together in one book which I gave to a friend and she has used over and over. I got her toddler book when DD1 was 2½ and it didn't add much to what I knew except to reinforce the need for absolute consistency (no breakfast in front of the TV even if they are ill if it usually eaten at the table).

I guess it depends on your mothering style; Gina Ford likes schedules (not much lee-way) while Tracey Hogg likes routines (a bit of lee-way). Neither advocate seat-of-your-pants parenting

Hope that helps.

Thanks for the advice and happy new year!

She Who Must Not Be Named...

I had Gina Ford, The Baby Whisperer, and read them both, took a couple of bits from both of them. Gina wasn't for me - someone at work gave it to me and the first time I opened it on a page it said something like you must be up and dressed and breakfasted by 6.50am or something and I thought, no way!

The best book I found was this one. It's really comprehensive and the nice thing about it is that for each thing it will give you a range of solutions. So eg if the baby isn't sleeping by x months they'll tell you about all of the ideas from putting up with it through to controlled crying. So you can read it and see which solution sounds like the right one for you, rather than just being given one solution like in the others. It is also very common-sense and straightforward. I highly recommend it actually.

For "putting up with it" maybe read "attachment parenting" guess which camp I'm in

Don't let my slip of the keyboard put you off!

I have a 14-month age gap between my 2 and bought the baby/toddler book in the hope that it might contain some practical advice that I could use. It doesn't. Telling me to feed my baby no later than 7 am, 45 minutes on one breat while expressing from the other, meanwhile encouraging my toddler to get dressed - well it's not exactly realistic, is it?! In fact, I got quite upset reading all the different routines.

I've not yet found a book that's been helpful for such a small age gap, but I did find Rebecca Abrams "3 Shoes, a sock and a hairbrush" (or something like that) quite reassuring, contrary to some people's opinion, as it gives an accurate relfection of what I go through each day.

HTH

Do you know what I totally misread the OP

I didn't realise it was a book for a baby and a toddler, at the same time, sorry.

MN is the best source of advice for everything IMO.

I would be really careful about the Rebecca Abrams book, it came highly recommended to me but it just worried me and every no and then someone starts a thread pregnat and terrifed having read it. I think it suits certain personalities.

The GF baby and toddler book is the only one of hers worth reading IMO as it actually for once explains how to be adaptable with the roputine, ie. if you have to pick toddler up from nursery/preschool at naptime, delay nap slightly, let baby fall asleep in car/pram and then put immediately in cot on return home etc.

ISNT, thanks - I have the book you linked for my first baby and its a really useful reference book I agree.

Littleducks - That sounds handy I think I'll give that book a go too.

Kiwi, I've heard lots of people give positive feedback on the babywhisperer. I quite like getting a few books and picking bits I like from them and disregarding the rest!

Existentialist - I'm now scared of reading that book, ha ha!

GF worked for our baby from birth but I think only because she was quite an "easy" baby - she was very predictable. I didn't have a clue about babies so GF was a godsend for me especially as I thrive on routines. I adapted it a fair bit eg I didn't insist DD napped only in her cot! But overall I loved GF.

I've got it having used the first book for DS1 and using it with a baby of 7 weeks and toddler of 27 months. It has been updated with the latest SIDS advice and is more flexible than the routine with just one child e.g. naps can be taken in a variety of places, concentrates on overall daytime sleep rather than sleep at particular times (but does give guidelines).

It is useful but I am finding that it is taking longer to establish a strong routine - mainly because both children have had bad colds for the last month but partly because there are two of them!

I hated the gina ford baby book, but I think that a lot of a her toddler book makes sense. In particular I think her advice on potty training is effective. I also agree with her advice on tantrums.

Toddlers can press boundaries and do need a routine. They are completely different creatures to young babies.

Oops, I was thinking of this book.

www.amazon.co.uk/Contented-Baby-Confident-Child/dp/0091875234/ref=sr_1_10?ie=UTF8&qid=1293920168&sr=8-10

If you get one of the used ones then you will do well. Why on earth its collectable is beyond me.

I found it useful, mine were in a loose routine (I think they were both stuck on the four month routine their entire babyhoods!) The potty training is fantastic, it really did take the three days as she says, and my two also napped at the same time every day which saved my sanity. I used to immediately lie down and have a nap too!