Gina Ford "contended baby to confident child"

[IsolatedAndAlone]

I ordered this book from amazon (along with The Mumsnet Rules, which rocks btw) and they arrived today. I have a 11.5m old and am trying to educate and prepare myself for any potential toddler antics. This will be the first of my 3 children I have been at home to look after as I worked from my others being 3&4 months old.

The mumsnet book is brilliant (naturally )

The Gina Ford one has left me a bit to be honest and I've only read the foreword!!

Has anyone else read it, was it useful?

Thanks!
:)

Isolated - I suspect you are new to this site?

You may find that you get few responses to your post, as a couple of years ago there was a big legal battle between GF and MN over some posts made about her methods and books.

I'm not sure if discussion is still banned, or discouraged?

Hi whippet :)

I've been a member here for a few years, didn't know about any conflict tho

Thanks for the heads up tho, guess I'll just have to read the book to fin out for sure, just seems a little harsh (but saying that I'm a soppy old bugger

xx

Find*

I'm a full fan of GF. I used her twice - 3 books - baby, toddler and weaning. Love her to death, got my children into a fab routine and the books do work. At the end of the day you have to be hard to be a consistant parent - toddler land is not for giving in and wet parenting.

Picked up loads of good skills from the parenting book, her tips arent that strong, no differnt to supernanny.

IsolatedAndAlone - have a look through the archives...

check "GF" and "SWMNBN" (She Who Must Not Be Named)

I have to say that although I was keen to find some sort of routine, GF didn't do it for us.....

I'm also a fan of gf

I followed her routine loosly and it's worked for us, Dcs asleep by 7ish up by 6:30ish. Baby still wakes once in night but 3 yr old sleeps through,

Sooo what's made you shocked at the new book?

I think almost any parenting book can be useful. Even if you totally disagree with the ideas in the book, that can make you more aware of what you would like to do. There's no right and wrong way to do things, not every method suits every family. You could try reading something totally different like Alfie Kohn and finding a middle path or just make it up as you go along

GF is fab - confess I only have the contented baby one and the weaning one so far (DS is 4mths), but I've found her routines really work for us. No idea why she has such a rep on MN, find it quite baffling to be honest! Good luck!

I think that the toddler book is better than the baby book. Toddlers do need boundaries and routine. However I always find that her books leave me filling very inadequate.

You hit the nail on the head reallytired.
Boundaries and routines are key but how we enforce them is the point of contention. She does make you feel inadequate.
And i say this now with hindsight as my DC are 7 & 3. You live, you learn and no 2 children are the same.

I really dont see what the problem is with GF. Ive used her baby book, weaning and toddler.

My boys are both happy kids with a great routine. When they were babies, i never had to leave the cry. They thrived so much and ginas routine suited them (and me!) down to the ground. They are both toddlers now and i can honestly say I have never had a bad nights sleep once they started sleeping through.

The weaning book was brilliant. I wouldnt of had a clue if it wasnt for her book. They have great appetites and there is nothing they wont eat.

I have only just read the toddler book and i thought it was great, just have to put it into action now :) Im finding this stage the hardest by far ; )

I also meant to say, GF gets a lot of slack for supposedly advising women to leave babies to cry. Supernanny says the exact same thing and everyone thinks the sun shines out of her bum!

isolated can i ask you a question? Are there any references it the back of the gf book, i mean as in the studies she has looked at to inform her methods?

otw

Hi everyone, thank you for the replies.

Reallytired - you got in one! I only read the very first bit and it just made me feel I was doing everything wrong!

I was also a bit at some of her comments/responses to thongs people have said, health visitors and general online comments - I'm not at home at the minute but when I am I'll post the quotes that raised my eyebrows!

:)

I meant things obviously