What To Expect...not very good books

[hunkermunker]

Dipped into my copy of What To Expect In The First Year the other day (bought as a present before I had DS1).

I'd forgotten how much of it is just vile.

Apparently a seven-month-old is already "an expert mummy-manipulator".

If "the crying" of your trying to be sleep trained six-month-old gets too much, turn the baby monitor off.

And my current favourite - lots of references to "primitive societies" doing such terrible baby-spoiling things as wearing them in slings.

have been looking at this book again and it is rubbish isn't it? obsessed with crackers, too. the prose style is just cringe making

Utterly grim, HC. Am tempted to go and get my copy and post more snippets of barfsomeness.

god lsiten to this:

Increased separation anxiety:

"We've left our baby with a baby sitter before. But now he makes a terrible fuss if he sees usg getting ready to go out oand we fel very guilty"

answer - that's exactly what he's aiming to make you feel...."

wtf? yes, a baby is trying to manipulate you by making you feel guilty.

the sixth month:
"If you can tolerate an hour or more of vigorous crying and screaming, don't go to baby, don't soothe him, feed him or talk to him when he wakes up in the night. Just let him cry until he's exhausted himelf - and the possibility in his mind that he is going to get anywere, or anyone, by crying..."
oh lovely. let a six month old baby cry himself into despair
I can't believe I ever read this poisonous rubbish.

ha ha, I hate these books too, pile of cack.

That bit about crying in the 6th month makes me well up, HC (on a good day, on a bad day, I'll sob). It's just so sad!

As for manipulative six-month-olds - ffs!

I never got them because my sister informed me the pregnancy one is absolutely obssessed with weight gain. Which is something I find weird and upsetting enough in pregnancy (much against my rational feelings, believe me) without some bloody book making me feel even porkier. Or norkier.

I can't leave my 19 month old to cry. Which is probably why she is a crap sleeper BUT why go against something that is sooooooo strong, slight whinging I can take, racking sobs I am going in with cuddles.

The only books I liked were the Best Friends Guide ones, very funny imo.

achually .. I was serious ..

but tbf I only ever read the month by month what your baby could, might, and on the outside chance could just be able to do .. I didn't read that many of the posed questions and answers

i liked mine

Did you have exciting raisins, Twig and Cod?

wat dat?

i was sucha n excellent mum i dint relaly use any more thant he" your kids is a genuis " section

Much emphasis on your child being able to pay attention to a small object, such as a raisin...

Oh, and much much much attention given to "can your child follow an object past the midline, above, to the side, below, round the back (ha, tricked ya!), etc.

that whole section about what your baby should be able to do, what he might be able to do, and what h might even be able to do
such balls
even I, slack mum, was fretting because I thought dd1 was a few weeks behind in going bababa or whatever...
they all need burning

Well i got all 3 of these books but i think i have enough brains to sieve through the shite and only use what is relevant, but then again i fairly pro-routine. But can see where a inexperienced and niave first time mum may get lead astray.
They are a bit americanised (such a word?) but again i just flicked through the bits that were silly.

no i got what hey mean about rasins

crying was alwasy a pita
never looked that up in a book tbh

i personally didnt find the books that offensive.
I pick and choose the bits i want and dont take it all to heart, as i do with all parenting books.
its very american and thats what i put it down to.

ok, im waiting.....

I have to confess that I followed the first one obsessively, desparately testing my poor baby on past-the-midline-tracking.

But they're so relentlessly worthy and so poorly edited for the UK market. There's a bit about encouraging language development where it suggests saying something like "Make nice to the doggie." WTF.

And a hilarious bit about potty training where it suggests that the best term for pooh is 'BM' (bowel movement) as in "Honey, did you make a BM in your potty?" Yeah, right.

Anyone else remember the 'razz' milestone?

And "oh yove got a boo boo" for a cut!!
I was recommended them from a friend, luckily only bought the one.Hated it