Parenting books

[syed]

Hi any recommendation of a book on bringing up toddlers?

Toddler Taming by Christopher Green

I second toddler taming - a very common sensey type book

Coming from a completely different angle to 'toddler taming' is one I have just read by Naomi Aldort called 'Raising our Children, Raising Ourselves'.

Another good one is 'How to talk so Kids will Listen and Listen so Kids will Talk' by Faber and Mazlish.

Do you actually find them any help though? I have read the toddler taming one and how to talk and find my self nodding in agreement as I read them. However, generally the things I agree with are the things that I know I should really be doing anyway (but for various largely stress relted reason often don't).

The most helpful reading I have done about bringing up children has been the comparative reading of English / American / French childcare manuals. It really opened my eyes to the huge cultural biases on the "correct" way to bring up children.

I spent about six months glued to a French TV programme called Les Maternelles that is on every morning at 9 am, fascinated at what the French media-savvy childcare gurus came out with in the morning debate. And I still sometimes hang out at FNAC and WHSmith on a rainy morning secretly dipping in and out of the latest childcare texts and rolling my eyes at the contradictory and conflicting "parenting absolutes" across cultures...

Oh definitely Anna!
My secret weapons are this for the global view and this for the historical view (though mine is an earlier edition that only goes up to Spock - don't know what she says about Gina!)

Oh those look good, Kathy - especially the historical one.

I have a great academic article on the history of breastfeeding in France that sheds light on why the French find it quite so hard to accept the practice. And a recent letter to Libération by the head of the French breastfeeding organisation that, for once, properly recognises the French cultural bias against breastfeeding.

I fear there is still a very long way to go in this country on that particular issue. Probably on smacking, too.

Anna - I'd love to read that breastfeeding article - is it online?

castille - history of breastfeeding in France

castille - letter to Libération by head of COFAM

Any chance of an executive summary from someone whose French is better than mine?

That article has made me cry, it has brought back so many memories of DS's birth and first few days, which were made very tough solely due to the attitude of the staff on the maternity ward.

Thanks Anna, will read them later when more time...