Parenting / Family / Child Psychology books that have affected you

[Walnutshell]

I can almost hear the groans as I type the topic title, but here goes:

Any recommendations for a good read, something a bit challenging to stir the old grey matter please.

Thanks

Not selling on ABM.I checked.Must be out of print.

Yes, Milk, Money and Madness looks interesting. Perhaps I should order it before it sells out forever heh heh

Papillon - I've heard of the continuum concept. I do have Attachment Parenting by the Sears and although I like some of what they right, I find them ever so slightly creepy. I really that is entirely irrational however.

Did I really just type RIGHT for WRITE? Must check the % of the Viognier...

the continuum concept
how to talk so kids will listen and listen so kids will talk

What's The Continuum Concept about then?

"According to Jean Liedloff, the continuum concept is the idea that in order to achieve optimal physical, mental and emotional development, human beings ? especially babies ? require the kind of experience to which our species adapted during the long process of our evolution. For an infant, these include such experiences as...

constant physical contact with his mother (or another familiar caregiver as needed) from birth;
sleeping in his parents' bed, in constant physical contact, until he leaves of his own volition (often about two years);
breastfeeding "on cue" ? nursing in response to his own body's signals;
being constantly carried in arms or otherwise in contact with someone, usually his mother, and allowed to observe (or nurse, or sleep) while the person carrying him goes about his or her business ? until the infant begins creeping, then crawling on his own impulse, usually at six to eight months;
having caregivers immediately respond to his signals (squirming, crying, etc.), without judgment, displeasure, or invalidation of his needs, yet showing no undue concern nor making him the constant center of attention;
sensing (and fulfilling) his elders' expectations that he is innately social and cooperative and has strong self-preservation instincts, and that he is welcome and worthy."

Kind of nice really.

"How to Talk So Kids Will Listen and Listen So Kids Will Talk"

Looks good, relevant to all ages?

Moondog - there is a website dedicated to the book - continuum concept
trying to remember the facts - the author is jean liedloff, whom, as a anthropology student visited the amazon jungle and studied the yequana tribe, while there she observed that their babies didn't cry and went back for a year to find out how and why.......

Yes
I grew up in the Pacific and that was pretty much the norm.

Re that Three in a Bed though (and I have told this tale before on MN),my sister (archetypal lentil weaver) bought it and was won over.

Eighteen months later when her life had been destroyed by her non sleeping marital bed hogging offspring,she rang me in tears bawling

'I'd like to shoot that fucking bitch who wrote 'Three in a fucking bed'!'

Thanks barking.Will check it out.

Hah! Crease at your poor sister! It's all about instinct and balance and compromise...

Walnutshell - it can even help grown ups infact, I have even used some of their techniques while 'communicating' with my husband and it really works. If you search the archives under thread titles, you will find hundreds of mumsnetters who have sung its praises.
how to talk website

try not to be scared by the photograph of the authors

You've pretty much sold me there, barking. And, um, I was initially quite terrified by the mugshot so relieved to read your addendum! Thanks for your postings on my other thread too, I just checked.

Pistachio, I have that book, it's wonderful. I'm so glad you mentioned it. x