For decades, new parents have relied on Dr. Brazelton's wisdom in such beloved best sellers as Infants and Mothers and Touchpoints . But all "Brazelton babies" grow up. Now at last, the internationally famous pediatrician, in collaboration with an eminent child psychiatrist, has brought his unique insights to the preschool and first-grade years. In his warm, funny, empathic tone, he again listens to the child's perspective while also showing his characteristic compassion for the parents' feelings.Parents will welcome the unique features of this important new guide. First the authors profile four very different children, followed throughout these years in a delightful and revealing narrative that applies the touchpoints theory to each of the great cognitive, behavioral, and emotional leaps that a child makes from ages three through six. The second part of the book, arranged alphabetically by topic, offers guidance to parents facing contemporary pressures and stresses, such as how to keep a child safe without instilling fear, countering the electronic barrage of violent games and marketing aimed at children, coping successfully with varied family configurations, shifting gender roles, over-scheduling, competition, and more. A Merloyd Lawrence Book
Like a soothing tonic,
Touchpoints Three to Six offers a simple theory and plenty of sound advice to parents who struggle with their child's ever-changing moods and behaviors. Noted pediatrician T. Berry Brazelton, M.D., bestselling author of
Infants and Mothers and
Touchpoints, builds on his theory that kids essentially "rev up" prior to reaching developmental milestones (like walking, talking, and potty training). Unfortunately for the whole family, such revving typically involves temper tantrums, night waking, and regression. Teaming with child psychiatrist Joshua D. Sparrow, M.D., Dr. Brazelton offers compassionate suggestions for recognizing key touchpoints in children 3 to 6 years old, helping kids work through them, and keeping one's cool throughout the process.
The first four chapters--one per age--provide fairly exhaustive study material on five topics: temperament, learning, moral development, building relationships, and separation and independence. To make the reading more engaging, Brazelton and Sparrow whip up four imaginary children, each with a distinct temperament, learning ability, and level of adaptability. Their shared experiences--from exploring the playground at age 3 to "entering the real world" during their 6th year--provide a helpful backdrop for discussing a myriad of pertinent issues. Smart dialogue, accurate depiction of parents' emotional responses, and surprise discoveries both amusing and serious all add to the breadth of information covered. The second half of the book offers about 200 pages of alphabetically arranged "perennials" and "current issues," for troubleshooting specifics like Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, computers, divorce, habits, sadness, and toilet learning. An excellent resource for those who support empathetic parenting. --Liane Thomas
