Touchpoints-Birth to Three
by Joshua D. Sparrow, T. Berry Brazelton
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Book Reviews of Touchpoints-Birth to Three
Book Review: Great Insight Into Behaviorial Development And More
Summary: 5 Stars
There are so many books on the market about parenting in the first few years of your baby's life. I have read a dozen of them, and was mostly disappointed. The "What To Expect" books, for example, are very wordy, and have very pragmatic advice, but for me lack some "depth". Brazelton's book, by contrast is both pragmatic and philosophical, giving parents much more depth on this subject. I loved reading this book; I found it to be engaging, interesting, and very relevant to raising my 2-year old.
In particular, some things that impressed me:
* The author has great insight into infant and toddler behavioral development (in fact, he has great insight into parental behavior as well). This background gives parents some inclination for what is going on with their child, and is useful in crafting responses to various behaviors that are observed in the early years of a child's life.
* The book is comprehensive, touching on most aspects of parenting in the first three years.
* The book is extremely well organized. It serves well as both a reference, and a cover-to-cover read.
I do agree with other reviewers who have said the author is opinionated. I think this is a good thing -- and I gained more and more confidence in the author's opinions as I went along. Most new parents will do well to have a "starting point" when forming their own opinions. As an example, Brazelton discusses at length the importance of establishing boundaries with infants and toddlers, as this will help the child to feel competent and secure as they continually gain new dimensions of independence which both excites and scares children. But this is balanced with the moderating view that parents minimize negativity by not making big deals of things that don't really matter. This is related to discussion on what it means to "spoil" a child. To this end, Brazelton advises: (1) do sometimes let the child get frustrated when trying to accomplish a new task by themselves -- this is a feeling they're going to have to learn to manage, and (2) establish boundaries so the child has a good sense for his own competence.
Book Review: He's smarter than you!
Summary: 4 Stars
Well, he may not really be, but unfortunately, that's how the writing comes across in several places. For example, p 52 "I have come to expect this tenuous, rather childlike behavior [of father and mother] when new parents come into my office. Rather than a sign of incompetence, it represents their ability to accept me in a nurturing 'grandfather' role...". p. 102 "By this time, I know parents will leap in to correct me if I'm off track, and I welcome their deeply held beliefs about who their child is becoming". If these sound somewhat condescending to you, you might be put off by the book. Also, the term 'Touchpoints' itself doesn't really refer to a particularly useful concept-- it's basically refers to an opportunity to bond with your baby. The repetitive use of the term sounds forced. OK, so this may sound like a negative review, so why 4 stars? Because despite these annoyances, the information inside is useful and I like how the chapters are essentially organized by periods between pediatrician visits. You get a chance to check your baby's progress against a pediatrician's standards. It is not too useful for the first 10 days when so many questions swirl around your sleep-deprived head. But it provides a longer term perspective (up to 3 years) whereas most baby books stop at 1 year. Sure, 1 year is a convenient way to end a book, but this is one of the few books that bridge the time period from infant to toddler. Also, it is really useful to hear what a pediatrician looks for during each visit. Aside from the tone, the book is well written, well referenced, and covers some very interesting topics (separate chapters on sibling rivalry; speech, language and hearing problems; television; grandparents). Even the book layout is pleasing, with mid-size pages, occasional photos, and wide margins if you are a note-taker. I wouldn't use this as a sole reference, though, as several opinions expressed are just that- opinions- but I haven't found much to disagree with in this book, except that I refuse to call emotional milestones 'touchpoints'!Book Review: Some good information, but high on guilt
Summary: 2 Stars
I ordered this book based on a recommendation and I wish I hadn't. While there are some useful tips on what to look for at certain points in a baby's development, I found the authors to be incredibly judgmental about parents working outside of the home. If you don't work outside the home, I may actually recommend this - as I mentioned, there are some good tips and it will certainly reinforce your choice. If you've made the tough decision to go back to work, then this book will add to any guilt you may already feel. There were also some tips that are in direct opposition to other books I've read, such as waking up your baby before you go to bed to feed him or her to prolong your sleep at night. A book that I found extremely useful - Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child - warns parents that this not only does not work, but is also not healthy for the baby. Overall, I wish there was a version of this book that had up-to-date developmental information without all of the judgment. Any suggestions?Book Review: Sparrow and Brazelton are Experts Who Write About Information that Parents Truly Need
Summary: 5 Stars
I'm so impressed with the researched based information in Brazelton's work. I have also seen videos from years ago with him working with infants and can't be more happy to know that his work is becoming the norm. He was one of the first pediatricians to bring to light, that infants do SEE and HEAR and birth. Touch Points, reassure parents that they can navigate the predictable spurts in development and issues as they arise. Brazelton talks about the key points, which are natural moments where a baby advances in one area, but then regresses in another. Brazelton's work offers parents a chance to reflect, take a change in direction and grow along with the child.
Love his books - and highly recommend his books to all new parents.
Kimberley Clayton Blaine, MA, MFT
Licensed Child Therapist
Founder, www.TheGoToMom.TV
Author: Mommy Confidence: 8 Easy Steps to Reclaiming Balance, Motivation, and Your Inner Diva
Book Review: Not at all what I expected
Summary: 2 Stars
I did not know much about this book before I purchased it, but I expected it to be about my baby's development just like it says on the cover. Instead this book seems to be mostly about how Dr. Brazelton interacts with parents and what he does when babies come for a checkup. Instead of focusing on babies, it goes on about how he tricks fathers into thinking babies recognize their voices or how mothers who come to his office look bedraggled because they are spending too much time dressing their babies in impractical outfits. He even seems to mock new parents for being so careful with their babies. There is useful information in this book, but if you aren't looking for a book that tells you how to be a pediatrician, you might want to keep looking.