When you're a new parent, the miracle of life might not always feel so miraculous. Maybe your latest 2:00 a.m., 2:45 a.m., and 3:30 a.m. wake-up calls have left you wondering how “sleep like a baby" ever became a figure of speech—and what the options are for restoring your sanity. Or your child just left bite marks on someone, and you're wondering how to handle it.
First-time mom Tracy Cutchlow knows what you're going through. In Zero to Five: 70 Essential Parenting Tips Based on Science (and What I've Learned So Far), she takes dozens of parenting tips based on scientific research and distills them into something you can easily digest during one of your two-minute-long breaks in the day. The pages are beautifully illustrated by award-winning photojournalist Betty Udesen.
Combining the warmth of a best friend with a straightforward style, Tracy addresses questions such as:
Should I talk to my pregnant belly / newborn? Is that going to feel weird? (Yes, and absolutely.)
How do I help baby sleep well? (Start with the 45-minute rule.)
How can I instill a love of learning in my child? (By using specific types of praise and criticism.)
What will boost my child's success in school? (Play that requires self-control, like make-believe.)
My baby loves videos and cell-phone games. That's cool, right? (If you play, too.)
What tamps down temper tantrums? (Naming emotions out loud.)
My sweet baby just hit a playmate / lied to me about un-potting the plant / talked back. Now what? (Choose one of three logical consequences.)
How do I get through an entire day of this? (With help. Lots of help.)
Who knew babies were so funny? (They are!)
Whether you read the book front to back or skip around, Zero to Five will help you make the best of the tantrums (yours and baby's), moments of pure joy, and other surprises along the totally-worth-it journey of parenting.
