Baby Hearts: A Guide to Giving Your Child an Emotional Head Start

This was one of the first books I read after my first daughter was born, and I'm so happy that I did. What I like the best is that they discuss the research that has been done (on attachment, temperament, etc.) and then give specific things you can or should do to support your baby's emotional development.Knowing the research really buffered my confidence as a new parent and helped me feel like I was doing the right thing. It's so easy to feel unsure of yourself when making the transition to parenthood, not to mention often getting conflicting advice from different family members, friends, coworkers, etc. While the advice in the book felt intuitive to me and I might have gone down the same path anyway, I felt like I was backed up by the research, and this knowledge gave me a good foundation for parenting moving forward, and helped inform some of my choices further down the road.It's also nice to have some insight into how your baby might view you and the world when they are too small to give you much feedback. I think that can be helpful for bonding.I've been giving this as a gift to my closest friends when they've had their first babies, and I'm back now to buy my 4th copy.If you liked this book, I'd also highly recommend  The Whole-Brain Child: 12 Revolutionary Strategies to Nurture Your Child's Developing Mind  for the slightly older child.

Words cannot express how helpful this book is. When I realized I had no idea what I was doing this book gave me all the answers I had ever hoped for.The two authors go over scientific observations on what certain parenting styles bring out in children. They then then give you ideas on how to apply those findings with your little ones.Their advice has SCIENTIFIC proof to back it up. For example: Children whose parents attend to their cries in short periods of time cry less. This is a proven fact! The same children also grow up to have healthier relationships with their parents and feel more secure. On the other hand, children who are left to cry for long periods of time actually cry quicker and harder.Can you imagine if every parent had that kind of knowledge, how much happier the children in the world would be if their parents weren't full of unsubstantiated, downright abusive advice like "just let the baby cry it out"?I'm so grateful that this book came out. It tells you (with the evidence to back it up) what happens at the different stages of life in regards to things like sharing, confidence, fear, separation anxiety, and socialization amongst others. It brings understanding to why babies act the way they do and what your reactions to those expressions will teach them and affect them.I hope you find a way to read this book (unlike the only one who gave this book a one star review... which by the way was merely a reflection of her own time constraints, not the content of this beautiful piece of knowledge) It WILL change the way you parent your children for the best :)

I read this in about a week of 30-minute sessions before bed. So, an easy read. I liked the research based approach and felt it was easy to understand and engaging. However, I don't feel like my parenting has been particularly changed by any incredible insights. The book did a good job of making me feel better about my parenting, because it basically says don't abuse or shame or ignore your children. Most anyone who would buy this title is already interested in giving their child the best life, and almost everything in the book was pretty intuitive. Don't let your newborn cry without responding to their needs, dont tell your toddler they are a bad child for dropping the milk. I enjoyed the read and definitely learned a couple pointers, but I wouldn't call it life changing unless I were a real dingbat who didn't realize children are complex humans with emotional needs.

I am doing a master degree in development management. In parallel to a master degree on parenting. My child will be awarding the degree. Stakes are high. Principles and values are simple.Read lots of books on parenting. The list of my favorite books includes:Brain Rules for Baby: How to Raise a Smart and Happy Child from Zero to Five, by John Medina,Baby Hearts: A Guide to Giving Your Child an Emotional Head Start by Goodwyn Ph.d., Susan, Linda Phd Acredolo.What All Children Want Their Parents To Know by Loomans, Diana, Godoy, Julia.All these readings made me plunge into my childhood. Lots of my current beliefs and behaviours got suddenly a crystal clear explanation. But this post is not about that.more on http://lovevonbeautyvonlove.com/2012/07/30/little-guys-big-guys/

Baby Hearts is probably one of the best parenting books I've ever read - along with Baby Signs and Baby Minds of course!I've used the Baby Signs program with my twins since they were 4 1/2 months old and it's so wonderful to be able to communicate with them at such a young age! I just wish Baby Hearts had been available when they were younger. There are so many great tips, and wonderful research studies sited.After just a week of reading and trying out some of the tips, it's already made a difference in our household.I'll be giving out Baby Hearts and Baby Signs books as baby shower and first birthday gifts to all my friends and relatives!A big thank you to Drs Acredolo and Goodwyn for helping us communicate with our babies - our lives have been changed forever.

What a lovely book.great tips indeed.worth a read by all mum's...

I own this book and have bought it again as present for new mothers. It's great to understand emotions in babies and how they evolve since birth to 3 years old. It gives you great tips and guidelines on how to raise a healthy, happy child. A must read for all new parents!!!

Understand your baby’s basic needs.

Love this series and will definitely look out for anything else they come out with. Great basics for first time parents

Very informative!