http://www.amazon.com/New-First-Three-Years-Life/dp/0684804190
This is my absolute favorite parenting young children book out there.
An educator at The Children’s Museum of Houston recommended it to me and I read it while pregnant with my first child. Then I kept it closeby while navigating first-time motherhood, re-reading pages many times through the first two and a half years. And then I kept it out for babies number 2 and 3. I try to buy it for my pregnant friends (unless I’m worried they’ll think I’m pushing my ideas on them), because I think Burton White offers suggestions that are based on solid research and make a lot of sense.
White breaks down the first three years of life, which has been reported to be the time of most rapid brain growth, into several developmental phases. For each phase, he lists signs that your child is moving into that phase, as well as what to expect from your child, warning signs to watch for, toys and experiences you should consider offering your child and appropriate (and effective) discipline strategies, among other things.
Because it discusses so many areas of a child’s development, and because everything he wrote rang true, I felt like White was there holding my hand as I read each page and employed his techniques. I only wish I could find him to write him a note of thanks.
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