Parenting For Dummies

Written by parents for parents!We humans are pretty clever. We ve mastered fire, invented the wheel, calculated the age of the Universe, sent people to the Moon, built machines that think, and cracked the genome. So you d think that with all our smarts, somebody would ve come up with a surefire formula for raising kids. Maybe that s because every child, like every parent, is an individual, and no two parent-child relationships are ever the same. So, you can give up any notions of being a perfect parent. But, you can learn to keep the big mistakes to a minimum and make the parenting enterprise easier and more rewarding for your children and you. Which is where this book comes in. Whether you re child is a newborn, a teen, or somewhere in-between, Parenting For Dummies gives you the scoop on parenting basics. From dealing with a crying baby and potty training, to building self-esteem and talking with them about sex, it offers a gold mine of up-to-date advice and guidance on how to: Learn to communicate with your kids Develop a good relationship with your kids Keep your kids safe and healthy Help your kids grow up to be good people Keep your cool and control their behavior Discipline constructively and with a minimum of stress Build self-esteem in your children Avoid committing the parenting sins your parents taught you Experts Sandy and Dan Gookin she s the parenting expert for Parents Magazine and Working Mother Magazine and he s a father of four avoid the psychological hype and medical terminology and give you the straight poop on all aspects of child-rearing, including: Speaking and listening to kids The importance of being consistent Keeping a sense of humor Dealing with babies Childhood growth and development Health and nutrition Kids changing physical needs Developing a good person Parenting For Dummies gives you the know-how and skills you need to be the parent of healthy, happy kids.

Written by parents for parents!We humans are pretty clever. We've mastered fire, invented the wheel, calculated the age of the Universe, sent people to the Moon, built machines that think, and cracked the genome. So you'd think that with all our smarts, somebody would've come up with a surefire formula for raising kids. Maybe that's because every child, like every parent, is an individual, and no two parent-child relationships are ever the same. So, you can give up any notions of being a perfect parent. But, you can learn to keep the big mistakes to a minimum and make the parenting enterprise easier and more rewarding for your children and you. Which is where this book comes in.Whether you're child is a newborn, a teen, or somewhere in-between, Parenting For Dummies gives you the scoop on parenting basics. From dealing with a crying baby and potty training, to building self-esteem and talking with them about sex, it offers a gold mine of up-to-date advice and guidance on how to:* Learn to communicate with your kids* Develop a good relationship with your kids* Keep your kids safe and healthy* Help your kids grow up to be good people* Keep your cool and control their behavior* Discipline constructively and with a minimum of stress* Build self-esteem in your children* Avoid committing the parenting sins your parents taught youExperts Sandy and Dan Gookin--she's the parenting expert for Parents Magazine and Working Mother Magazine and he's a father of four--avoid the psychological hype and medical terminology and give you the straight poop on all aspects of child-rearing, including:* Speaking and listening to kids* The importance of being consistent* Keeping a sense of humor* Dealing with babies* Childhood growth and development* Health and nutrition* Kids' changing physical needs* Developing a good personParenting For Dummies gives you the know-how and skills you need to be the parent of healthy, happy kids.

Introduction.About This Book.Foolish Assumptions.How This Book Is Organized.Part I The Basic Stuff You Must Know.Part II: Dealing with Babies.Part III: Getting Down to the Nitty Gritty: Your Child'sPhysical Needs.Part IV: Seeing to Your Child's Health and Safety.Part V: Handling Your Child's Behavior.Part VI: The Part of Tens.Icons Used in This Book.Where to Go from Here.PART I: THE BASIC STUFF YOU MUST KNOW.Chapter 1: Winning the Parenting Game.Chapter 2: Guidelines for Co-Parenting (The Two-PartySystem).Chapter 3: Being a Consistent Parent.Chapter 4: Following Through.Chapter 5: The Art of Keeping Your Cool.Chapter 6: Behavior Management.PART II: DEALING WITH BABIES.Chapter 7: Holding and Handling the Baby.Chapter 8: Breastfeeding vs. Bottlefeeding.Chapter 9: The Diaper Thing.Chapter 10: Just for Babies: Sleeping, Bathing, Tools, and BabyTraits.Chapter 11: Infant Health Concerns.Chapter 12: The Growth and Developmental Stuff.PART III: GETTING TO THE NITTY GRITTY: YOUR CHILD'S PHYSICALNEEDS.Chapter 13: Understanding Food and Nutrition.Chapter 14: The Joys and Perils of Bathtime.Chapter 15: Sleep, Glorious Sleep.Chapter 16: Potty Training Perfected.PART IV: SEEING TO YOUR CHILD'S HEALTH AND SAFETY.Chapter 17: Health and Hygiene (12 months-24 months).Chapter 18: Going to the Doctor.Chapter 19: Making Life Safer.Chapter 20: Finding Good Childcare.PART V: HANDLING'S YOUR CHILD'S BEHAVIOR.Chapter 21: Raising Your Child (12-24 months).Chapter 22: Communicating with Your Child.Chapter 23: Your New Big Job: Teacher (12 pages).Chapter 24: Social Skills to Be Proud Of.Chapter 25: Punishment and Discipline.Chapter 26: Squelching Squabbling Siblings.PART VI: THE PART OF TENS.Chapter 27: Ten Things to Do Every Day.Chapter 28: Ten Things for Your Conscience to Whisper in YourEar.Chapter 29: Ten Great Resources for Parents.