As a mother of a 13-month old boy, and little to no experience in parenting, I admit to experiencing an occasional terror. I always wonder if I’m doing my boy right. Am I teaching him enough now so he won’t fall behind when he enters school? Am I providing enough mental as well as physical stimulation? Does he play and use his imagination to it’s fullest?

At the same time I didn’t want to dive into the hundreds of parenting books out there for the answers. Too often either the advice isn’t sound, they contradict each other, or come across so preachy as to leave me feeling like a terrible parent.

If I could find one book that fit my need for confidence that I won’t screw my child up for the rest of his life, give sound, common-sense advice that’s easy to follow . . .

When Writer to Reader highlighted "The Birth to Five Book" by Brenda Nixon in January, and sponsored a mini-blog tour, I jumped at the chance to participate.

Brenda Nixon did not disappoint. She structured the book into short, concise chapters, perfect for parents who don’t have a lot of time to read a book from cover to cover.

Parents can also read a specific chapter such as potty training without needing to read the previous or subsequent chapters.

She touches on subjects such as reading to your child, whether spanking is best or should be avoided, what do look for when choosing daycare and pre-school facilities, and whether or not a parent is normal regardless of his or her techniques. Brenda’s advice not only makes a lot of sense (I had a few "Duh" moments), but parents can apply her advice easily.