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.
Andra's Blog 
Thanks so much, Andra, for sharing this information and alerting your readers to The Birth to Five Book. It’ll pay for itself with the cost-cutting tips and recipes, which are near the back of the book.
Glad this short read for busy parents is one you’ll refer to again as you parent your little guy.
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Hi Brenda,
Thanks for stopping by, and for mentioning the cost-cutting tips and recipes!
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Nice review, Andra 🙂
A tip on play … as long as he has free time and stuff to mess with however he pleases and occasional friends to play with, that’s the most important part of childhood other than parenting. Structure is good, but free play is essential. 😉
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LK – I totally agree with the value of free play. Thanks for mentioning that point. There is a chapter on the many benefits of playtime. I cringe when I hear of elementary schools that eliminate recess.
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Thanks for the compliment, LK, and for commenting on the value of play. Kids love to play for so many beneficial reasons (as Brenda mentions in her book), it’s almost criminal to take it away.
Brenda, I’ve heard the same about schools eliminating recess, and I cringe as well.
Luckily (so far), the schools in my area still have them. I hope when my son reaches school-age, it’ll still be implemented.
It’s not only wonderful and necessary for the children, but I bet the teachers need the break as well.
Thank you again for stopping by and adding more information about your book!
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