Tuesday, March 3, 2009

The Happiest Brianna on the Block

Just got a new book from the library. I read the first 30 pages yesterday while following Brianna around at the park. So far - I love it. It's so fun getting insights on the progress of my little Neanderthal.

Book synopsis:
"THE HAPPIEST TODDLER ON THE BLOCK"
The New Way to Stop the Daily Battle of Wills and Raise a Secure and Well-Behaved One-to Four-Year-Old By Dr. Harvey Karp
Toddlers can drive you bonkers…so adorable and fun one minute…so stubborn and demanding the next! Yet, as unbelievable as it sounds, there is a way to turn the daily stream of “nos” and “don’ts” into “yeses” and hugs…if you know how to speak your toddler’s language. In one of the most useful advances in parenting techniques of the past twenty-five years, Dr. Karp reveals that toddlers, with their immature brains and stormy outbursts, should be thought of not as pint-size people but as pintsize…cavemen. Having noticed that the usual techniques often failed to calm crying toddlers, Dr. Karp discovered that the key to effective communication was to speak to them in their own primitive language. When he did, suddenly he was able to soothe their outbursts almost every time! This amazing success led him to the realization that children between the ages of one and four go through four stages of “evolutionary” growth, each linked to the development of the brain, and each echoing a step in prehistoric humankind’s journey to civilization:• The “Charming Chimp-Child” (12 to 18 months): Wobbles around on two legs, grabs everything in reach, plays a nonstop game of “monkey see monkey do.”• The “Knee-High Neanderthal” (18 to 24 months): Strong-willed, fun-loving, messy, with a vocabulary of about thirty words, the favorites being “no” and “mine.”• The “Clever Caveman” (24 to 36 months): Just beginning to learn how to share, make friends, take turns, and use thepotty.• The “Versatile Villager” (36 to 48 months): Loves to tell stories, sing songs and dance, while trying hard to behave.To speak to these children, Dr. Karp has developed two extraordinarily effective techniques:1) The “fast food” rule—restating what your child has said to make sure you got it right;2) The four-step rule—using gesture, repetition, simplicity, and tone to help your irate Stone-Ager be happy again.Once you’ve mastered “toddler-ese,” you will be ready to apply behavioral techniques specific to each stage of your child’s development, such as teaching patience and calm, doing time-outs (and time-ins), praise through “gossiping,” and many other strategies. Then all the major challenges of the toddler years—including separation anxiety, sibling rivalry, toilet training, night fears, sleep problems, picky eating, biting and hitting, medicine taking — can be handled in a way that will make your toddler feel understood. The result: fewer tantrums, less yelling, and, best of all, more happy, loving time for you and your child.

6 comments:

Amy Hunter said...

Ok, I love this guy. He's brilliant. I also have this on DVD, if you ever want to borrow it and see him in action. It's pretty funny, actually. But, it works!! Anyway, I might just check out the book because it looks like there's a lot more info that they can't fit on a DVD. I think Brianna will be the happiest toddler on the block because she's got an amazing mommy...and daddy.

Debbie said...

Wow, would this work on older children? Like, oh...23!

Mandy said...

Hmmm, sounds interesting! :) I have bought so many books trying to help me correct my girls' behavior problems, and I have given up! :) Hopefully it works for you!! One book that I really didn't agree with AT ALL talked about letting your child decide what was best for them. (like if they wanted to sleep with you, they should be able to and things like that -- it was wierd!)

Even though my girls are a little crazy, and they don't listen very well, they are happy! :) (although some days I am not!) I guess I need a book about being the happiest mommy on the block! :)

I agree, Brianna will be the happiest baby because she has an amazing mommy and daddy who love her! :)

chelsea mckell said...

amy and mandy - you guys are too sweet. Thankyou :) It's nice to know someone thinks we're halfway competent on this parenting-gig. As long as we have our books, at least! Amy - I definitely wanna borrow the movie.
And mom - yes, use these tactics on your 23 yr old. She has many of the same behavioral issues as toddlers do.

Melissa said...

I checked out that book from our library too a few years ago and it was really helpful with Jesse...the movie is great too! We watched his "happiest baby on the block" movie too when Ashley was little and it helped getting her to sleep at night. :)

Melanie said...

I wish I could see you being a mommy! Thanks for having a blog! AND thanks for sharing the book! I just bought a book called The Soft-spoken Parent and it has 55 strategies on how to deal with THOSE moments every child presents in our life! ;)
I just wish next time the synopsis were a little larger print so I don't feel as old and blind as I actually am! :)