4.03

0

Jul 26, 2010

Another book I am reading for the book I am writing. One of my favorite outtakes thus far from this book updated in 1962:
"[A father:] might make the formula on Sunday. If the baby is on a 2 A.M. bottle in the early weeks, when the mother is still pretty tired, this is a good feeding for the father to take over. It's nice for him, if he can, to go along to the doctor's office for the baby's regular visits. It gives him a chance to bring up those questions that are bothering him and that he Another book I am reading for the book I am writing. One of my favorite outtakes thus far from this book updated in 1962:
"[A father:] might make the formula on Sunday. If the baby is on a 2 A.M. bottle in the early weeks, when the mother is still pretty tired, this is a good feeding for the father to take over. It's nice for him, if he can, to go along to the doctor's office for the baby's regular visits. It gives him a chance to bring up those questions that are bothering him and that he doesn't think his wife understands the importance of. It pleases the doctor too." ...more

5

December 22, 2014

Dr. Spock's Baby and Child Care

Can't go wrong with this. I have children who span three decades in age, and have raised them all using this book. When I was a child Spock was much loved and this book was everywhere. Now there are so many more books - I've read many of them, and must say the 'new-fangled' ideas in them are often totally untested, pretentious and needless. I would stick with Spock for attitude, technique, and knowledge. You will read many criticisms of Spock, or so I'm finding, but most of those criticisms are ignorant, unbalanced and witless in the extreme - seem to exist mostly to make sure people buy new books.

5

Mar 18, 2009

Probably the most important book in my library for the first 10 years of my kids' lives. It was the book to turn to when they had spots or fevers or just would not go to sleep.... Dr. Spock always gave common sense advice. The reference guide to symptoms in the back was invaluable more than once in answering the huge question every new parent has -- it is 2:00 in the morning - "should I call the doctor for this, or can it wait until morning?"

5

September 12, 2009

A Must-Have Book for All New Mothers

My oldest child is now approaching 40 years old and I remembering referring to my Dr. Spock's Baby and Child Care book very, very often when raising her and the two babies that followed years later!! I found it to be the most helpful, easy-to-understand baby book that I had. I had received quite a few baby books for showers, etc., and liked this one the most. As a result, I decided many years ago that I would include this book in with every baby shower gift in the future.

5

Mar 13, 2017

I blog about Postwar America and bought a copy of the first edition (1946) on eBay in order to read the version my mother relied on. A classic. A couple of brief comments:

1) The conservative preacher Norman Vincent Peale, in an oft-quoted sermon, blamed Spock's "instant gratification, don't let them cry" approach for the violent demonstrations that occurred during that era. More immoderate commentators went even further, demonizing Spock as being more or less single-handedly responsible for the I blog about Postwar America and bought a copy of the first edition (1946) on eBay in order to read the version my mother relied on. A classic. A couple of brief comments:

1) The conservative preacher Norman Vincent Peale, in an oft-quoted sermon, blamed Spock's "instant gratification, don't let them cry" approach for the violent demonstrations that occurred during that era. More immoderate commentators went even further, demonizing Spock as being more or less single-handedly responsible for the decline and fall of Western Civilization. This accusation (always strongly rejected by Spock himself), is simply not supported by the book, which can be considered permissive only in contrast with the draconian advice then being offered by contemporary experts to adhere to a regular schedule of sleep and feeding, even if it meant leaving an infant sobbing for hours; and to avoid picking up and comforting babies, which would only teach them to cry more. Dr. Spock expects youngsters to be assigned duties, to put things away, to come to the table when dinner is ready, and to be polite to others. He warns against asking “Do you want to...?” or offering too many reasons when requiring the child to do something. The best description is perhaps the one Spock himself chose for the title of the first edition of his book, “common sense.” “Trust yourself,” he told young parents, "you know more than you think you do."

2) His (first) wife, Jane, whom he divorced after 48 years of marriage, was inadequately recognized and poorly rewarded for her extensive contribution to the book. At what point does transcribing, performing background research, fact-checking, recipe-testing, editing, consulting experts, rewriting, and more cross the blurry line from an acknowledgment, even (belatedly) a generous acknowledgment, into full-fledged co-authorship? Jane always felt she'd been shortchanged, and a good case could be made for her claim.

For a more extensive discussion of these and other issues, please check out my blog post:
http://www.projectdiana-eme.com/to-th... ...more

5

Dec 09, 2012

This is a wonderful book for ALL parents to read. Actually, it's a wonderful book for ANYONE to read, even children. It discusses human development in a way that is useful for those who are guiding a child's development and those interested in their own development - which should be everyone. Most importantly the book is written to educate and encourage, rather than to preach and frighten. It helps the parent approach every situation with the basic knowledge needed. It also gives great resources This is a wonderful book for ALL parents to read. Actually, it's a wonderful book for ANYONE to read, even children. It discusses human development in a way that is useful for those who are guiding a child's development and those interested in their own development - which should be everyone. Most importantly the book is written to educate and encourage, rather than to preach and frighten. It helps the parent approach every situation with the basic knowledge needed. It also gives great resources for further information on specific needs, including children's books that might help at certain moments.

Since the book covers all stages of childhood and all types of children, certain portions may never apply to any one child or family. My strategy was to read the whole book so that I have been exposed to the whole gamut of parenting questions. I certainly won't remember all of the advice, but the general approaches will stick with me and I can go back and understand more quickly as certain situations arise. Besides, I'm sure picking colleges will be here before we know it. And with every question, now I have at least some knowledge so that when questions come, especially when they come from our child, I won't be struck entirely dumb.

...more

1

October 4, 2013

This edition is not old enough for proper information.

I had hoped that this book would be one of spocks earlier editions which advocated a diet rich in fats and proteins for children. It was around this time when suddenly on the books on child care or obesity did an about face and changed their views on that. Before they suggested that starches and sugars were bad for your childrens overall health and weight, then for no reason changed to eat starchy foods and lots of plant foods and fruit. JUST ALL WRONG.

4

September 6, 2013

Some real nuggets here

Sure, Spock is Freudian and the nutritional info is out of date, but his advice on dealing with 2 year old opposition, getting a baby who's used to being carried around so much that mom can't get anything done (spoiled in Spock's words)to play happily by himself for reasonable times, playing freely and in the fresh air, and sleeping through the night is sensible, doable, compassionate and effective. I referred to this book as I raised my 7 kids in the 80's and 90's and just bought it for the parents of my first grandchild.
It is outdated in many ways but the information on working with the child's behavior is timeless.

4

August 7, 2013

great book

love this book great for first time parents has everything you need to know about raising children.it is a big help

2

Jun 10, 2012

My mother gave all her daughters, daughter-in-laws, many nieces, then started with granddaughters as they made her a great-grandma, a copy of Dr. Spock's Baby and Childcare. My copy was a much earlier edition than this one.

I referred back to the book many times as my babies matured into toddlers, and so on. I say it was okay, because I never read it cover to cover ~ it got boring.

Many of my peers felt intimidated by the book's advice, fearing they would do something wrong. I do not recall My mother gave all her daughters, daughter-in-laws, many nieces, then started with granddaughters as they made her a great-grandma, a copy of Dr. Spock's Baby and Childcare. My copy was a much earlier edition than this one.

I referred back to the book many times as my babies matured into toddlers, and so on. I say it was okay, because I never read it cover to cover ~ it got boring.

Many of my peers felt intimidated by the book's advice, fearing they would do something wrong. I do not recall exactly as Dr. Spock said it, but it was what I most remembered and adhered to ~ if we could not remember what to do in an emergency or for illness, to do the first thing we thought of doing ~ which would usually be correct.

That worked for me ~ often I would refer to the book after the fact and learn I had handled things in manner Spock prescribed.

...more

4

May 20, 2010

We've read though the chapters on pregnancy. Now I guess it is almost time for the infant section. Yikes!!

5

Jun 01, 2018

Awesome Book. Learned A Lot of Stuff I Didn't Know. Great Book For Any Mom.

3

Sep 03, 2017

This handbook is meant as a reference so I focused only on a few topics that might help me learn how adult personalities/habits/behaviors are shaped by childhood influences.

Best learning happens when babies are presented with a relaxed, supportive, nurturing environment, not by cold, forced, unwanted, unnatural facts (like flashcards).

Downside of overacademic approach: interferes with play (way they learn, develop social skills, spark creativity).

When they love what they learn, they remember it This handbook is meant as a reference so I focused only on a few topics that might help me learn how adult personalities/habits/behaviors are shaped by childhood influences.

Best learning happens when babies are presented with a relaxed, supportive, nurturing environment, not by cold, forced, unwanted, unnatural facts (like flashcards).

Downside of overacademic approach: interferes with play (way they learn, develop social skills, spark creativity).

When they love what they learn, they remember it longer.

Thinking develops in stages; don't rush the process by skipping phases.

Read to babies. They enjoy the sound and feeling of being held.

Foster love for stories by reading them aloud, and talk about them to spark interest. Pay attention to everyday signs and labels that are interesting and important.

In a good preschool, there are different areas for children to explore different interests.

School teaches skills to kids and how to get along in the world. Various subjects are means to an end.

Mental capacity is one aspect of a person. Balance it with empathy, compassion, common sense, respect for others.

No use in learning a lot if you're not happy, can't get along with people, etc.

One way that children learn independence is by taking risks: fosters skills, self-esteem, and judgment.

Sports: teach sportsmanship, teamwork, tolerance.

Sex awareness starts when children see how parents get along with and take care of each other (how kind/helpful/respectful), attitude about different genders. ...more

3

Jul 30, 2014

Benjamin Spock Robert Needlman – Baby and Childcare

When my baby daughter arrived, advice, much of it unasked for, poured in from friends and relatives. Buy a pillow for her. Put honey on her pacifier to help her through teething. Give her orange juice. Put her to bed with a bottle full of milk so she doesn’t need to get up in the middle of the night to be fed.

All of which, thanks to Dr Spock’s Baby & Childcare (9th Edition, with Dr Robert Needlman), I managed to discover – well in time – to Benjamin Spock Robert Needlman – Baby and Childcare

When my baby daughter arrived, advice, much of it unasked for, poured in from friends and relatives. Buy a pillow for her. Put honey on her pacifier to help her through teething. Give her orange juice. Put her to bed with a bottle full of milk so she doesn’t need to get up in the middle of the night to be fed.

All of which, thanks to Dr Spock’s Baby & Childcare (9th Edition, with Dr Robert Needlman), I managed to discover – well in time – to be bad for baby (the honey on the pacifier and the milk through the night are surefire ways of causing tooth decay, even before baby’s teeth are out; the pillow can be the cause of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome; and orange juice is not recommended for children below a year of age).

This parenting book, first published in 1945, has been the more-or-less definitive baby and childcare book for so many decades, it’s become almost iconic. My mother bought her copy back in 1967 when my sister was born, and swears by it. So, when a friend gifted this to me in preparation for my baby, I read through it, cover to cover. Of course, it’s basically a reference book – you can dip into it at short notice to see what to do if baby suddenly starts hiccupping, or falls from the bed, or doesn’t want to feed… and a million other things.

While people who haven’t read the book may think it’s basically a baby care book, Dr Spock’s Baby & Childcare is actually much, much more. This edition, vastly revised and updated by Dr Robert Needlman, covers everything from pregnancy to starting college – basically, the entire journey from womb to leaving the nest.

The book is divided into six sections: Your Child, Age by Age contains detailed information about how the physical, emotional, and mental development of children, touching on everything from diapering to toilet training, sleep issues to puberty to strategies for dealing with teens. Feeding and Nutrition is the second section. The title is self-explanatory, as is that of section III, Health and Safety, and section IV, Raising Mentally Healthy Children. Section V, Common Developmental and Behavioral Challenges discusses everything from sibling rivalry to depression, tantrums, feeding disorders, and children with special needs. The last section, Learning and School, starts with an explanation of how the brain works and goes all the way to how to go about finding the right college for your offspring.

The book, therefore, covers the gamut of parenting, whether it’s the physical and mental aspects, the emotional, or the social. There’s just about everything here (including a very helpful resource guide with listings of online sources for further guidance and support) you could need to at least get an idea about how to go about being a good parent to your child.

That said, it’s not as if Dr Spock’s Baby & Childcare is the only book you’ll need. I, for instance, ended up finding out how to exercise a baby or massage a baby to relieve constipation from other sources on the net. Also, since the book is very US-centric, some of the contents (the resources listed, for example) are not much use to people in countries very different from the US.

Still, all in all, a dependable book to have on your shelf if you have a kid or are about to have one.

...more

2

Jul 15, 2019

1.5 stars**

Knowing this was a classic book on, as the title suggests, caring for and raising a child, I picked this up for a few cents at a sale a year or two ago and finally decided to give this brick of a book a chance. The first thing that came to mind was how dated in its ideas of gender it is. Although is is said that parents shouldn't fret if a boy decides to play with his sisters dolls (which was certainly progressive at the time it was written), the ideas of what a boy or a girl’s ideal 1.5 stars**

Knowing this was a classic book on, as the title suggests, caring for and raising a child, I picked this up for a few cents at a sale a year or two ago and finally decided to give this brick of a book a chance. The first thing that came to mind was how dated in its ideas of gender it is. Although is is said that parents shouldn't fret if a boy decides to play with his sisters dolls (which was certainly progressive at the time it was written), the ideas of what a boy or a girl’s ideal activities should be seems quite clear. We are told about maternal instinct in a little girl several times, while there is more discussions of helping a small boy feel more manly etc.. The idea of what women should be like as mothers is also very present, although concealed in parts. for example, there is a chapter on mothers who work but it is also said that babies should spend about 3 hours a day outside if the weather permits (who in the world has time for 3 hour long walks everyday ? Working mum or not ?) These injonctions are clear to any informed reader, « a father can help vs a mother should do xyz ». In our day and age, this is not something I would recommend to any future parent, especially not a woman, especially a first time mum. I’m not saying that it is all wrong but it is an awfully outdated manual, in both ideas of paedopsychology and healthcare. That is not to mention all the easier techniques and machines we have invented in the last 40 years, and their own set of new created problems that came with it, which of course could not have been discussed back then.
I can see how at the time it came out, this book could have been seen as the holy bible of childcare books as it touches on everything, however I am certain that some much better, ones can now be found in any good libraries. My copy is going straight back to charity. ...more

3

Oct 24, 2008

This is a book that I read the sections I need when I want to know, rather than reading cover to cover. Unlike some guides, it's arranged topically rather than by age, so skipping around is really a necessity. It gives some great advice and gives a lot of the "whys" of childcare - why shouldn't you save the extra food from the baby jar? Body fluids are sterile to the body they came out of... so what if saliva gets into the rest of the food? Turns out that (here's a reminder from 4th grade This is a book that I read the sections I need when I want to know, rather than reading cover to cover. Unlike some guides, it's arranged topically rather than by age, so skipping around is really a necessity. It gives some great advice and gives a lot of the "whys" of childcare - why shouldn't you save the extra food from the baby jar? Body fluids are sterile to the body they came out of... so what if saliva gets into the rest of the food? Turns out that (here's a reminder from 4th grade science) that saliva breaks down some foods, which when not consumed, causes them to decay faster. Oh, okay - I can accept that. Hearing it from other places just makes those people sound paranoid or that they just want you to spend more money on baby food. So far so good. :) And this book doesn't make you feel slow, stupid, or paranoid. I like that in a parenting guide! :D ...more

3

Aug 27, 2011

So with a daughter on the way, I've found myself reading rearing books. I'm getting great information, but only made it as far as the twos.

Where are the dragons? Ninja assassins? Robots and their laws?

There wasn't even one chapter on where in the nursery is best for katana placement. Seriously. I have no idea where to put my swords. Spock was no help for that.

It's funny saying (or rather thinking) that. Usually, most Vulcans are good in a pinch.

I think that joke is too old, but that's the So with a daughter on the way, I've found myself reading rearing books. I'm getting great information, but only made it as far as the twos.

Where are the dragons? Ninja assassins? Robots and their laws?

There wasn't even one chapter on where in the nursery is best for katana placement. Seriously. I have no idea where to put my swords. Spock was no help for that.

It's funny saying (or rather thinking) that. Usually, most Vulcans are good in a pinch.

I think that joke is too old, but that's the most I got from that book. ...more

5

Jun 10, 2008

Except we're reading the 1954 edition. The "in place of a crib, you can place your baby in a bureau drawer or a clothes basket" edition. His take on post-partum depression is pretty good, too. Honestly, it is. Gotta love it. Mostly reading it for fun and because Mom gave it to me. Worked for her. I don't think any of us turned out that horribly. Can't find the chapter where he says it's ok to put netting on top of a play pen (poor Edie!), but I"m sure it's in there.

5

November 21, 2018

Good nostalgic book for my new nursery.

One reason i purchased this older version is that I have read that more recent versions have had a lot a Dr. Spock's content replaced with no-name modern doctors' advise. The modern version may be an improvement when it comes to the medial advice, but not so much when it comes to Dr. Spock's compassionate writing. I don't want a book that is Dr. Spock in name only.

The other reason I bought this is because it is the version my mother used when we were kids. It reminds me of my mother, at a time when I am expecting my first child.

It arrived quickly, in good condition just as the seller advertised.

5

July 29, 2019

An oldie but a Goodie

I bought this for my daughter in law. She was having some difficulty figuring things out with my granddaughter. I mentioned to her I had this book to help me with my boys and asked if she would like it. I bought it for her and she loves it. 2nd generation of usefulness.

1

August 9, 2019

Product condition

The cover was torn off. Not suitable for a gift,

5

August 8, 2015

this book was my bible when i was raising my ...

this book was my bible when i was raising my four children. the most helpful, unpatronizing book ever. packed full of commonsense information about dealing with various problems from sickness to perplexing behaviour. written by a doctor who was also a kind and humorous human being.

5

March 4, 2019

It was perfect! Thank you.

It was perfect! Thank you.

5

August 19, 2018

The advice he gave then, is still valid!36

I raised my three children with the help of this book, and it still resonates well!

5

October 20, 2018

Informative

This is a very helpful book for me. I have a very active child and it has helped me a whole lot.