Arlene Eisenberg (1934–2001)

I have to say I can see why this has been such a successful book. It is easy to find information about just about everything in it, and is written in easy to understand language, in a non-alarmist way. I especially liked the chapters dedicated to each particular month of pregnancy. It made it easy to focus on what was happening at the time, rather than getting overwhelmed by an overload of information. Each of the chapters talked about what you might be experiencing or worrying about at that stage, and it matched in really well with reality.
A couple of other books I read about pregnancy were quite alarmist in their tone, the way they discussed problems that might arise. This book does mention possible problems, but is reassuring in tone, letting you know what might happen without making you worry about it.
If you buy only one pregnancy book, buy this one!… (more)

By the time you are reading What to Expect the Toddler Years, you already know what to expect (hah) from the book format. A massive reference book on a particular topic in parenting, broken up into small sections, corresponding to age level, and written in a friendly and familiar tone that provides information as if you are old friends with the authors. This book, being about the toddler years, addresses a wide variety of topics that parents may expect to see in their children from the second year through the third. The first part of the book looks at everything by month, although it begins grouping several months together at the start of the third year. The second part of the book deals with topics that apply to all toddlers, such as health and safety and basic care, and the third part is about the relationship between the toddler and the family. The book concludes with a fourth reference section.

I appreciate this series. It has given me a lot of information over the years, and I can tell that the writers work hard to make their answers on different topics apply to as wide a range of parents as possible. They have their particular views on parenting - for instance, they adamantly oppose any form of physical discipline, even spanking, which I don't use personally but I do know some parents who use that form of discipline safely (key word) and effectively - as do all parenting manuals, but they try to be objective. Since this is a reference for the toddler years in general, the authors don't dwell in great detail on every topic, but they cover so much that it is very handy as a mom to just pull this book out and search the index for whatever random new parenting challenge arises. I do wish they would use years and months, instead of just months - really, am I an odd parent for considering my child two years and two months old, instead of twenty six months? - but that is a small complaint. When I am dealing with an issue in parenting that I need particular help with, I seek out other books that are devoted just to that problem, but this book serves as a good general guide, a reminder of things I can improve on, and a place to find quick answers.… (more)