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If only babies came with manuals and toddlers came with warranties.

That terrible whining noise that my two-year-old is making should definitely be enough to send him back to the manufacturer, if one existed.  I take comfort in knowing that this is just a phase.  That’s what people keep telling me, at least.

There’s a relatively new book that tells me the same thing.  Is This a Phase? Child Development and Parent Strategies, Birth to 6 Years is my new favorite pick for the closest thing to an owner’s manual for your child.  The author, Helen F. Neville, has produced one of the most accessible guides to early child development that I’ve seen.  (And I’ve looked, and looked, and looked)

The book is extraordinarily useful.  Split into two sections, Neville gives parents a comprehensive guide to the first six years–one phase at a time–and a helpful reference guide for common parenting issues.  From dealing with questions about sexuality, to teaching your children about strangers, to information about child nutrition, the book provides an easy to use reference for issues that every parent will inevitably face when raising children.

Did I mention that the book is easy to use?  Explanations are clear without being too abbreviated and the author uses a series of readable charts that help you compare child developmental milestones over time.  The book emphasizes that these milestones are only averages and that each child develops at their own rate, but one feature I admire about the book is that it attempts to help parents understand how their own child’s temperament might influence developmental milestones.

Whether you’re trying to figure out when your newborn might sleep through the night or you’re trying to decide whether your five-year-old is ready for Kindergarten, you should give Is This a Phase a try.

by Lisa D.

Photo graciously provided by the Fair Use doctrine, some rights reserved