Ceasarean Recovery

Age range: Adult parent

"This is a great book for dealing with both the physical and psychological after effects of a C section delivery. As well as a detailed account of the procedure itself it has a step-by-step recovery guide with an exercise programme that gradually increases in intensity over the first six months post-partum. The exercises are well presented and there are many that you can do with your baby, which is important when you have little free time to yourself. Don't be put off by the use of American spellings ('Cesarean' and 'Mom' feature heavily) as there does not appear to be any country specific advice here.

Having had an emergency caesarean myself 11 weeks ago I was not prepared for the impact of the procedure, as like most first time mums I was convinced everything would go as laid out in my birth plan. This book echoed many of my feelings, especially the huge level of disappointment I felt. If you know you will have a C section (i.e. elective) then I recommend you read this book to prepare yourself and for the post-operative advice. However, those who would benefit most are those, like myself, who don't anticipate this method of delivery and who are probably less likely to read it before the event 'just in case'. I would suggest you get someone to buy it for you as soon after the birth as possible. You will feel much more positive about the experience more quickly, which will enable you to get on with enjoying your baby. After reading this book I now view my scar as a battle wound that probably saved the life of me and my baby."

Linda Addy - May 2005

www.amazon.co.uk

Instinctive Birthing

Age range: Adult parent

I found this book interesting and alternative reading, it provided a different view to the whole pregnancy/birth experience. Being a third time mother I thought that I was quite well informed on most of the facts, but this book provided a more indepth informative view. It was well written and clear and achieved its goal of showing the various choices available throughout pregnancy and during the birth. I would recommend this book to all, especially for first time mothers who may be unaware of the choices available to them. It certainly made me more aware of the options.

Louise Bennett - May 2005

www.amazon.co.uk

Potential Pack

Age range: 4-9 yrs

I used these cards with my children aged 3 and 5. My 5 year old found the cards very interesting to look at. He played with the cards and I used them to assess his knowledge and progression. I found the cards very easy to use andI found that my son knew a lot more than I had realised.

Although the cards are segmented for different age groups I found that my children liked all the them. Although I used the correct age group for my child he did enjoy looking at and talking about the other cards as well.

My younger daughter loved looking at the cards as well. I felt that the structure of the pack stimulated the children and they enjoyed their colourful graphics. It also helped with sharing, as they could each have some, as opposed to a book which is very hard to share with the younger age group.

I am not sure how it would work with older children, but feel sure that they would benefit from these cards.

The Parent Tutor pack was very helpful, especially with the answers!! and the guidance notes as to what to ask the children.

I love the cards, they gave me a chance to have some quality time with my children using a positive and educational tool.

The pack would in my view also be very good for car or flight journeys as it is a good size to pack in hand luggage and would certainly entertain the children on a long journey.

Debbie, James and Charlotte - May 2005

www.amazon.co.uk

Positive Not Pushy

Age range: Adult parent

I have not read Jardine’s previous book “How to be a Better Parent” which deals, I believe, more success in the home and school. It also introduced the parenting tools “reflective listening” and “descriptive praise” which are alluded to here. This title is how to help your child succeed outside of school. It looks at (organised) activities, classes or clubs which we hope will nurture specific skills (e.g. musical or sporting) and/or develop the child’s character (e.g. self-confidence).

Jardine admits to being a pushy parent and sometimes displaying the annoying traits of the typical “pushy parent”, for example blaming the system, teachers or equipment for a child’s lack of progress. But she’s tried to rein in what she terms as “the wrong kind of pushiness” and gives tips on how to be “more effectively pushy”. For me, the book was timely and useful as my eldest son is coming up to five and we are just beginning the process of finding out what is available in the area which might interest him.

The book gives practical advice for those parents who believe their child is gifted (but who may well be wrong) to those whose child is continually complaining of being bored but gives up all too easily. She deals with the difficult dilemma of whether you should allow them to give up – because they should be enjoying themselves, or make them persevere – because you want them to be stretched and challenged. Other chapters deal with motivation, practising, winning and losing and more. Each chapter begins with a brief overview and ends with a checklist which makes it easy to dip into. There is also a useful list of contacts for different types of clubs and activities at the end.

I did find the examples she gave rather limited. The anecdotes usually reflected children with unusual talent engaged in activities most approved of by the middle classes (and hence expensive). I would have liked to see more about nurturing artistic pursuits, cooperation and communication skills, community work and volunteering and other similar exciting and absorbing (and less expensive) activities

www.amazon.co.uk

The book is a great starting point for new, anxious, first time parents about to embark on ''the first'' outing/nappy change etc. It's easy to read, is written with a sense of humour and takes the fear out of getting it all wrong...which if you're like me you do anyway!

I particularly liked the Pros & Cons tables e.g. whether to bottle or breast feed. The book gives a no nonsense, non-judgemental presentation of the facts to help you make up your own mind if you haven't already.

It would also be good to read in the later weeks of pregnancy in the hope that some of the info sticks. As a first time Mum you might find that drinking a hot cup of tea seems like a major achievement on some days, especially in the first weeks, so reading & comprehension would be out of the question. You will want to refer to other more serious Babycare Manuals (of which there are loads on the market) for more details on specific Baby care topics which affect you, but as a starter this book is great for both Mums & Dads.

Mandy A.

www.amazon.co.uk

'Being a parent is of course enormous fun, though it can be also extremely frightening. It is, at one and the same time, life's greatest joy and its biggest challenge', writes Steve Chalke, father of four in his latest book.

'From the moment they're born it's our responsibility to provide them with the generous and constant supply of time, security and love and care that they desperately need in order to truly thrive'.

'How to Succeed as a Working Parent' provides an interesting insight into taking the necessary steps to achieve the right balance between work and home. Success he defines as 'retaking control'.

The book is divided into easy-to-read practical sections covering issues such as: getting your values straight; dealing with guilt; stress; home budgeting; employers; childcare; the boundaries between life and work and the importance of communication. Illustrated by his own experiences and backed up by real-life case studies from working parents, this book explains the way forward in making those choices to achieve the right balance between home and work.

Sarah

www.parentalk.co.uk

"When I received this book I was initially sceptical because I am not a huge fan of "parenting books". I believe that we are all just doing the best that we can and we don't need a book to tell us where we are all going wrong - so we can spend the next month beating ourselves up!!!

However I decided to give it a go. Initially I found it quite hard going and the first chapter about Enneagrams!! was too technical and didn't make an awful lot of sense. The questions had 3 answers each and I did find it hard to choose 1 of them but I just tried to choose the closest one.

"Jenni Murray declares at the start of this book that the main aim for writing the book is to 'celebrate the sons we have, and then to try and encourage other parents to help the next generation of young men to grow up with the skills and attitudes required to make a first-rate husband or partner, and hands-on father'.

Being the mother of three little boys, aged 9, 4, and 18 months, I was eager to read this book to glean extra information as to how best 'bring up' our sons.