Touchpoints: Your Child's Emotional and Behavioral Development, Birth to 3 -- The Essential Reference for the Early Years

By T. Berry Brazelton and Joshua D. Sparrow

Book Overview

Based on over three decades of continuous practice and internationally recognized research, Touchpoints is the only childcare reference by a pediatrician who has both medical and psychoanalytic training, and who offers parents a complete understanding of child development from a physical, cognitive, emotional, and behavioral point of view. No other childcare guide offers supportive, empathetic insights into the parents' own emotions, and no other guide includes both chronological chapters and alphabetical topics on all issues faced by families from conception through age six."Touchpoints" are the universal spurts of development and the trying periods of regression that accompany them throughout childhood. Dr. Brazelton uses them as windows to help parents understand their child's behavior and prevent future problems. PART ONE: "Touchpoints of Development" is a vivid chronological account of the basic stages of early childhood. Every chapter covers: feeding; crying; temperament; social learning; stranger awareness; discipline; sleeping; learning; emotions; independence; self image; sexuality; communication; motor skills; attachment; play; self-esteem; toilet-training. PART TWO: "Challenges to Development" is a complete alphabetical reference. Each entry shows how to understand, defuse, and prevent potential problems such as: allergies; bedwetting; crying; depression; discipline; divorce; fears; feeding problems; headaches; hearing problems; hospitalization; hyperactivity; hypersensitivity; imaginary friends; loss and grief; lying and stealing; manipulation; nightmares; school readiness; self-esteem; separation; sibling rivalry; sleep problems; speech problems; stomachaches; television; toilet training. PART THREE: "Allies in Development" explains the important role of each person in your child's life: fathers; mothers; friends; caregivers; grandparents; doctor.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 020162690X
• ISBN13: 9780201626902
• Release Date: March 1992
• Publisher: Da Capo Lifelong Books
• Length: 512 Pages
• Weight: 1.79 lbs.
• Dimensions: 9.3" x 1.0" x 6.7"

Customer Reviews

I learned everything from this book

I had no experience with babies until i had mine and this book was my bible. I read each section several times if needed. It tought me so much when my colicky son was an infant and toddler.

Boxed Set oOf Touchpoints

I bought it to my wife who is a Psychologist, and she is happy with it.

Great Insight Into Behaviorial Development And More

There are so many books on the market about parenting in the first few years of your baby's life. I have read a dozen of them, and was mostly disappointed. The "What To Expect" books, for example, are very wordy, and have very pragmatic advice, but for me lack some "depth". Brazelton's book, by contrast is both pragmatic and philosophical, giving parents much more depth on this subject. I loved reading this book; I found it to be engaging, interesting, and very relevant to raising my 2-year old. In particular, some things that impressed me: * The author has great insight into infant and toddler behavioral development (in fact, he has great insight into parental behavior as well). This background gives parents some inclination for what is going on with their child, and is useful in crafting responses to various behaviors that are observed in the early years of a child's life. * The book is comprehensive, touching on most aspects of parenting in the first three years. * The book is extremely well organized. It serves well as both a reference, and a cover-to-cover read. I do agree with other reviewers who have said the author is opinionated. I think this is a good thing -- and I gained more and more confidence in the author's opinions as I went along. Most new parents will do well to have a "starting point" when forming their own opinions. As an example, Brazelton discusses at length the importance of establishing boundaries with infants and toddlers, as this will help the child to feel competent and secure as they continually gain new dimensions of independence which both excites and scares children. But this is balanced with the moderating view that parents minimize negativity by not making big deals of things that don't really matter. This is related to discussion on what it means to "spoil" a child. To this end, Brazelton advises: (1) do sometimes let the child get frustrated when trying to accomplish a new task by themselves -- this is a feeling they're going to have to learn to manage, and (2) establish boundaries so the child has a good sense for his own competence.

A must-have reference

I found this book through PBS's "Whole Child" website. I initially checked it out from the library when my then four-month-old daughter resumed crying at night, seeming to regress from the progress she was making. After reading through the book, I realized that she was going through a normal development step, or "touchpoint" as Dr.Brazelton calls it. I've found the author's tips work well with my two children and am especially grateful for his tips on sleep (patting the child's back to settle her down, using a lovie). I've also found that he adopts an understanding tone --- he tries to work with the parents and caregivers regardless of their circumstances (working vs. stay-at-home). The book is now an essential part of our collection.

Excellent source of information! Magnifico!

This book is a must for Spanish parents! Este libro los padres espanoles deben tener!

Excellent Book, A MUST-HAVE for any parent.

I bought this in conjunction with the "What to Expect" series. Read together they give an interesting and excellent mix of information. Dr. Brazelton approaches topics in a very personal way, and talks about different situations he approached in his career. Moreover, he demonstrates how important it is to respect children and their fears of various situations. As an adult, it's easy to get caught up in everyday life and forget how TERRIFYING a trip to the doctors office can be. Dr. Brazelton covers how to discuss things with a very young child in a way they will understand, and a variety of other very important issues.This book came highly recommended to me by a friend of Dr. Brazelton, but I recommend it to you only because it is a wonderful book, and worth every minute. I have read mine several times now, and find it very helpful with regards to approaching children.