Craig T. Ramey

There isn't going to be a single parenting book I find that lights my world on fire.

This one has a lot of good information about shaping your kid's social and emotional development, and while lots of the advice will never go out of style (talk to your kid! Love them! don't shake the baby!), it still manages to be a little dated at this point.

Mostly the advice is sound, but it does go a little far in reminding you WHY to do these things--with the implication that, if you're not interacting with your child for every second of every day, if you let him cry for more than 30 seconds without rushing in to pick him up, you're damaging him for life and he'll never trust anyone ever, because YOU, you selfish parent, had to pee.

So it's a little nerve-wracking and not a title I'd recommend reading when you're already sleep-deprived and feeling fragile about the amount of interaction you have, especially if you've already had to go back to work. Despite this book's implications, I think my child is better served by continuing to have a roof over his head and only seeing Daddy during the day, than he would by seeing both of us all day while we live in a cardboard box on the street.… (mehr)