Photo: Theodore Scott/Flickr
Sidle up to the "Parenting" section in your local bookstore, and it's easy to feel a little intimidated, especially if you are brand-spanking-new to this parenting business. That's why we turned to the experts – 50 Seattle moms and dads who have become first-time parents within the past two years – and asked them to share their favorite books on parenting through the first year. Here are their picks:
The Happiest Baby on the Block
Harvey Karp, M.D.
The celebrity pediatrician's five S's to a calm a fussy baby really, really actually work.
Ruth Yaron
Confused about when to start solids? What foods to avoid? This is the book Seattle parents turn to for all the answers.
Heidi Murkoff, Arlene Eisenberg and Sandee Hathaway
"I liked this book because it's more of a reference guide, than a full on read. The way that it was broken down by months was really helpful – it was a good check-in during the month we were in," says Christine Godlewski, a Seattle designer and mother of 17-month-old Olivia.
Secrets of the Baby Whisperer: How to Calm, Connect, and Communicate with Your Baby
Tracy Hogg and Melinda Blau
Put simply, this is a book that changes lives, according to Seattle parents.
What's Going on in There? How the Brain and Mind Develop in the First Five Years of Life
Lise Eliot
Amazon.com book reviewer Audrey said best what Seattle parents feel about Eliot's tome: "This is one of those books you should write in – underline, highlight, take notes … you will be referring to it often."
Jill Stamm
"It's just a really interesting book about baby's brain development, and it suggests activities that you can do with your baby to help stimulate them at each stage of development," says Capitol Hill mom Mindy Huffman, whose son, Lionel, is 6 months old.
Regina Leeds and Meagan Francis
The Baby Book: Everything You Need to Know About Your Baby from Birth to Age Two
William Sears, Martha Sears, Robert Sears and James Sears
Baby Signs: How to Talk with Your Baby Before Your Baby Can Talk, Third Edition
Linda Acredolo, Susan Goodwyn and Doug Abrams
Guess what? Babies know what they want and need and they can tell you!
5 Days to a Perfect Night's Sleep for Your Child: The Secrets to Making Bedtime a Dream
Eduard Estivill, Mara Faye Lethem and Rachel Anderson
"Our son wasn't self-soothing and, after being a ‘good sleeper' for the first six months of his life, he spent the next six months of his life cradled in my arms from 1 to 4 a.m.," says Seattle's Ben Silverman, father of 17-month-old Caleb. "I read this book, applied the basic technique and within two nights there was a demonstrable difference, and, by the end of the fourth night there had been a 180-degree turn in sleep behavior."
Editor's note: This article was originally published in March of 2012.