Good advice from Supernanny! (Jo Frost's Confident Baby Care - Jo Frost)

Member Name: k81979

Product:	Jo Frost's Confident Baby Care - Jo Frost
Date:	29/06/09 (61 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Reassuring, helpful advice for all aspects of baby care

Disadvantages: None

There are so many baby care advice books out now that it is difficult to choose one that is appropriate to you. Some focus mainly on pregnancy, others on the mechanics of day to day life with a baby - washing, nappy changing etc. Others still focus on behaviour (these tend to be very big, thick books). Finding one that covers a multitude of areas can be tricky. Jo Frost (aka Supernanny) has managed to put together a comprehensive guide to your first year with your baby that covers a great many aspects of your new life together.


Overview
~~~~~~

The book starts off by explaining that the aim is to make parents more confident in their choices - and asserts the fact that these are THEIR choices, not a set of rules that must be followed if your child is to survive intact. Jo mentions this many times - she can give advice but parents will always do things their own way and this is fine, and essential if parents are to become confident.

The book continues with a small chapter on preparing for the birth and gives good reviews of different products and their usefullness. There is also unbiased advice on topics such as feeding and childcare.

The rest of the book is divided into sections according to the baby's age. 0-3 months focusses on the first few weeks and is perhaps the most useful. There is more advice on basics such as feeding, bathing, dressing and sleeping. There is a little bit on creating a routine of sorts, but this is just mentioned and Jo points out that a newborn can be difficult to get into a routine anyway. This is a refreshing change from some of the other books on the market. There is also practical safety advice for around the home.

A nice touch to this section is a list of toys and some ideas for games. When my son was born, I had no idea how to play with him, or what was suitable. Even when he was young I felt he needed some sort of activity at points to stimulate him but what, and for how long? Jo gives a list of ideas for toys and games, and some advice on playing in those early days. This was a topic that I don't remember seeing in any of the other books I read.

The next sections are divided into 3-6 months, 6-9 months and 9-12 months. The same topics are raised but take into consideration your child's development over the last few months. Weaning is discussed as are any developments in sleeping habits. Routines are mentioned briefly again. Jo also starts to talk about behaviour although at such a young age this isn't a big feature of the book. More toys and ideas for games are discussed.

The end of the book has a chapter on special situations, such as premature babies, adopted babies and multiple births. Sound advice is given to parents of these children, to work alongside the advice given elsewhere in the book.

There are resources right at the back of the book, which include a table detailing common childhood illnesses, and a list of websites/phone numbers for different organisations. There is a handy list for a first aid kit suitable for a baby as well.

Advantages
~~~~~~~~

I especially liked the focus on baby's social development and well being. It was interesting to see the different stages that a baby will reach, and to understand reasons behind particular forms of behaviour.

The age sections are all structured in the same way, and so it is easy to find a piece of particular information that is relevant to you.

The book has a lovely warm feel to it, and uses humour to get points across. Jo focusses very much on simply loving and enjoying your child, and gives supportive advice for the more practical aspects of childcare. Anyone familiar with the Supernanny programmes will recognise her warm but no-nonsense approach.

As mentioned before, Jo gives advice but is also realistic enough to appreciate that there are many parents who are happy to do things in other ways. For example, she mentions that it is not advisable to heat milk in a microwave, however she knows that parents do this sometimes and so describes how to do it safely if that's your choice. It's all about having the information to have confidence in your decisions.

Disadvantages
~~~~~~~~~~

I'll have to be really picky here. Some people may find the book a little too short compared to the more encyclopedic volumes about baby care that are out there. There are some articles which I would have liked to read more about, but I found that all the necessary information was covered.

Summary
~~~~~~

An excellent read, especially for first time parents, at whom the book is primarily aimed. I would imagine it has useful advice for those who already have children as well, and is cetainly a bit different to other books out there. It is the one book I reach for when I have a question, and always leaves me feeling more confident in my approach to parenting.

Summary: A warm, helpful book that is invaluable to any new (or slightly older!) parent.