The Baby Rules: The Insider's Guide to Raising Your Parents

Mothers and former TV producers Schaefer-Wilson and Germinario believe that""some places we go to for parenting advice are unknowingly giving dangerous information to parents."" To repair the problem, they offer this tome, which explains what to do""when placing a baby in a situation that could have potential dangers,"" such as a bath. Written from a baby's point of view and largely targeted at women, the book consists of hundreds of bulleted points on taking care of children, covering what can go wrong when diapering, breastfeeding, bathing, taking a baby for a car ride, visiting the pediatrician and more. Most of the advice (e.g.,""Never put me alone in a playpen, a crib or anywhere with a bib around my neck"" and""I'm not allowed to sleep with teething rings!"") aims to protect babies from common parenting mistakes. Some of the authors' suggestions, however, fall more squarely into the commonsense advice category: e.g.,""Restock my diaper bag every night"" and""Always have a burp cloth or towel handy when feeding me."" Though some readers may find the device of the baby's voice rather saccharine, the book is nonetheless a treasure trove of useful information.