Does My Child Need Me to Lead or to Follow? A Radically Simple Way to Parent Children from Infancy Through Age 6

Research-based insight meets practical guidance in this straightforward debut guide to the first six years of a child’s development from psychologist Schwarzlmüller. Rather than getting bogged down by complex child-rearing strategies, she encourages parents to simply interact with their children, alternately leading and following them. Following infants might look like learning to read their facial expressions and cues, and for toddlers, letting them make messes while learning to feed themselves. Leading might look like setting limits and boundaries (for instance, creating a “yes space” at home that’s safe for toddlers to explore while still firmly redirecting them from stoves and stairs), finding appropriate tasks that small children can assist with, and helping kids interpret their playmates’ behavior (“Those friends would like to use the sand pail too”). Both leading and following build trust and mutual respect in the parent-child relationship, according to Schwarzlmüller. Throughout, she walks readers through scenarios with a fictional child, “Alex,” that are meant to illustrate development across ages; it’s an effective device, giving readers a glimpse into what behaviors are typical and what might need extra attention. This is a valuable resource for parents of young children. (Apr.)