Happiest Toddler on the Block : The New Way to Stop the Daily Battle of Wills and Raise a Secure and Well-Behaved One- to Four-Year-Old

by KARP, HARVEY MDSPENCER, PAULA

• ISBN13: 9780553802566
• ISBN10: 0553802569
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2004-03-01
• Publisher: Bantam

Summary

Toddlers can drive you bonkers...so adorable and fun one minute...so stubborn and demanding the next! Yet, as unbelievable as it sounds, there is a way to turn the daily stream of "nos" and "don'ts" into "yeses" and hugs...if you know how to speak your toddler's language. In one of the most useful advances in parenting techniques of the past twenty-five years, Dr. Karp reveals that toddlers, with their immature brains and stormy outbursts, should be thought of not as pint-size people but as pintsize...cavemen. Having noticed that the usual techniques often failed to calm crying toddlers, Dr. Karp discovered that the key to effective communication was to speak to them in their own primitive language. When he did, suddenly he was able to soothe their outbursts almost every time! This amazing success led him to the realization that children between the ages of one and four go through four stages of "evolutionary" growth, each linked to the development of the brain, and each echoing a step in prehistoric humankind's journey to civilization: - The "Charming Chimp-Child" (12 to 18 months): Wobbles around on two legs, grabs everything in reach, plays a nonstop game of "monkey see monkey do."- The "Knee-High Neanderthal" (18 to 24 months): Strong-willed, fun-loving, messy, with a vocabulary of about thirty words, the favorites being "no" and "mine."- The "Clever Caveman" (24 to 36 months): Just beginning to learn how to share, make friends, take turns, and use the potty.- The "Versatile Villager" (36 to 48 months): Loves to tell stories, sing songs and dance, while trying hard to behave.To speak to these children, Dr. Karp has developed two extraordinarily effective techniques: 1) The "fastfood" rule -- restating what your child has said to make sure you got it right; 2) The four-step rule -- using gesture, repetition, simplicity, and tone to help your irate Stone-Ager be happy again.Once you've mastered "toddler

Author Biography

Harvey Karp, M.D., is an assistant professor of pediatrics at the UCLA School of Medicine, with a private practice in Santa Monica. Author of <i>The Happiest Baby on the Block</i>, Dr. Karp is a nationally renowned expert in child development, children’s health and the environment, and breastfeeding. He lives with his wife and daughter in California.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments	xiii
Introduction How I Discovered the Secret to Successful Communication with Toddlers	xv
PART ONE Your Evolving Toddler
To best understand your little one, take a giant step...backward.
1 "Help! There's a Neanderthal in My Kitchen!"	3	(18)
2 12 to 18 Months: Your "Charming Chimp-Child"	21	(14)
3 18 to 24 Months: Your "Knee-High Neanderthal"	35	(14)
4 24 to 36 Months: Your "Clever Cave-Kid"	49	(16)
5 in to 48 Months: Your "Versatile Villager"	65	(14)
6 Nature's Wild Card: What's Your Toddler's Temperament?	79	(16)
7 The Clash of Civilizations: When Modern Parents Meet Stone Age Kids	95	(16)
PART TWO Now You're Talking!
To help your toddler understand you, try speaking his language.
8 How Do You Say That in Toddler-ese? Communication That Really Works!	111	(30)
9 Respect and Rewards: Ways to Encourage Good Behavior	141	(30)
10 Time-in: How Routine and Play Can Soothe Your Prehistoric Pal	171	(28)
11 Gentle Diplomacy: Ways to Set Up and Enforce Limits	199	(32)
PART THREE Pushing Aside Troublesome Boulders
How Prehistoric Parenting can help you get past some common toddler problems.
12 Boulders That Trip Up One-Year-Olds: Tantrums, Public Meltdowns, Sleep Problems, Biting	231	(20)
13 Boulders That Trip Up Two-Year-Olds: Separation Worries, Picky Eating, Toilet Learning	251	(20)
14 Boulders That Trip Up Three-Year-Olds: Fears, Stuttering, Medicine Taking, New Siblings	271	(18)
Epilogue Civilization, Ho! Your Happy, Confident Four-Year-Old	289	(4)
Appendix Ten Steps Every Parent Should Know: The Basics of Raising a Happy Toddler	293	(6)
Index	299