This has been the most helpful book that I’ve found so far about child development and parenting strategies. It provides a very thorough explanation of developmental stages, which really help me understand how to handle the things my child does. It then discusses solutions and ideas for dealing with every day challenges that come with each stage.
Since my son is 2, I have been mostly reading the parts about 2 year olds, and have been reminded that children are working to exert and establish their independence at age 2. This explains much of my son’s behavior and helps me stay calm and know how to deal with the tantrums and defiance. An interesting point was made in the book that people go through this same sort of phase again when they’re teenagers. I would agree that 2 year olds and teenagers do have some behaviors and traits in common…
Chapter 5 is all about the stage from 18 months to 3 years, and here are some of my favorite points from that chapter:
- 2 year olds want to do everything themselves – explains the repeated shouting of “do it by da-yelf!” that I keep hearing from my 2 year old
- 2 year olds test limits to learn
- 2 year olds need simple choices – “do you want to walk upstairs or do you want me to carry you?”
- 2 year olds don’t understand sharing
I have really found through this book and college classes I took on child development that understanding the phase a child is going through really helps you know how to handle it successfully. This book is a wonderful resource for step-by-step phase explanations and solutions for how to handle common challenges of each.
Is This a Phase is definitely a book every parent should have in their personal library!
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