Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #151619 in Books
• Published on: 2006-08-01
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 384 pages

Synopsis
'Tried-and-trusted' US parenting classic is revised for the UK market. It is appealing to parents looking for an alternative to rigid Gina Ford-style childcare regimes. Bringing up children has become a race to accelerate development even before birth. Educational toys and gadgets such as womb speakers, flashcards and 'baby' Mozart are a multi-million pound industry, along with baby gymnastics, and maths and reading lessons for pre-schoolers. In "You Are Your Child's First Teacher", Rahima Baldwin Dancy speaks out against hyper-parenting and rushing children through childhood. 'Our children need us for the heart connection, but they don't need constant adult input and intellectual stimulation,' says Baldwin Dancy. 'Allowing children to be children today means recognising their need for creative play which is the work of childhood.' She advocates a 'slow parenting' revolution which will allow children to develop at their own pace, and crucially, will help parents to enjoy the magical first years of raising a child.

Rahima Baldwin Dancy's practical, down-to-earth advice will help parents to: understand their child's different intellectual, mental and physical needs at each stage of development; nourish their child's imagination with simple home-made toys and materials from the garden and kitchen cupboard; enjoy storytelling, arts, crafts and musical activities with their child; create their own family rituals to ease the daily routine; use imitation, repetition and setting limits to promote positive discipline; and value their own ability to understand and care for their child.

Customer Reviews

excellent introduction to the Steiner approach
This has fast become one of my favourite parenting books. It introduced me to Steiner's philosophy on child development age 0-6, and it loyally and sensitively updates the application of Steiner's approach for today's times. I noticed that the author is rated as one of the top pioneers of natural parenting on the uk NP website, up there with Leboyer, Steiner himself, Leidloff and the like. This comfirmed for me that this is an important book, and should certainly have a place on the shelves of pre-school settings, particularly in the U.K. and U.S., where children start their formal education at such a young age.

I have always had a vague uneasy feeling about certain toys: character dolls such as Barbies, T.V. & video games, and I knew that toys such as fully fitted plastic kitchens can be too literal. But this book explains exactly how childhood and children's brain development and creativity can be compromised to their great detriment by such resources. It also emphasises the necessity for children to enjoy each phase of early childhood without having their developing senses violated by experiences they are not ready for. It describes how as parents and teachers we can so easily sabotage the child's developing creativity by over-directing them, over-providing for them, hurrying them, limiting them, or simply by stealing away their precious early years time with totally inappropriate demands for academic learning. After reading this book I resolved that my small children would not waste away their precious early years infront of videos, colouring in, or keeping their clothes clean.

The "Teacher" role referred to in the title is really a time and space provider, learning enhancer, play enabler, quality controller of toys and resources, sensory protector and advocate.

The best parenting resource I have found.
This is a terrific parenting resource, offering: insights into your child from birth through age six; suggestions for meeting parenting challenges from discipline to fostering creativity; and reinforcement of the importance of your role as a parent. I found the section on Rhythm and Discipline in home life particularly helpful. A friend passed this on to me; I have since bought 4 copies and passed them on to other mothers.

Excellent source of spiritual and practical guidance.
I read this book 8 years ago. I have read over 50 parenting books since then and this book is still my favorite. This book gives you the sense of stepping back and trusting your instincts and really enjoying your child. Ms. Baldwin gives wonderful resource lists for simple toys, games, beautiful music and additional books. This book gives a wealth of information on practical ideas for creating a harmonious, beautiful life for your child. All parents should read this book.