The Intuitive Parent Why the Best Thing for Your Child Is You

Parenting today is practically a competitivesport, and marketers are all too happy to cashin. Scare tactics and scientific-sounding jargonmake it seem like parents are in constant dangerof hard-wiring their children's brains for failure.
In fact, this state of parental anxiety is totallyunnecessary-and possibly bad for our children.Babies are born with an appetite to learn. Childrenare naturally curious about the world and eager toexplore it. They don't need flashcards, educationalvideos, or the latest iPad app to help speed theirdevelopment. Attempts to get children speakingand reading before they're developmentally readymay even harm them in the long run.
In The Intuitive Parent, Vanderbilt Universitychild development specialist Dr. Stephen Camaratadebunks the claims many of these "braindevelopment" programs make. Using accessible,down-to-earth language he explains how parentscan intuitively support their child's brain developmentby simply paying attention. Babies andchildren develop at their own pace; what's more,they are hardwired to signal to caregivers whenthey're ready for the next step. Restrictive toolslike flashcards may derail your child's ability tolearn holistically-and will definitely sap the joyfrom one of the most important jobs in the world:being a parent.
The key is to recognize the "ready to learn"cues your child is giving you and respond in away that comes naturally. Routine activities, suchas playing peekaboo, reading books to a toddler,talking, singing, feeding, and otherwise meetingthe everyday needs of a child, are the true magicthat ultimately wires a child's brain and helps childrenbecome an intelligent, confident, curious,and talented adults.
Grounded in the latest science by a nationallyrecognized child development expert, The IntuitiveParent arms parents and caregivers with the confidenceand knowledge they need to quit worryingand enjoy the time they have with their child-nofancy gadgets or pricey videos necessary.