I read this book based on a review of one of my favorite blogs, Healthy Tipping Point. I wanted to place Emmett on some sort of sleep schedule and Caitlin (the blog’s author) was trying to do the same thing with her son and was using this book for help, I figured I’d give it a try.
I should also explain that we weren’t having any trouble getting Emmett to sleep through most of the night but we were struggling to figure out when he was tired for his naps. We just weren’t seeing the clues and I was hoping this book would assist with that.
Let me start out by saying that I didn’t love or hate the book. There were some really great points made and other things that came way out of left field. I started reading this book when Emmett was nearly 3 months old but now having read it, I wish that I had found it and read it prior to his birth because a lot of her early tips probably would have helped with his colicky, cranky moods.
The book starts out explaining a bit about who the author is and how she came to write the book. I personally read this section but if you weren’t looking to read it from end to end, you could certainly skip over this part and not be any worse for wear. It isn’t completely uninteresting but really when you’re desperate for answers to your concerns of your baby, reading that portion isn’t important.
One of the more interesting parts of the book is this pretty basic quiz she has you take. It assists in determining which of the five personality categories your baby falls into; Angel Baby, Textbook Baby, Touchy Baby, Spirited Baby and Grumpy Baby. By determining this information you can then go forward into the meat of the book knowing how better to approach your baby’s different moods.
Once she’s flipped through that information she explains the value of a structured routine, she uses the E.A.S.Y. method.
E = Eat
A = Activity
S = Sleep
Y = You
You can probably figure it out but the basic premise is that you if you follow the above outline you will have a happy, content, well rested baby. I can attest that if you stick with it, this works! Emmett was not on any sort of routine and while reading this, I decided to use this model and it has worked out well for us. I don’t put him down at specific times but instead follow his cues for when he is looking tired (yawning or rubbing his eyes) and then I know to put him down and take time for me, once he’s up we eat and then we play. It’s a simple premise and it really does work! This is probably my favorite part of the book and it made the most sense.
Throughout the whole book she talks about how you need to treat your baby with respect and ask them or let them know you’re going to touch them or move them. This is where the author kind of loses me. I agree that you should absolutely respect your child but asking him/her whether you can change their diaper or change their clothes? That just seems weird. With Emmett we definitely say things like, “We’re going to change your clothes now,” or “Mommy’s going to change your diaper.” But that’s more because we believe babies learn so much from listening to their parents talk so we constantly talk to Emmett. Maybe this is the point the author is trying to make but the way it’s written seems like it comes out of left field.
She offers some great tips on how to handle a baby that seems to constantly want to be held. They seem like they’d really work but thankfully, Emmett hasn’t been one of those babies except for on really bad days, overall we have a nice healthy balance of him wanting to play alone to wanting to be held and cuddled.
Would I recommend this to someone? Yes, I probably would, especially someone who wants to work out a sleep schedule for their baby or someone who is just looking for some tips on how to determine whether the baby is tired/bored/sick. It doesn’t provide all the answers but it has definitely helped me and given me some great insight.
**This is not a paid book review**
