I'm not really sure what happened with The Intuitive Parent: Why the Best Thing for Your Child Is You. I received an advance review copy back in 2015. Then I added the book to my "currently reading" list on GoodReads in 2019. And now here we are in 2024, and I've finally finished the book!
As the parent of an almost 8-year-old, I really wish I had read this book back when I was pregnant in 2015. However, I did not, and I can only hope that I did the whole mother-of-a-newborn thing right. According to author Dr. Stephen Camarata, I think I did.
You see, you don't need fancy programs to teach your baby. If you're reading, speaking, and interacting with your baby, you're doing it right.
Being an "intuitive parent" means following your own intuition on what is right for your child. Following your own intuition on how to interact with your child. Not letting some "baby genius" DVD "teach" your baby because you know what? Your baby isn't really learning anything from stuff like that anyway. And Dr. Camarata even posits that trying to force learning concepts on babies can lead to learning disabilities down the road.
There were a few things I made note of in this book because, at almost 10 years since its publication, I wondered if research or doctoral opinion had changed at all. Weighted blankets and weighted stuffed animals are super popular because "research" says that they help calm kids and regulate emotions and all this great stuff. In The Intuitive Parent, Dr. Camarata writes that a number of studies show that making kids wear weighted vests doesn't work. Are weighted vests the same as the blanket and plush versions? I don't know, but it certainly makes me think twice about the blankets and plush.
This would be a good book for new parents to check out, however, I think you already know how to parent without reading this book. It's less of a how-to and more of a "here's why you shouldn't do this". As Dr. Camarata writes, "Know, and believe in your heart of hearts, that you have everything you possibly need to be exactly the parent that your child needs." (p. 286)
The Intuitive Parent is published by Current and is available to purchase. I received a free review copy.
Comments
Post a Comment