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3rd out of 32 books
—
43 voters
Secrets of the Baby Whisperer: How to Calm, Connect, and Communicate with Your Baby
“TRACY HOGG HAS GIVEN PARENTS A GREAT GIFT–the ability to develop early insight into their child’s temperament.”
–Los Angeles Family
When Tracy Hogg’s Secrets of the Baby Whisperer was first published, it soared onto bestseller lists across the country. Parents everywhere became “whisperers” to their newborns, amazed that they could actually communicate with their baby withi...more
–Los Angeles Family
When Tracy Hogg’s Secrets of the Baby Whisperer was first published, it soared onto bestseller lists across the country. Parents everywhere became “whisperers” to their newborns, amazed that they could actually communicate with their baby withi...more
Paperback, 352 pages
Published
July 26th 2005
by Ballantine Books
(first published 2000)
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I read this book in 2010 when I had my first child. Now that baby #2 is almost here, I've picked it up again. I have a love hate relationship with any book that tries to tell you how to be a parent. I find the overall advice from Tracy is dead on in terms of how important it is to provide structure and a routine for your baby and how to go about getting your baby on that routine. Her overall method is basically the same as BabyWise, however I like her approach better - it seems not so judgmental...more
I purchased this book following the recommendations of other new moms on babycenter.com (great website, by the by). My husband and I sat down to read it together, but after an hour going through some of her material, decided it wasn't worth continuing (I think we read the second and third chapters). Leaving her annoying writing style aside (for the sweet love of god, I'm not your 'luv' and don't like being talked down to), no part of her book is based on scientific studies or fact. The one study...more
Oct 05, 2008
April
rated it
5 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
new moms, pregnant moms, anyone planning on having kids
Recommended to April by:
Britt-Marie
I really loved this book. I will recommend it to everyone who would like to understand how their baby communicates. I really feel like I can understand what my babies are saying and asking. I like the author's style of writing because I felt like she was my friend and right here helping me.
People complain that she bases everything off of experience and not science and that she doesn't know anything about breastfeeding. Well, I've read two la Leche League books and I really have had enough of th...more
People complain that she bases everything off of experience and not science and that she doesn't know anything about breastfeeding. Well, I've read two la Leche League books and I really have had enough of th...more
Aug 23, 2007
Hannah
rated it
4 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
new and expectant parents
Shelves:
raising_babies_and_children
My big take-aways from this book:
1) Slow down with your baby - go at your newborn's pace, which is way, way slower than you'd expect
2) Respect your baby's personhood - develop an attitude toward your baby like they are a person who is in the room, which they are! Let them know what you're going to do next ("Now we're going to change your diaper... Now it's time to eat... Now it's time to go to sleep...")
3) Give your newborn a tour of the house when you first arrive home from the hospital, or, i...more
1) Slow down with your baby - go at your newborn's pace, which is way, way slower than you'd expect
2) Respect your baby's personhood - develop an attitude toward your baby like they are a person who is in the room, which they are! Let them know what you're going to do next ("Now we're going to change your diaper... Now it's time to eat... Now it's time to go to sleep...")
3) Give your newborn a tour of the house when you first arrive home from the hospital, or, i...more
Aug 15, 2007
Damecatoe
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
pregnant women, first time moms
Shelves:
non-fic
I knew zilch about babies, so my friend picked this up for me at the library. In those first few weeks, I found the book helpful because it had charts to help with understanding a baby's cues.
When my son was less than 6 weeks old, I thought the author's E.A.S.Y. method was bunk. I mean, if a baby wants to fall asleep while eating, no cajoling seems to help. But by the time he was 2-3 months old, I realized he was on E.A.S.Y. - eat, activity, sleep, you time. And I was saner for it.
I read the b...more
When my son was less than 6 weeks old, I thought the author's E.A.S.Y. method was bunk. I mean, if a baby wants to fall asleep while eating, no cajoling seems to help. But by the time he was 2-3 months old, I realized he was on E.A.S.Y. - eat, activity, sleep, you time. And I was saner for it.
I read the b...more
At first the advice in this book seemed so logical that I was excited to have a plan for how to be a mom for the first time. Once my son arrived, I decided that this book was evil.
Hogg's basic idea isn't terrible - it's the guilt she assigns to anyone who doesn't use or can't follow her method. I was in tears more than once because I felt like a failure when her advice wasn't working. One day I literally threw the book against a wall with frustration. I think that action surprised enough to see...more
Hogg's basic idea isn't terrible - it's the guilt she assigns to anyone who doesn't use or can't follow her method. I was in tears more than once because I felt like a failure when her advice wasn't working. One day I literally threw the book against a wall with frustration. I think that action surprised enough to see...more
This book was recommended to me by a friend. I found it really helpful, although the author goes a bit overboard with the mnemonic devices. I liked that she gave some useful tools for how to provide babies with structure & guidance. The best thing was that she taught me it was ok to pause before reacting/responding to whatever my baby was doing. And that the best way to parent is to respect your baby as a person with his/her own personality, interests, likes & dislikes (which is harder t...more
Well, I would definitely have to say this book has good points and not so good points. There are some very useful tips in this book, however it all needs to be taken to heart with a good dose of reality. It is very important to begin to get your child on a routine as early as possible, but let's be real, you are never going to get a 3 day old newborn to space feedings out to 3 or 4 hours between each one. Neither are you going to get your newborn to sleep through the night right out of the gate....more
Jan 08, 2008
Elizabeth
rated it
1 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
Absolutely no one
Recommended to Elizabeth by:
I dare not say!
Shelves:
parenting-newborns
I found this book completely useless and actually ridiculously funny at times because it was just so off. This may work for Tracy Hogg's celebrity clientele who have nannies taking care of their children but it is pretty useless for hands-on Moms. Her tone is annoying (she keeps referring to the reader as "ducky"). Try reading Dr. Harvey Karp's (yes a real MD!) "Happiest Baby on the Block"--a much better and more useful read. We use this book to elevate my son's mattress when he has a head cold....more
I’m not ashamed to say that I was an absolute mess the first few weeks after Abby was born. I usually pride myself in being a relatively prepared person, but for prepared for infant, I was not.
My sister recommended I read Baby Wise. The theory behind Baby Wise is basically to let your baby ‘cry-it-out,’ pretty much from day one. My implementation of this technique lasted for about…two nights.
In my continued desperateness, I had a couple of people recommend The Baby Whisperer. The theory beh...more
My sister recommended I read Baby Wise. The theory behind Baby Wise is basically to let your baby ‘cry-it-out,’ pretty much from day one. My implementation of this technique lasted for about…two nights.
In my continued desperateness, I had a couple of people recommend The Baby Whisperer. The theory beh...more
This book saved my life. It is similar to Babywise in principal, but much more respectful to a baby's temperament. It is also filled with practical tips. For example, if you are having trouble nursing, there are safe and natural supplements that you can use to increase your milk. She even tells you what to expect with side effects. I read some of the reviews where people said her program is ridiculous and rigid...if you want rigid, read Babywise...The Baby Whisperer advocates a routine, but she...more
I'm giving this five stars because I read it in one day, put my two month old on the E.A.S.Y. routine the next day, which she took to immediately, napping like a champ, and she slept through that night. That very night! Amazing!
This went on for a few weeks...Then her naps went all screwy. And she started waking up at night. And her naps got worse. Which made me want to throw away this book in frustration because I was trying to follow it to a tee and it was not working!
I still don't know what i...more
This went on for a few weeks...Then her naps went all screwy. And she started waking up at night. And her naps got worse. Which made me want to throw away this book in frustration because I was trying to follow it to a tee and it was not working!
I still don't know what i...more
Talvolta un po' ridondante, talvolta un tantino semplicistico (con schematizzazioni "all'americana"), talvolta trapela un po' di saccenza, ma senz'altro questo libro e' basato sulla grande esperienza "sul campo" di una delle autrici e offre interessanti spunti, soprattutto in termini di semplici principi e di "ricette" per capire situazioni possibilmente problematiche nella gestione di un neonato. Molto spesso il metodo E.A.S.Y, un equilibrio strutturato ma dinamico a meta' tra una gestione rigi...more
Oooh did I enjoy this parenting book. I really did. Now, I've since read a critique from a mother of two who liked Tracy Hogg's take on "E.A.S.Y." parenting too —- until she actually HAD the baby. And then discovered it's not a perfect mold.
Which, I get ... you can't apply one parenting concept to every kid. That said, what I liked about Tracy's take on parenting versus some other articles (even books) I've read is how she really drills in this idea that, YOU GUYS--IT'S COMMON SENSE. Yes, paren...more
Which, I get ... you can't apply one parenting concept to every kid. That said, what I liked about Tracy's take on parenting versus some other articles (even books) I've read is how she really drills in this idea that, YOU GUYS--IT'S COMMON SENSE. Yes, paren...more
This book made me feel like a failure. A friend recommended it to me when I was in that vulnerable first few months. While she claims to strike a balance between scheduled vs unscheduled parenting, what she lays out is an incredibly prescriptive approach. If your child does not naturally fall into the routine she describes, you may find yourself forcing an approach that simply won't work.
Her commentary on breastfeeding is so full of misinformation and bizarre "facts" that it should be consindere...more
Her commentary on breastfeeding is so full of misinformation and bizarre "facts" that it should be consindere...more
I read this book before my baby was born, thought it was great, and foolishly thought myself well-prepared to handle my baby. Fast forward a few months to after my baby was born--nothing in the book was helping at all. I thought, surely I was remembering the book wrong, or not applying her ideas correctly, so I read it again. Completely useless. I bet that if you have a very easygoing, laid-back baby who isn't very needy or fussy, this book might be helpful. But for me and my extremely fussy bab...more
I read several 'baby' books just before and after the birth of my granddaughter this February. I was enormously impressed by Tracy Hogg's book, which I read before the babe's arrival. Everything she wrote made sense and dovetailed with my ideas on child rearing. The book was well constructed and clearly written.
However, when my granddaughter was born, I found that Tracy's approach just didn't work for her. It was fine for most babies, but not for a baby who cried or screamed constantly. In fact,...more
However, when my granddaughter was born, I found that Tracy's approach just didn't work for her. It was fine for most babies, but not for a baby who cried or screamed constantly. In fact,...more
This book is so full of misinformation that it would be comical if Tracy Hogg wasn't intending for it to be actual parenting advice. I should have known that a woman who left her own children across the ocean to become a "parenting consultant" for Hollywood families would have nothing useful to say about actual parenting. Seriously - check out the reviews on the back cover - they are all from actors, producers, etc. rather than from pediatricians, nurses, or (gasp!) ACTUAL PARENTS.
Just a few rea...more
Just a few rea...more
I was a little put-off at how someone who counsels families on babies' sleep behavior seemed to view children as such a nuisance and bother to their parents' lifestyles. When I tried to ignore this slant to the book, Hogg had some good information, particularly about how infants awake time is often too long and causes them to be overtired and fussy, which disturbs quality sleep. However, her tone is annoying (calling the reader "luv" and "ducky"), and I'm hesitant to take someone's parenting adv...more
On the recommendation of a MOPS mom after hearing that I intend to let Squirt "cry it out" within the next month or so, I checked out "The Baby Whisperer Solves All Your Problems" from my local library.
I haven't read it all...nor do I intend to. Were there good ideas that probably work? Yes.
But I was insulted by her saying that it's cruel to let my child cry it out, like I'm neglecting him. No, I'm not. It's how I teach him to put himself to sleep. And Moose never felt abandoned. He trusts me co...more
I haven't read it all...nor do I intend to. Were there good ideas that probably work? Yes.
But I was insulted by her saying that it's cruel to let my child cry it out, like I'm neglecting him. No, I'm not. It's how I teach him to put himself to sleep. And Moose never felt abandoned. He trusts me co...more
Even though baby experts never seem to agree with each other and I have read other books that contradict a lot of what Tracy Hogg says, I think she makes the most sense and supports her advice with logical, but easy to understand, reasoning.
One of the things I liked best was that she recognizes that babies have different personalities. In fact, she lists five personalities (Angel baby, Textbook baby, Touchy Baby, Spirited Baby, and Grumpy Baby) that she has encountered in her interactions babie...more
One of the things I liked best was that she recognizes that babies have different personalities. In fact, she lists five personalities (Angel baby, Textbook baby, Touchy Baby, Spirited Baby, and Grumpy Baby) that she has encountered in her interactions babie...more
I will not be reading anymore baby parenting books...I don't think I can stomach anymore. This one was better than the other two that I had recently read but still not fantastic. Her chapter about breast feeding and bottle feeding was the best. She was not critical of other methods or parenting "experts" which was refreshing.
One minor irritation was that she threw in the words "luv" and "ducky" every other sentence. It seemed that she is a little insecure in her British heritage and had to prov...more
One minor irritation was that she threw in the words "luv" and "ducky" every other sentence. It seemed that she is a little insecure in her British heritage and had to prov...more
I read some of this when my son was about four or five months old and we were trying to get him to sleep better. I plan to re-read it before the new baby is born because I think some of the stuff would be helpful if you do it from the beginning. I liked her whole idea of setting up an E.A.S.Y. schedule- Eat, Activity, Sleep, You time. My son often fell asleep while eating which made going to sleep on his own harder, something I'd like to do differently this time.
With my son we tried her Pick Up...more
With my son we tried her Pick Up...more
At first I was willing to try this routine since the author claimed it's not rigid. But just because you don't use a clock to time it out doesn't mean you're suddenly flexible. Advocating feeding every 3-4 hours means you're clock watching anyway. I have a major problem with her view of on demand feeding creating 'demanding' babies and leading to over feeding. Hunger is a basic need. If my child tells me they're hungry I will feed them (unless it's like 10 minutes until dinner or something). Whe...more
I found many parallels between this book and another book I loved, Bringing Up Bebe. The idea that babies are people too and can be talked to and reasoned with, not just blobs with no thoughts of their own, is something I have seen my own mother demonstrate with her many daycare babies. It does seem to me that babies must know more than we realize and that it is important to get to know them and their own personalities, without projecting ourselves on to them and expecting them to act or behave...more
As a teacher, I routinely read a lot of books about parenting and managing children and the one thing I always keep in mind is that there is definitely not ONE WAY to do anything related to raising children. However, reading from a wide array of different perspectives is something that has allowed me to be flexible in a moment of need. Here are my pros and cons for this book:
PROS:
1. Never having had a child of my own, I feel way more clued in about what the routine of having a newborn could pos...more
PROS:
1. Never having had a child of my own, I feel way more clued in about what the routine of having a newborn could pos...more
Secrets of the Baby Whisperer: How to Calm, Connect and Communicate with Your Baby is written by a British midwife who uses her years of experience to help parents understand baby's communication. Her method is the EASY way: once awakening, the baby EATS, then you immerse the baby in ACTIVITY, then when the baby shows signs of tiredness, you help the baby ease into SLEEP in the baby's own crib. Then it's time for YOU. In addition to that, she has a chapter on special circumstances (adoption, sur...more
This the only baby book I've read so far and will probably be the last. There were some helpful elements, I especially liked that she encouraged you to treat your baby with respect; Explain what you're doing, talk to them about what is happening. I also like the E.A.S.Y. routine she recommends, it feels natural to my baby's pattern anyway and it helps me feel like I'm providing some kind of flexible structure. And even her S.L.O.W. recommendation is good advice for any new parent.
While I appreci...more
While I appreci...more
Jan 13, 2013
Hilary
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
parenting,
non-fiction
Rereading for second child (using the ebook this time, because I could get it faster). It wasn't as well formatted - links didn't always go to the right place, and the repeated misspelling of "Mabel" was rather annoying - but I still picked up some useful tips and was reminded of others.
The key in this book is that each child is different, so you need to learn to recognize your child's cues and needs and respond appropriately and thoughtfully (to avoid accidentally setting up expectations you ca...more
The key in this book is that each child is different, so you need to learn to recognize your child's cues and needs and respond appropriately and thoughtfully (to avoid accidentally setting up expectations you ca...more
I'm not a book burner but if there were one book I would actually sit down and physically set fire to, it would be this one.
It is the single worst and most damaging parenting book I have ever encountered. Everything under the sun that doesn't fit with the author's method is labelled "accidental parenting", i.e. my way is RIGHT and everything else is WRONG. Everything you've done so far has been harming your baby, but you're not to blame, you're just stupid. This book is not at all about learning...more
It is the single worst and most damaging parenting book I have ever encountered. Everything under the sun that doesn't fit with the author's method is labelled "accidental parenting", i.e. my way is RIGHT and everything else is WRONG. Everything you've done so far has been harming your baby, but you're not to blame, you're just stupid. This book is not at all about learning...more
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Tracy Hogg obtained her nursing degree in England, specializing in maternity and neonatal care. Her uncanny ability to understand and calm babies led to her nickname "The Baby Whisperer." In 1997, she founded Baby Technique, through which she consults with parents individually, organizes and teaches group classes, and provides nanny training and referrals. She is the mother of two daughters.
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Aug 04, 2012 05:14pm