Quotes from Tracy Hogg

Because parents tend to allow more TV-watching and computer games in the third year, it's not surprising that nightmares go with the territory.

one must walk a fine line between responding and rescuing. A baby whose parents respond becomes a secure child who's not afraid to venture forth. A baby whose parents continually rescue begins to doubt his own capabilities and never develops the strength and skills he needs to explore his world or to feel comfortable in it.

And even before your toddler is fully verbal, going over the day is also a wonderful idea, because it helps a child process her fears.

Don't allow your baby to sleep longer than 45 minutes to an hour during the day for the first three days.

Never let her sleep for more than one and a half to two hours during the day, which is the proper nap period for babies four months and younger.

I can't say this often enough: a baby who has been traumatized by abandonment often has more severe sleep problems at this age, and solutions take longer. With tough cases I bring in a blow-up bed and sleep in the child's room at least for the first night.

Make it a house rule that your toddler has to knock on your door. Model this yourself when you go into her room.

If you miss your baby's sleep window, or try to extend his awake time in the name of getting him to sleep longer (another myth), it's going to be a lot harder to teach him the skills of settling down.

More than five and a half hours of sleep during the day will throw the three-hour routine off kilter and cause a baby to stay up all night.

Back home, being a nanny—or a governess, as we often say—is a recognized profession, regulated by strict laws. A nanny hopeful must train for three years at an accredited nanny college. I was surprised when I came here to find that you need a license to file nails but nothing to look after children.

When I delved deeper, Shannon admitted that she had tried the controlled crying method "once or twice" over the last several months but gave it up because "it never worked." Each time Shannon had done a complete 180-degree turn on her daughter. She'd left her to cry it out, and then started to pick her up again.

Also, because babies are totally uncoordinated at this age, they can wriggle a hand out of the swaddle, pull their ears and their hair, poke themselves in the eyes—and wonder who's doing it to them. They also start to realize that they can make little noises that both entertain and disturb them.

In any case, when a woman doesn't want to breastfeed, we need to support her and we need to stop heaping on the guilt. We also have to stop using the word commitment only in connection with breastfeeding. Any kind of feeding regimen takes commitment.

One minute, I'm the best and most loving mother in the world to my two-week-old. The next, I feel like I want to leave the house and never return because it's all too much." "That's okay, luv," I said, smiling. "That just means you're like every other new mother." "Really?" she asked. "I was beginning to think something was wrong with me.

Educar bien exige paciencia, porque es un camino duro, difícil y aparentemente interminable; un proyecto que requiere una perspectiva a largo plazo.

realistic: The postpartum period is difficult—a rocky terrain. All but a rare few stumble along the way. (More about Mum recuperating during the postpartum period in Chapter 7.) Believe me, I know that the moment you get home, you'll probably feel overwhelmed. But if you follow my simple homecoming ritual, you're less likely to feel frantic. (Remember