The Pocket Parent

View other editions of The Pocket Parent.
View books by Gail Reichlin, Caroline Winkler.

Not what I expected! - Rated
I purchased this book last February following the fantastic reviews that it had been given. I wanted a book to offer advice on various situations with my toddler; this seemed to fit the bill.

I read through the book as soon as it arrived and was disappointed with most things it had to say. I thought that it would provide me with parenting tips; all it did was provide me with stories about reasoning with children that I could have worked out with my own common sense. Not very helpful I'm afraid!

Invaluable - Rated
This is fantastic. Really easy to dip in and find advice on specific topics, and written in great style - expert advice plus ideas from parents who are going through what you are. Arranged well, and goes into good detail on a wide range of topics.

What's made it 5 stars for me is the genuinely useful tips that raise a smile - eg: if you know you have to get the family out of the door early tomorrow morning, put your little one to bed already dressed (soft trousers and T shirt of course!). Now that's something I can use - and have - when we had to leave early to get to the in laws for lunch.. Priceless.

Anecdotal Manual - Rated
Whoever said that children didn't come with an instruction manual was wrong. This book proves that a lot of the issues that I experience (eg encouraging my children to listen) or am concerned about (eg dealing with strangers) can be learned through advice from others.

With a 4 and 2 year old, time is of the essence and this book allows me to quickly look up suggestions on how to deal with many of the day to day issues or to sanity check actions that I am instinctively taking as a Mummy. More importantly, the suggestions work! I would happily recommend it to any parent as it would, at the very least, provide a source of amusement and that in itself is a great start to dealing with any issue.

Handy A-Z Parenting Guide for 2-6 year olds - Rated
This small book is a treasure chest filled with wonderful anecdotes and helpful advice for parents with children ages 2-5. Dozens of challenging issues are handled with compassion and humor while offering hundreds of practical suggestions. I especially enjoyed the "Take Heart" section of every chapter, which always starts with, "You're not the only parent who..." Every parent needs reassurance and helpful advice when raising toddlers, and the "Pocket Parent'' provides both in a quick-read bulleted format. Included are such topics as Anger, Bad Words, Biting, Sibling Fights, Hitting, Tantrums, Potty Training, Bedtime and Mealtime Refusals, Morning Crazies, the Gimmes, Lying, Separation Anxiety, Interrupting, Whining and many more.

Easy Reference Parent Guide for 2,3,4, and 5 Year Olds - Rated
Although this book is true to its title and literally fits in your pocket, it is filled with 400 pages of specific useful insight and advice addressing a variety of the most challenging toddler behaviours. Because it is written exclusively for four of the early years (2, 3, 4, and 5), I found the tips to be very on target and focused to my specific issues with my 3 and 5 year olds. I really liked the anecdotes explaining real life examples--They sounded so very familiar. The authors offer very down-to-earth, common sense advice that works. Highly recommended as a supportive easy reference guide for mums and dads with 2-5 yearolds.