Great Expectations: The Toddler Years: The Essential Guide to Your 1- to 3-Year-Old

by Sandy Jones

Sterling's newest book in the acclaimed Great Expectations series covers every challenge parents and children face in the transition from baby to toddler, from toilet training and teeth brushing to language skills and healthy sleep habits, plus discipline, socialization, and play. Special sections on nutrition and childcare enrich the mix, along with insights to help parents become more flexible, responsive, patient, and creative.

Genres: Parenting, Nonfiction

296 pages, Paperback

First published October 4, 2011

About the author

Sandy Jones is an American author and pregnancy and parenting expert. She has written, and co-authored, a dozen books since 1976, including the "Great Expectations" series, focusing on a baby's first years. She has been a lecturer at several events, including La Leche League conferences, an organization that educates women on breast-feeding.
Jones has a Bachelor's degree in psychology from Furman University in Greenville, South Carolina and a Master's degree in psychology from Appalachian State University in Boone, North Carolina. She is divorced, and has one daughter, Marcie Jones, who she has co-authored two books with.

Reviews

[Emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

I gave 4 stars because there were some questions/topics I felt weren't addressed- i.e. teething and when to start school. I felt the need to read this book because it seemed that pregnancy and infant issues have an abundance of resources to answer your "is this normal" questions, but beyond that I felt left in the dark. This was a truly helpful book, one I may return to as my toddler ages and moves into new phases.

[Katherine Cowley · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Toddler Years, like many parenting books out there, is best read with a freshly opened container of salt sitting next to you. Luckily, you can buy salt at most grocery stores for less than $1.

I did enjoy the book, which is why as I wavered between 3 star and 4 I ended up choosing 4. I really like how Jones cites actual scientific studies, on everything from how far a toddler would walk daily if unrestricted (29 football fields) to the lowdown on TV (the problem is not what TV does to your child, it's what it doesn't do for your child). My favorite chapters were on Physical Skills and development, teaching your child emotional skills and moving from a "no" mindset to a "yes" teaching style, and play.

Now for the salt, which should be sprinkled liberally across many pages. Like many parenting books, this one starts to come across as, You Must Do This In This Exact Way Or You Are Ruining Your Child's Life Forever. Apparently I'm a terrible person because I do not give my daughter a bath as part of her bedtime ritual. I don't know why that makes me terrible, but it does. I should be spending my daughter's nap time setting up art activities for her--let's make the high risk of postpartum depression extend from the first year of your child's life to the first three.

Yet it is a well-written, thorough, helpful book. It also would make a good reference book--flip it open when you need ideas on helping your child sleep or want a suggestion for a fun imaginative activity. Whether you read snip-its or straight-through, the key is to read many of the sections as suggestions, and to pretend then many sentences begin with the phrase, "If you are having a problem with _______, then you may want to try..." I did check the book out from the library, so I was forced to read with metaphorical rather than physical salt, but I found some of the ideas, suggestions, and information helpful enough that I typed up several pages of notes.

[Luis Pavon · Rating 3 out of 5]

Guide to gather some knowledge about your toddler. I really like the games area, the slepping advice and also the common illness.