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Jo Frost's Confident Baby Care: What you need to know for the first year from the UK's most trusted nanny.
Jo Frost's Confident Baby What you need to know for the first year from the UK's most trusted nanny. Frost, Jo
Paperback
First published August 23, 2007
37 people are currently reading
315 people want to read
About the author
Jo Frost
22 books85 followersJoanne A. Frost
"Jo Frost was catapulted to international fame when she became the star of a new reality show, “Supernanny.” She won the role over hundreds of other applicants when television producers were struck by her outstanding childcare skills, her sincerity and candid style that now help her to transform families and instill positive, lasting results. She debuted in the UK in the summer of 2004 with just three episodes, and became an overnight sensation, garnering widespread popularity and acclaim. She made “Naughty Step” and “Your behavior is very naughty!” national catchphrases, and got a rave in the House of Commons on a discussion about preventing the causes of anti-social behavior." ...more
"Jo Frost was catapulted to international fame when she became the star of a new reality show, “Supernanny.” She won the role over hundreds of other applicants when television producers were struck by her outstanding childcare skills, her sincerity and candid style that now help her to transform families and instill positive, lasting results. She debuted in the UK in the summer of 2004 with just three episodes, and became an overnight sensation, garnering widespread popularity and acclaim. She made “Naughty Step” and “Your behavior is very naughty!” national catchphrases, and got a rave in the House of Commons on a discussion about preventing the causes of anti-social behavior." ...more
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 55 reviews
May 27, 2010
This is the most helpful baby-care book that I've read to date. The book provides tips for eating schedules and napping that I've already put into practice (a day after reading) and have already gotten GREAT results from. My favorite thing about this book in comparison to other baby-care books is that it doesn't give overly detailed instructions in how parents "HAVE TO" feed, swaddle, cloth, bathe, play with (etc...) their children. She makes her tips flexible to different people and different parenting styles, which is wonderful.
May 21, 2012
I had personal issues with a lot of this book, including the strict schedules and the CIO methods that she suggests. As an attachment parent, I would NEVER use any of these with my son.
December 30, 2020
Jo Frost's Confident Baby Care is a concise, friendly, and easy-to-read infant care manual based on Frost's experiences as a nanny. This book is great for covering the absolute basics of baby care in a way that is not overwhelming, or too wordy. She includes information on what you might want to purchase for baby, concise developmental info. and sample schedules for various ages, as well as information on some of her caregiving techniques. Although there are a few places in the book where my opinions differ with hers slightly (for example, I would NOT recommend this book as a resource on breastfeeding, etc.), overall her writing seems decently balanced. I especially appreciated that it was a quick and simple read, as a lot of infant-care books tend to be weighted down with too much wordiness. Personally this book is not one that I will probably return to often as a resource, but it is helpful in that it helps the reader to feel overall more confident about their capability as a potential caregiver of their child. I might, however, find some of the schedules and lists featured in the book useful to refer to later.
April 8, 2018
So easy to read and well written. Still full of useful information, even the second time round!
June 30, 2008
Lines I loved:
He has his own soul. Her own spirit. Your baby is a present, a gift of life itself, which will unfold and develop before your very own eyes.
One of the greatest gifts you can give your newborn is a sense of confidence in yourself.
Confident decisions are decisions that you’re happy with. Period.
Expect the best and don’t look for problems.
Don’t underestimate the emotional, physical, and mental changes that occur once you give birth.
Because babies’ lungs are so tiny, they breathe many more times a minute than adults, which means they breathe in more pollutants.
Ask yourself what went right today instead of what went wrong.
Fifty percent of the human’s brain development occurs in the first six months of life, and 70 percent is complete by the end of the first year.
Babies who are spoken to are more assertive and learn language faster.
It’s your responsibility to do what’s right, regardless of whether they like it or not. They’ll get used to it.
One reason to really pay attention now is her need for stimulation. Babies often cry from boredom.
Playing with bubbles, waving ribbons and hiding objects are great games for babies three to six months.
You don’t just make her laugh anymore; she makes you laugh, as well.
Don’t expect to have a palace. After all, you have kids, and you don’t want to keep telling them no.
If you’re child is used to falling asleep in your arms, when he wakes up he might get fretful if you’re no longer there.
Six months – you need to make sure she is getting two sleeps during the day, one in the morning and one in the afternoon, which lasts between an hour and two hours each.
Controlled Crying Technique – you need a timer and a strong resolve. The first time he cries, go in, reassure him, and then leave. Wait five minutes and if he’s still crying, go back in and repeat the routine. Then wait ten minutes and return if necessary, then twenty. In other words, you double the time each time. Soon you’ll have a baby who can soothe himself to sleep without you. When you do go in to say shhhh, just rest your hand on her without eye contact and then leave.
He’s too young to reason with. Sometimes these moments simply have to be endured. Just do what you need to do.
Obstacle courses will be great when you’re baby starts to crawl.
Your baby’s not there to fill a void in your own life.
Nine months is the time to start learning to juggle raising your child with other things that are important to you.
Great parental delight and applause will encourage her to keep on trying.
Make a point of not being available sometimes so that your partner gets a chance to continue to develop a bond with the baby too.
When she speaks her first words, they may not be accurate – ba-ba for bottle – for instance. Be sure you respond as if it were correct, but use the correct word in response: “Here’s your bottle, darling.” In this way, she’ll learn the correct word more easily.
If you speak more than one language at home, great! She’ll learn both. But my advice is to keep them separately, mom with one, dad with the other.
No relationship bond is a deep one unless the time is put in to really connect.
He has his own soul. Her own spirit. Your baby is a present, a gift of life itself, which will unfold and develop before your very own eyes.
One of the greatest gifts you can give your newborn is a sense of confidence in yourself.
Confident decisions are decisions that you’re happy with. Period.
Expect the best and don’t look for problems.
Don’t underestimate the emotional, physical, and mental changes that occur once you give birth.
Because babies’ lungs are so tiny, they breathe many more times a minute than adults, which means they breathe in more pollutants.
Ask yourself what went right today instead of what went wrong.
Fifty percent of the human’s brain development occurs in the first six months of life, and 70 percent is complete by the end of the first year.
Babies who are spoken to are more assertive and learn language faster.
It’s your responsibility to do what’s right, regardless of whether they like it or not. They’ll get used to it.
One reason to really pay attention now is her need for stimulation. Babies often cry from boredom.
Playing with bubbles, waving ribbons and hiding objects are great games for babies three to six months.
You don’t just make her laugh anymore; she makes you laugh, as well.
Don’t expect to have a palace. After all, you have kids, and you don’t want to keep telling them no.
If you’re child is used to falling asleep in your arms, when he wakes up he might get fretful if you’re no longer there.
Six months – you need to make sure she is getting two sleeps during the day, one in the morning and one in the afternoon, which lasts between an hour and two hours each.
Controlled Crying Technique – you need a timer and a strong resolve. The first time he cries, go in, reassure him, and then leave. Wait five minutes and if he’s still crying, go back in and repeat the routine. Then wait ten minutes and return if necessary, then twenty. In other words, you double the time each time. Soon you’ll have a baby who can soothe himself to sleep without you. When you do go in to say shhhh, just rest your hand on her without eye contact and then leave.
He’s too young to reason with. Sometimes these moments simply have to be endured. Just do what you need to do.
Obstacle courses will be great when you’re baby starts to crawl.
Your baby’s not there to fill a void in your own life.
Nine months is the time to start learning to juggle raising your child with other things that are important to you.
Great parental delight and applause will encourage her to keep on trying.
Make a point of not being available sometimes so that your partner gets a chance to continue to develop a bond with the baby too.
When she speaks her first words, they may not be accurate – ba-ba for bottle – for instance. Be sure you respond as if it were correct, but use the correct word in response: “Here’s your bottle, darling.” In this way, she’ll learn the correct word more easily.
If you speak more than one language at home, great! She’ll learn both. But my advice is to keep them separately, mom with one, dad with the other.
No relationship bond is a deep one unless the time is put in to really connect.
May 28, 2012
If you are a first time parent, this book will give your confidence and lots of practical advice in dealing with various topics such as establishing a sleeping schedule, tips on feeding, weaning and teething. This book is also recommended for second time parents as a great resources especially for those whom have forgotten what it is like to have a young baby in the house.
I personally loved the author’s ideas on the various development activities such as “pincer play”, “climb, tunnel and hide and “”big motion games”. I found these games both fun and stimulating for the little one. Though some of the topics in the book are brief with limited information, I still enjoyed reading the book as the subjects covered were wide, with lots of illustrations, charts and tips.
I personally loved the author’s ideas on the various development activities such as “pincer play”, “climb, tunnel and hide and “”big motion games”. I found these games both fun and stimulating for the little one. Though some of the topics in the book are brief with limited information, I still enjoyed reading the book as the subjects covered were wide, with lots of illustrations, charts and tips.
July 16, 2012
I really liked this book. It isn't overwhelming in detail. She may get some of the small stuff wrong - from what I've seen of other reviews - but overall she gives you enough information to feel like you have an idea, without putting in so many warnings and details and maybes that you just shut down because it is too much. She makes me wish I could have a nanny to help me. Meanwhile, I may make this one of the books I give couples expecting their first baby.
January 31, 2024
This review is for the Estonian translation version.
Eesti keeles "Imiku õige hooldamine"
Tõlge on õudselt kirjavigu täis ja see häiris lugemist.
Jutt on selline, et üldiselt on enamus kasulik ja mööda külge maha ei jookse. Aga, on suur aga. Nimelt propageerib ta homöopaatilisi vahendeid. Kui sellest mööda lugeda, pole paha.
Eesti keeles "Imiku õige hooldamine"
Tõlge on õudselt kirjavigu täis ja see häiris lugemist.
Jutt on selline, et üldiselt on enamus kasulik ja mööda külge maha ei jookse. Aga, on suur aga. Nimelt propageerib ta homöopaatilisi vahendeid. Kui sellest mööda lugeda, pole paha.
February 2, 2020
Very informative. I got it as a library book and quickly realized I needed to buy it so I will have an ever-ready reference guide.
I know a book can't beat hands on, but it did help me in that I have an idea what to expect.
I know a book can't beat hands on, but it did help me in that I have an idea what to expect.
May 7, 2020
She really has no bloody clue about breastfeeding does she? Poor women who are first time mums who think she's giving good advice and send up doing possible harm to themselves and babies.
Same goes for other methods..
Same goes for other methods..
October 16, 2020
Nagyon hasznos, pontos kis kézikönyv. Minden fontos, alapvető információ megtalálható, amit egy szülő tudni szeretne a babával kapcsolatban. Sok jó tanács, gyakorlati segítség is van benne. Egy határozott véleményt képvisel, de nagyon szimpatikus, megértő hangnemben.
June 19, 2017
Excellent book from the super nanny. Would recommend to any mom to be.
September 8, 2017
This is a great book for first time parents.
September 12, 2017
Skimmed this, liked it for the most part though I don't think I would need to keep it on hand or anything. I like the emphasis on confidence because I need more of that as I approach babytime.
August 20, 2018
I thought this was a very helpful book with lots of good tips and tricks. I definitely used many of her suggestions... And they worked! I would recommend this to any new mom.
March 5, 2019
The way the information in this book is formatted doesn't suit my needs.
August 1, 2020
Some recommendations are outdated and contradict AAP. The book is too high level and doesn't give enough details for new parents.
February 19, 2021
I love watching super nanny so thought this book would be really helpful, it turned out a lot of the advice goes against current nhs guidelines.
May 12, 2021
Point of this book: you need a nunny.
March 5, 2017
This book would be really useful for a new mum, with very little knowledge of childcare. I have worked with babies for years, but fancied reading the book, because of it being Jo Frost's. I didn't really learn anything new from the book, but the layout was good and it was well organised. The separate boxes and bullet pointed section would be helpful to a new mum. There were a couple of points that I didn't actually agree with, which I found interesting.
Overall, an interesting book, worth a read, but don't rely on your only baby book- read a couple more as well.
Overall, an interesting book, worth a read, but don't rely on your only baby book- read a couple more as well.
July 3, 2016
I buy this for every expectant mother I know, and often a 'Haynes Baby Manual' or 'Commando Dad' as well. I am a professional childcarer who has read a lot of books on this subject and I can say that this is the best and most comprehensive straight-talking basic guide I've read, and I always come back to it. Don't rely on Mumsnet, where bored and competitive people will make you question your every move. Buy a simple manual.
Jo Frost is an experienced child carer (although no one could be quite as experienced as she claims to be in her books - one would think she'd cared for a million children) who, in this book, covers all the essentials of pregnancy, childbirth and baby care in the first year. She gives wonderfully objective, in-depth, friendly advice on all the topics that you assume you'll "just know": the pros and cons of maternity pillows, the best varieties of nappy cream to buy, what kind of paint to use in the nursery, how to burp a baby, how many blankets to buy, how to interview a nanny, how to entertain a baby, how and when to wean and many more.
I love that there are reviews of this book criticising it for not giving strict enough routines and reviews criticising it for giving any routines at all; every parent is different and we all have different parenting styles but sometimes, folks, if you have no experience at something, you need to shut right up and listen to someone who's done this over and over, learnt from their mistakes and knows what they're doing. So many mothers think that they'll know how to do all these things instinctively, but there is no instinct that will tell you to buy Infacol when you're all alone and you can't sleep because your baby's got colic - sometimes you need some directions, and it can only be a good thing for your whole family to be as prepared as possible. This book is a manual, and should be treated as such: if you were learning to drive, you wouldn't assume you'd pick it up as you went along, you'd ask for help from those more experienced and consult a manual. Learning to parent is just as enormous a responsibility and ought to be treated as such.
Jo Frost is an experienced child carer (although no one could be quite as experienced as she claims to be in her books - one would think she'd cared for a million children) who, in this book, covers all the essentials of pregnancy, childbirth and baby care in the first year. She gives wonderfully objective, in-depth, friendly advice on all the topics that you assume you'll "just know": the pros and cons of maternity pillows, the best varieties of nappy cream to buy, what kind of paint to use in the nursery, how to burp a baby, how many blankets to buy, how to interview a nanny, how to entertain a baby, how and when to wean and many more.
I love that there are reviews of this book criticising it for not giving strict enough routines and reviews criticising it for giving any routines at all; every parent is different and we all have different parenting styles but sometimes, folks, if you have no experience at something, you need to shut right up and listen to someone who's done this over and over, learnt from their mistakes and knows what they're doing. So many mothers think that they'll know how to do all these things instinctively, but there is no instinct that will tell you to buy Infacol when you're all alone and you can't sleep because your baby's got colic - sometimes you need some directions, and it can only be a good thing for your whole family to be as prepared as possible. This book is a manual, and should be treated as such: if you were learning to drive, you wouldn't assume you'd pick it up as you went along, you'd ask for help from those more experienced and consult a manual. Learning to parent is just as enormous a responsibility and ought to be treated as such.
May 19, 2016
This book was everything you would expect from the title, which is not to say that it contains "everything you need to know", because it doesn't. However, given its size I thought it was a very worthwhile read.
The first part of the book about pregnancy was brief and the best part was the post-pregnancy part. I bought this when our little guy was about 2 months old and was pleased it mostly focussed on the first year.
I was pleased it was not overloaded with self-promotion and too many anecdotes. It was quite an easy read on the whole and, I think, a good place to start for beginners. Jo focusses on setting up routines and tries to make her advice realistic rather than idealistic, which is not as patronising.
This book does not replace a good reference book, or two, because they are much more detailed about everything - but this book focusses more on the big picture. However, it does set milestones to give you an idea of what your baby should be doing. These do not come across as milestones set... in stone, which are constantly criticised in all literature I have read, but are actually refreshing to read just to get an idea of typical development progress. Yes, yes, all babies are different, but I really just want an idea of what's typical.
I've never heard her technique for burping a baby, which I love - it's something like baby yoga.
The first part of the book about pregnancy was brief and the best part was the post-pregnancy part. I bought this when our little guy was about 2 months old and was pleased it mostly focussed on the first year.
I was pleased it was not overloaded with self-promotion and too many anecdotes. It was quite an easy read on the whole and, I think, a good place to start for beginners. Jo focusses on setting up routines and tries to make her advice realistic rather than idealistic, which is not as patronising.
This book does not replace a good reference book, or two, because they are much more detailed about everything - but this book focusses more on the big picture. However, it does set milestones to give you an idea of what your baby should be doing. These do not come across as milestones set... in stone, which are constantly criticised in all literature I have read, but are actually refreshing to read just to get an idea of typical development progress. Yes, yes, all babies are different, but I really just want an idea of what's typical.
I've never heard her technique for burping a baby, which I love - it's something like baby yoga.
June 20, 2020
I read this book when a friend was pregnant because having spent very little time in my life around babies I had no idea what life with one would be like. This book is a clear guide to baby care and parent craft for the first 12 months of the babies life. Taken from NHS Guidelines and Frost’s experience, this book discusses feeding, sleeping, growth, developmental milestones, equipment, common illnesses to a general audience of first time parents. The information is formatted well, easy to follow with diagrams and tables where needed. A lot of useful information is included such as sun care and poisonous household plants.
One downside is that Frost does not cite her sources. Although some are obviously UK government bodies and the World health organisation there is no bibliography.
A great guide for parents or carers to cover baby care basics. A lot of the advice is contradictory to what I have read from the La Leche League and RIE Parenting books but if you want a clear, non judgemental ‘go to’ book than this is a good option.
One downside is that Frost does not cite her sources. Although some are obviously UK government bodies and the World health organisation there is no bibliography.
A great guide for parents or carers to cover baby care basics. A lot of the advice is contradictory to what I have read from the La Leche League and RIE Parenting books but if you want a clear, non judgemental ‘go to’ book than this is a good option.
January 30, 2008
I'm sorry, but unless you have actually given birth to a baby yourself, you're not qualified to write a book on baby care. Well, maybe that's not entirely fair, but I can't take Jo Frost seriously with this book. She's good at the nanny thing, but when she's cuddling other people's babies and trying to explain how to breastfeed when she's never done it herself and has never had formal training in lactation consultancy -- just one of my pet peeves -- it's hard to figure out what makes her such an expert. This book is mainly common sense told in Jo's voice (I could hear her talking the whole time I was reading) -- nothing your own mother wouldn't have told you. Not an essential, just another addition to Supernanny Inc.
May 21, 2008
Jo Frost is at her best when giving ideas for interacting with babies--using games and playtime to stimulate, teach, and have fun. That is, after all, her area of expertise as a former nanny and current...celebrenanny. Her book would have been much better had she focused on this strength. Of course, it would also have been about 16 pages long. Nothing in this book is detailed enough to be useful in terms of baby care for new parents, and nothing is entertaining enough to make up for the lack of substance. Add to that the errors, contradictions, and misinformation about feeding (both breastfeeding and solids; I didn't notice errors about formula feeding, but wasn't paying as much attention) and you get exactly what you paid for: reality show tie-in merchandise. Argh.
October 25, 2010
Although my child is now 13 months and this book is geared specifically to children between birth and one year of age, I still felt the book had a lot to offer. Granted, there were some sections that I skimmed over such as "How to diaper your child." Overall, however, I really appreciated the underlying message of the book which is: The Importance of Confident Parenting. "Since babies can sense your feelings and experience them, one of the greatest gifts you can give your baby is a sense of confidence in yourself." I couldn't agree more! Plus, I am quite forgetful and could see this book being a great resource when I have a second child.
January 22, 2011
Not that I'M the expert or anything, but while reading I felt like I already had a grasp on what she was trying to teach; common sense in many cases. Very broad in her advice at times, and at other times was WAY too opinionated [babies should sleep in the same room as their parents for the 1st 4-5 months]. I DID love that she has everything labeled and categorized for easy referencing. And I'm sure I'm going to have questions when my baby actually comes.
Read
May 29, 2022Very good and practical but she needs to balance the pronouns as they're very biased towards baby boys, particularly evident In describing dressing him in trousers and a shirt. Also, feeding schedules are a little complicated as there are more than one for a given age. Love the controlled crying technique and can't wait to try it out. All in all I highly recommend this book and I'm looking forward to the next one when my baby is a little older!
October 2, 2013
Maybe it's because I read this book after I had read so many others, but there wasn't anything here that I hadn't already learned elsewhere. This is a straightforward book written about basic baby care so it might be helpful if it's the first thing you read, but otherwise I would skip it. I do think her theories with older children on her show were wonderfully insightful though, so I will try another one of her books when we get to the discipline stages of childhood.
July 15, 2022
I've been a fan of Supernanny Jo Frost for a long time. I didn't read it all but what I read was easy to read and informative. Be aware though that parenting advice does change with time and particularly the weaning advice in the copy I had has now been superseded by medical professionals. Nothing is the source of all truth for parenting, do additional research where it matters and trust your instincts, you got this.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 55 reviews