Your Baby & Child: From Birth to Age Five

by Penelope Leach

This classic on childcare now includes a special medical reference section.The first book to respond the the modern parent's concern for both the physical and psychological needs of the child. More than 625 illustrations, 75 in full-color.

Genres: Parenting, Nonfiction, Reference, Family, Self Help, Health, Childrens

553 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1978

About the author

Dr. Penelope J. Leach (born Penelope Jane Balchin) is a British psychologist who writes extensively on parenting issues from a child development perspective.

Reviews

[Julie · Rating 4 out of 5]

a very important contribution to this subject; probably the best childcare manual type book i've come across. she has a very wise and loving perspective. i absolutely love that she finds a way to be respectful to babies while not ignoring the needs of parents (i find some of the attachment parenting people a bit extreme... at some point, you really do have to put the baby down and wash the dishes or cook a meal.) the advice in this book is very humanistic, gentle, loving- yet also extremely practical.

[Jenny · Rating 5 out of 5]

Your Baby and Child: From Birth to Age Five is a very thorough and thoughtful book that addresses the development and practicalities of raising a child from birth until about school-age. The book is split into sections that address specific age groups: what you can expect about how the baby is developing, typical problems or illnesses that may arise, ways that the child can be played with in order to increase mental and physical stimulation. The book concludes with an appendix/reference section that gives brief notes on first aid, accidents, safety practices, infectious diseases, nursing and growth and appropriate playthings based on age and what those playthings are supposed to inspire in the child.

This book was lent to me by my friend Nancy Pierce, who bought it when she was raising her own children in the early 90s. I was hesitant to start this book, only because it is massive and I assumed it would be dry material and would prevent me from reading books I would ordinarily otherwise read. I read it out of guilt and probably some anxiety of wanting to be prepared for when my baby is born in 4 months or so, and was very pleasantly surprised how engaging and practical the book was. I especially appreciated the moderate tone and acknowledgement of the author that various methods work and you just have to find the one that works for your child. I also appreciated reading about the developmental aspect and how you can enhance the baby's development with playful things that will stimulate them even more. I can see keeping this book for awhile longer (if Nancy lets me) so as to refer back to it as my child grows!

[Maricarmen Estrada M · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was very useful when I became a mom.

[Sofia · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am very resistant to being told what to do, especially without being told why and I feel a lot of parenting disagreements follow from this idea that there is a perfect method for handling your baby and if you follow it religiously and without question your child will end up in Harvard at 16 without ever having thrown a tantrum.
Leach’s book is not new but it feels refreshing since you never feel like you’re being lectured. Instead, she interprets the child’s mind and needs, as well as the world from their perspective, at their different development stages, and allows you to think about what particular approach makes more sense for your kid at any given moment.
I am so very glad that Knopf published it in the US, someone left a copy in the giveaway pile and I snatched it just in case for the future. Many years later it’s a trusty reference and it has soothed several of my parenting anxieties.

[Kelly Murch · Rating 5 out of 5]

My mum bought this book when she fell pregnant with me, and gave me her copy when I fell pregnant at only 19 with my own daughter. It's been read & referred to so much it's fallen apart (& been taped together!)
This book was my absolute bible as a nervous young mother! Sensible, informative advice, told lovingly & without condescension.

[Doree Burt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hands down the best child care book ever. I loved it so much (my kids are old now) that I would even consider Penelope a great name for a kid!

[Ute Dancer · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is hands down my favorite baby book. This is the book that helped me figure out what kind of mother I wanted to be and taught me to always be on the side of my children, give them the benefit of the doubt, protect them, never to ridicule them, talk over them or for them, and let them make their own decisions within safe boundaries. And since I had never handled a live baby before I had my twins, it was an invaluable source of how-to. My survival guide for tiny humans and new parents. I gave this book as a gift to as many of my pregnant friends as I could in the 90's, and they all loved it. I just recommended it to one of my daughters who is planning a family to read this book first and then all the others.

[Dinah Williams · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was clueless. Bombarded with countless well meaning 'do-gooders' and 'advice-givers'. THIS BOOK WAS THE BEST 'adviser' OF THEM ALL. My 3 babies slept and ate like dreams because I followed Penelope's simple, logical, natural and 'baby-led' techniques. Give EVERY New mum and dad THIS book!

[Emily · Rating 5 out of 5]

My Bible for raising MY children....my copy is dogged ears and ragged..much loved

[Kevin Nobel · Rating 1 out of 5]

A good starting place, but far from useful for most things I've encountered with my newborn. I'll keep the rest in mind for later...

[Torrey Drake · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good reference book, will probably purchase to refer back to in the future

[Frangipani · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wanted to throw this book out the window at times. But I had been forewarned by snippets from Kaz Cooke's book "Kid Wrangling" what this one was like. A great book to get ideas from, and to confirm your own ideas with. Also useful as a door stop and a cockroach killer. But Leach's constant references to Nanny's and Au-Pairs are very irritating. This sort of help is just not the norm where I come from, thank-you-very-much. I suppose if you are a clueless blue-blood this book would be a godsend if you were intelligent enough to understand it. But it wouldn't be much help to a single parent in a one room flat trying to make ends meet. Grrrr. But if you can put all the class issues aside, Leach has very well documented all sorts of developmental questions and stages and how to cope with the sorts of stuff that kids get up to or don't get up to. Reassuring in a way. But still no help for getting nappy-bound toddlers interested in toilet training (I'm still looking)!

[Caroline · Rating 1 out of 5]

I read roughly the first half of the book, which covers the first year of a baby’s life. I didn’t find much of the info helpful, and the tone was really infuriating. Leach confidently presents her opinions as facts, usually without any evidence to back them up. Sometimes she mentions a study, but without a citation or enough info to figure out which study she’s referencing. She acts as though the stakes of small decisions are very high, such as by threatening that spoon feeding a baby will make them hate eating. (I have spoon fed my baby many times and he loves it.) She also comes across as very condescending. For example, she continually reminds me that my baby is a real person. This is irritating as it implies I may have forgotten this, and also suggests that if I disagree with the accompanying advice (which I often did), I am not treating my baby as a person.

[Lesli · Rating 5 out of 5]

I like this book very much: it's rational, written with a comforting tone that lets a first-time parent know that really, everything will be just fine. Leach sets out the choices, and rather than coming down on one side or another, tells you the likely consequences. For instance, on the issue of a family bed, unlike Dr. Sears (who is so pro family bed that one feels guilty for having a crib), Leach says, "Start the way you mean to go on." Both choices are fine. But each has consequences.

The one caveat is that I've bought this book twice now, and each time the binding fell apart quickly, and long before it saw great use. The publisher needs to beef up the binding.

[Rebekah · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was lucky enough to come across this book as a young teenager and read it from cover to cover. It was eye-opening for me at the time, as the parenting methods that had been used around me never seemed "right" and I finally had a book to resort to when I had questions about them. Penelope was a breath of fresh air for me as I helped care for younger siblings, and then babysat, and went on to work in the childcare field. I am eternally grateful to the greater universe for helping me find this book, which helped lead me on the path I've followed to attatchment parenting and being educated, gentle, and intelligent about raising my own children now.

[Brandon Prince · Rating 5 out of 5]

This review is entirely for the pictures in the book and the love my 17 month old son has for them. I don’t doubt there are other books that feature better pictures of babies, toddlers and their families, but the pictures in this book are wonderful — and there are a lot of them, enough to keep a young toddler engaged for impressive lengths of time, repeatedly for months; and we haven’t even gotten through the entire book. The photographs — and they are photographs, not digital or hollow stock images, are vivid, expressive, and candid, but also functional and straightforward. They also represent a racial and ethnically diverse (albeit heteronormative) group families.

[Sabine · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book rocks. I mean, seriously. Best baby book ever.
As a young mother, I was petrified with worries. What to do and not do, what could be dangerous etc. This book was bought is a second hand shop. It was published in 1978, so not long after I was born.
It relaxed me so much I cannot tell. So this baby book told me what to do in a 1978 fashion, and in the year 2000 everything had changed about babies. So in the end, I did as I felt it, with much love, and I didn't do anything wrong. My babies are grown up now and they're fine.
Thank you Penelope Leach.

[Jennifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great parenting book for first time parents. I recommend this to parents who are "readers". I actually did an analysis of this book for one of my classes and the reading level is much higher than what is recommended for most literature that we give out to the public. There are good efforts made to make the children pictured more "diverse" and I believe the photos and illustrations are one of the book's strengths.

[Robin · Rating 5 out of 5]

I haven't gotten past age two or so but I figure when I need it I'll get there! I really like the voice of this book, not judgemental and no hard and fast rules - just a lot of information and advice with the first rule being do what works for your baby and you. I borrowed this from the library but ended up asking for it as a registry gift so we have it as a reference, and I've already used it several times.

[Willa · Rating 2 out of 5]

It's not that this book is bad; it's just nothing special. Beyond ubiquitous childcare basics, it's mostly assertions with nothing given to back them up. The assertions are for the most part kind, sometimes bland, but only occasionally insightful.

[Brittany Seal · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved the information in this book. Not far fetched and very relatable. Basically just explaining the development of the child. The toddler chapters helped me understand my son so much. I’ve already seen less emotional tantrums and more balance in him!

[Beth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Along with "What to Expect the 1st Year," I think it's one of the best baby books out there.

[Caroline · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book literally to bits, and the cherished pieces of it are up on a high shelf.

[Susie · Rating 5 out of 5]

In my opinion, the best baby book! Not only, good information, but also beautiful writing and great pictures.

[Traci · Rating 5 out of 5]

Of all the baby books I have read, this one is my favorite. Penelope Leach has a gentle and common sensical approach that is both helpful and reassuring.

[Christine · Rating 5 out of 5]

A helpful and loving guide to parenting.

[Martha · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love how this book covers such a broad age range (though by the time my child was 5, I had stopped consulting it). Really practical advice, on just about any subject that comes up in childhood.

[Amanda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Most everything she says is so sensible and logical. And it works.

[Amanda · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is my go to mommy book. Love it!

[Sherri Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

Best book for new moms or moms to be!