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The Intuitive Parent: Why the Best Thing for Your Child Is You
The scientific case for parents to put down the flashcards and follow their instinct
Parents are constantly overwhelmed with advice on how to raise smarter babies. All too often, fear is used to promote a particular cause (such as the vaccine-autism scare) or to market worthless products (such as “Baby Einstein” videos) that promise to make a child smarter or speed up development.
Now Stephen Camarata proves that educational fads and public health scares aren’t just stressful—they prevent parents from doing the things that would actually protect their child and promote learning and healthy brain development.
Camarata draws on research, case studies, and experiences with his own patients to argue for a return to instinct-driven parenting. Developmental milestones are misleading, and earlier is not necessarily better. He shows why the best things parents can do are almost always low-cost, routine activities such as playing “peek-a-boo”, reading books aloud, and simply paying attention to their child and responding naturally. This is the true “magic” that ultimately leads to intelligent, confident, curious adults.
This book will empower parents to recognize irrational fears and incredible claims that increase worry, steal their cash, and diminish their enjoyment of parenting.
Parents are constantly overwhelmed with advice on how to raise smarter babies. All too often, fear is used to promote a particular cause (such as the vaccine-autism scare) or to market worthless products (such as “Baby Einstein” videos) that promise to make a child smarter or speed up development.
Now Stephen Camarata proves that educational fads and public health scares aren’t just stressful—they prevent parents from doing the things that would actually protect their child and promote learning and healthy brain development.
Camarata draws on research, case studies, and experiences with his own patients to argue for a return to instinct-driven parenting. Developmental milestones are misleading, and earlier is not necessarily better. He shows why the best things parents can do are almost always low-cost, routine activities such as playing “peek-a-boo”, reading books aloud, and simply paying attention to their child and responding naturally. This is the true “magic” that ultimately leads to intelligent, confident, curious adults.
This book will empower parents to recognize irrational fears and incredible claims that increase worry, steal their cash, and diminish their enjoyment of parenting.
320 pages, Hardcover
First published August 18, 2015
39 people are currently reading
374 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
August 30, 2015
I got this book for free through the GoodReads FirstReads program in exchange for an honest review.
Camarata chimed well with me for several reasons. First and foremost, he assured me that I'm a good parent--using science. I come from a family of overachievers so you can see why I would really, really, REALLY want my daughter to have a great head start. Everything from carrying her a couple extra days and delaying the cord cutting to breastfeeding and taking many, many walks were all for the development of her precious little brain.
I know. I sound like one of THOSE parents. I would swear I'm not crazy but I really don't know anymore.
Anyway, Camarata also had a good mix of assuming his audience is smart, but not so smart that some things need to be explained. At no point did I feel patronized or talked (written?) down to. I understood the things that weren't explained and it was a nice surprise to find things that were explained.
Mixing in personal examples as well as leaving detailed source notes only served to make the book interesting as well as credible. It bugs me SO much when a book says "According to a study...." and then doesn't tell me which study. Makes it seem made up.
Last but not least: Would I buy it? I would buy this for myself, and then my sister. And then any time someone at work gets pregnant I'm buying a copy for their baby shower.
Camarata chimed well with me for several reasons. First and foremost, he assured me that I'm a good parent--using science. I come from a family of overachievers so you can see why I would really, really, REALLY want my daughter to have a great head start. Everything from carrying her a couple extra days and delaying the cord cutting to breastfeeding and taking many, many walks were all for the development of her precious little brain.
I know. I sound like one of THOSE parents. I would swear I'm not crazy but I really don't know anymore.
Anyway, Camarata also had a good mix of assuming his audience is smart, but not so smart that some things need to be explained. At no point did I feel patronized or talked (written?) down to. I understood the things that weren't explained and it was a nice surprise to find things that were explained.
Mixing in personal examples as well as leaving detailed source notes only served to make the book interesting as well as credible. It bugs me SO much when a book says "According to a study...." and then doesn't tell me which study. Makes it seem made up.
Last but not least: Would I buy it? I would buy this for myself, and then my sister. And then any time someone at work gets pregnant I'm buying a copy for their baby shower.
October 13, 2018
This book could have been condensed into a chapter, with a hypothesis already inferred from its name. The author knows his stuff and the chapter on ASD/ADHD/learning disorders is valuable, but the rest of the book lacked practical/tactical advice beyond the (often repeated) key points.
January 5, 2016
Good premise, with some useful, if not groundbreaking, takeaways. But a bit lengthy and repetitive - at least for this sleep-deprived new mom.
February 1, 2020
3.5/5 Good message and content, but way too repetitive
January 11, 2021
It was a really reassuring and kind of softly empowering read. The tone was, for me, ideal. Knowledgeable without heavy research verbiage, or patronizing tones.
February 22, 2022
At the risk of sounding rude, other authors have made the same points in other books that are better written, more succinct, and more engaging. Skip it.
October 11, 2018
programs, etc. This chapter had useful info but the other chapters didnt really have any new info or helpful advice. I liked the premises of the book, but it was just repeating this principle and that was it.
December 29, 2015
I got this book for free through the GoodReads FirstReads program in exchange for an honest review.
Camarata chimed well with me for several reasons. First and foremost, he assured me that I'm a good parent--using science. I come from a family of overachievers so you can see why I would really, really, REALLY want my daughter to have a great head start. Everything from carrying her a couple extra days and delaying the cord cutting to breastfeeding and taking many, many walks were all for the development of her precious little brain.
I know. I sound like one of THOSE parents. I would swear I'm not crazy but I really don't know anymore.
Anyway, Camarata also had a good mix of assuming his audience is smart, but not so smart that some things need to be explained. At no point did I feel patronized or talked (written?) down to. I understood the things that weren't explained and it was a nice surprise to find things that were explained.
Mixing in personal examples as well as leaving detailed source notes only served to make the book interesting as well as credible. It bugs me SO much when a book says "According to a study...." and then doesn't tell me which study. Makes it seem made up.
Last but not least: Would I buy it? I would buy this for myself, and then my sister. And then any time someone at work gets pregnant I'm buying a copy for their baby shower.
Camarata chimed well with me for several reasons. First and foremost, he assured me that I'm a good parent--using science. I come from a family of overachievers so you can see why I would really, really, REALLY want my daughter to have a great head start. Everything from carrying her a couple extra days and delaying the cord cutting to breastfeeding and taking many, many walks were all for the development of her precious little brain.
I know. I sound like one of THOSE parents. I would swear I'm not crazy but I really don't know anymore.
Anyway, Camarata also had a good mix of assuming his audience is smart, but not so smart that some things need to be explained. At no point did I feel patronized or talked (written?) down to. I understood the things that weren't explained and it was a nice surprise to find things that were explained.
Mixing in personal examples as well as leaving detailed source notes only served to make the book interesting as well as credible. It bugs me SO much when a book says "According to a study...." and then doesn't tell me which study. Makes it seem made up.
Last but not least: Would I buy it? I would buy this for myself, and then my sister. And then any time someone at work gets pregnant I'm buying a copy for their baby shower.
September 8, 2015
4.5 total stars for this hands-on, research-based, whole-child book on parenting. It's only missing a half star because some of the material (at least to me) was a bit redundant, something I had read or seen somewhere else, most likely in my practice as a former child psych RN, or maybe just because I have older kids (8 and 10 years).
In either case, THE INTUITIVE PARENT is a must-read for any new parent just starting out who desires to raise life-long learners. And who wouldn't want that, right?
Dr. Camarata is a veteran parent himself, having raised seven children; now grandfather to three. What's more, he holds an advanced degree in developmental psychology.
Parents these days are inundated with a host of "Brainy Baby" products from DVDs to flashcards, educational toys, and so much more. Do they really work? Dr. Camarata debunks many of the myths of these so-called brainy products, and shares that what these babies really need above and all is their parents. Engaged, supportive, and tuned-in parents. He shows this through case studies, research, and his own experiences (seven kids, remember?) in which we can turn all of our kids into the confident, curious, and well-adjusted children we all dream of.
For all of my reviews, including author interviews, please see: www.leslielindsay.com and www.speakingofapraxia.com
In either case, THE INTUITIVE PARENT is a must-read for any new parent just starting out who desires to raise life-long learners. And who wouldn't want that, right?
Dr. Camarata is a veteran parent himself, having raised seven children; now grandfather to three. What's more, he holds an advanced degree in developmental psychology.
Parents these days are inundated with a host of "Brainy Baby" products from DVDs to flashcards, educational toys, and so much more. Do they really work? Dr. Camarata debunks many of the myths of these so-called brainy products, and shares that what these babies really need above and all is their parents. Engaged, supportive, and tuned-in parents. He shows this through case studies, research, and his own experiences (seven kids, remember?) in which we can turn all of our kids into the confident, curious, and well-adjusted children we all dream of.
For all of my reviews, including author interviews, please see: www.leslielindsay.com and www.speakingofapraxia.com
September 9, 2016
This book was fine, in an average, bland sort of way. I think if I didn't have a background in education and didn't read widely in the parenting genre I might have enjoyed the book more. I felt there wasn't anything new or different covered in this book, and a lot of it seemed (to me) obvious advice most parents would figure out on their own naturally as their child grows.
September 11, 2015
I found this delightfully informative. But I still have a little trouble making it through these particular kinds of books. fiction is mostly what I read. But I am slowly branching out.
June 18, 2016
4.5 stars
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews