Building Healthy Minds: The Six Experiences That Create Intelligence And Emotional Growth In Babies And Young Children

by Stanley I. Greenspan, Nancy Lewis

Every parent wants to raise a bright, happy, and moral child, but until Stanley Greenspan investigated the building blocks of cognitive, social, emotional, and moral development, no one could show parents how and when these qualities begin. In this book Dr. Greenspan, the internationally admired child psychiatrist, identifies the six key experiences that enable children to reach their full potential. In Building Healthy Minds , he draws upon discoveries made in his research and practice as he describes the many ways in which games, fantasy play, and conversations with and without words encourage this development. No one has looked so deeply into the very earliest stages of human development, and no other book makes such vital and effective information available to every parent.

Genres: Parenting, Nonfiction, Education, Psychology

416 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1999

About the author

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stanley...

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Stanley Greenspan (June 1, 1941 – April 27, 2010)[1] was an American child psychiatrist and clinical professor of Psychiatry, Behavioral Science, and Pediatrics at George Washington University Medical School. He was best known for developing the floortime approach for attempting to treat children with autistic spectrum disorders and developmental disabilities.[2]

He was Chairman of the Interdisciplinary Council on Developmental and Learning Disorders and also a Supervising Child Psychoanalyst at the Washington Psychoanalytic Institute. A graduate of Harvard College and Yale Medical School,[2] Greenspan was the founding president of Zero to Three: National Center for Infants, Toddlers, and Families and former director of the National Institute of Mental Health's Clinical Infant Developmental Program and Mental Health Study Center.[3]

Reviews

[Camille · Rating 3 out of 5]

I agree with a lot of this, but I can't help feeling like following the whole of this book will result in bratty kids and slavish parents. I suppose the world is changing, and maybe this kind of interaction is the future, but it is definitely hard to adapt after growing up with "no means no" and "I'm the parent, that's why".

[Toni · Rating 4 out of 5]

While other Greenspan books made me wonder how I was harming my child, this one reassured me that we’re doing things just fine. Instructions were specific (as well as redundant) about actions to take to help your child thrive. I liked that.

[Lindsay]

Did not finish and did not read enough to rate. Not sure I care to read it.

[Abby · Rating 3 out of 5]

I agree with a lot of Dr. Greenspan's wisdom, including the importance of floor time for children and thoughtful, constant engagement. However, a number of the points seemed repetitive or unrealistic. For example, Dr. Greenspan closes out each chapter with a reminder to parents to always be conscious of our own childhood legacies in our reactions to our children. This is important to bear in mind, but sometimes a timeout is just a timeout. At the end of the book, Dr. Greenspan also suggests that at least half of a child's waking hours should be spent with a parent if possible. This is a wonderful thought but not always realistic.

[missy jean · Rating 4 out of 5]

OK, I haven't read the whole thing. It's a really dense book, probably less "readable" than many other parenting books... but when I take the time to sit down and give a little time to it, I learn a lot. The chapter on what newborns need for optimal development (hint: responsiveness, responsiveness, responsiveness) was actually really beautiful and moving to me.

[Erin Brady · Rating 4 out of 5]

definitely a worthwhile read.

[Mariam Fouda · Rating 5 out of 5]

such an amazing book; worthwhile read.