Customer Reviews

Child of Mine: Feeding with Love and Good Sense

5 star:		(18)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

This is a correction to what the person wrote in the review titled "Breastfeeding Moms Should Know". The reviewer claims that the author was exerting her recommendation of when to stop breastfeeding and thus a 2 star review. The reviewer is misguided on what weaning means. Weaning is the process of changing from one diet to another. In this case, this applies to "changing" from EXCLUSIVE breastfeeding/formula to adding complementary foods while continuing to use breastmilk/formula. If you read closely in the book, she talks about weaning from either formula and breastmilk. She does not mention stopping breastmilk completely. The key word is "wean" not "stop"-they are not the same. The reason why weaning is introduced in the chapters for 6 months to 12 months is because weaning from exclusive breastmilk or formula is typically done when complementary solid foods are introduced. Furthermore to clarify the recommendations given by the previous reviewer, the AAP and WHO both recommend exclusive breastfeeding to 6 months of age. In addition, WHO recommends use of breastmilk for up to 2 years of age while complementary foods are provided.

When my 4-month old went for her well-baby check up, our pediatrician said we could start solids. That was all the direction I got. As I reported this news to grandparents, neighbors and friends, I got all kinds of conflicting advice. I knew the basics-- You put the food on the spoon and when baby opens up get as much in there as possible. But like all first time parents, I wanted to do things "right" (research documented, tried & true, supported by physicians and child development experts).

I am NOT a good eater. I am very picky. I didn't want my daughter to grow up that way. Thankfully, due mostly to this book, she did not. She LOVES vegetables and fruits. She'll turn down a cookie to eat what the rest of the family is eating. I've been complemented by relatives, friends, day care providers and strangers in restaurants about how well she eats. I still pull "Child of Mine" out every so often to review and it never disappoints me.

I would not hesitate to recommend this book to anyone out there looking for some good feeding advice...the tips Ellyn Satter gives serve not just to get you through infant, baby and toddlerhood feeding, but to set patterns that can continue through life. My only regret is that I'd had this book before my daughter was born so the chapters on breast and bottlefeeding would have been more help. (BTW, she is not at all judgmental or preachy.)

This book is a very good reference for maintaining child care, health care, and proper feeding. The advice on breastfeeding is practical and down-to-earth, unlike other books that insist on rigid meal plans and servings per day which are just not realistic in case of toddlers. The author emphasizes the loving relationship between a parent and a child, and discourages letting food become a battleground. This is the only child rearing book I keep reordering because I've given my copy to so many people. Another great book about healthy lifestyle is "Can We Live 150?" Check it out for yourself.

I bought this book after reading "How to Get Your Kid to Eat . .. But Not Too Much" and found this book to be redundant. The book itself is good, but if you read Satter's other books, you don't need this one.

In addition, I found "How to Get Your Kid to Eat" to be more concise with basically the same information. Busy parents can get the same help with feeding their children in a much shorter book.

This book focuses heavily on infant feeding, both breast and bottle, as well as starting solids. As a breastfeeding mom, I found the chapter on breastfeeding to be average. You're better off with a good breastfeeding book, as you'll need one anyway. The bottlefeeding information presented is very important, as it is tempting to try and control your child's eating when you use a bottle. This book helps you avoid that. There aren't many books on bottlefeeding. Again, though, the important facts about sharing control with your child while bottlefeeding are in her other books.

I highly recommend Ellyn Satter, especially to parents with eating issues that they don't want to pass on to their children. One of her two other books is a better, more comprehensive read, though.

This book has been very helpful for my family. It has allowed us to be relaxed about our children's eating. It has good information about how to approach food from early on. It is almost a book about the philosophy of eating and feeding children.

I have read several books and articles on feeding, and this book by Ellyn Satter was by far the most helpful. It is full of practical, common sense information that can help you transform the dining room table from a battle over control into an enjoyable place for family meals. My child has had feeding problems from birth due to a birth defect, and I have been successful in applying what I've learned from this book to his special needs. The advice Satter gives is nutritionally sound and non-extremist. Much of it is time-tested feeding practices that we have only fairly recently gotten away from. In our culture that avoids food and is obsessed with the "perfect" body, I feel that by adopting her principles in this book you will raise a child who grows up with a healthy attitude about food and about their body. You will probably find yourself examining some of your own eating habits and attitudes toward food as you read...I think this book is a must read for parents.

It alarmed me that this book puts the weaning information in the 6 to 12 months section. Doesn't the author know that the AAP recommends breastfeeding for at least a year, and that the World Health Organization recommends breastfeeding for two years,with no recommended weaning age? I wonder if the author simply ignored that information and included her own opinions about how long a child should nurse instead of actual facts.

I originally bought this book right as my child was almost ready to start solid foods at about 5 months old. She is now 17 months old and I have just recently managed to finish this gigantic and dull tome. I am not a slow reader, this book is just painful to slog thru, it did not hold my attention at all because the author basically states 1 principle and then proceeds to endlessly repeat it for hundreds of pages. She is also quite convinced that her way is the only correct way to feed a child. I have found that the division of responsibility idea does work very well for me and my child, but I have found no need to be as rigid about meals and snacks as the author claims that you need to be in order for your child to progress along properly in her development. I am not convinced that grazing is a bad practice, and that that may not be the best strategy for some families.

For the last couple of months I have have read and re-read the Chapter on "Feeding Your Older Baby." Many days it has reminded me that I am doing the right thing by letting my baby experience food even if he doesn't actually eat much. I have looked ahead to "Feeding Your Toddler" and "...Preschooler" and feel certain this book will be equally helpful in those stages.

I admit the book is a bit wordy -- sometimes reading like an essay. There is some repetition and rambling, but perhaps that is what keeps you comfortable with the content. There is a lot of info here, but you can easily find what you need.

Best of all, this is the first parenting book of any type that has not created any mother-guilt for me! I feel encouraged and empowered.

This book is GREAT! It has helped me immensely in transitioning my son from breastfeeding to eating on his own. He enjoys eating, eats a wide variety of foods, and is adventurous with new foods. We often get compliments and envious comments from other parents regarding his eating skills.

After reading this book I often cringe when I see other parents complain about their children's eating habits, fight with their children over what they should eat, and frustrate themselves by cooking special foods for their kids which the kids then reject. All of this is unnecessary, and in fact detrimental to a child's sense of competence. It can also lead to eating disorders.

This book does tend to be wordy and repetitive, and could have benefited from tighter editing. However, I think that the take-home message is a critical one for parents, and an important adjunct to your pediatrician's advice (which is often scarce on this subject). The above reviewers who gave this book poor reviews seem to be either unwilling to educate themselves about childrearing, or were looking for (and didn't find) justification for unusual feeding practices. It is ludicrous to think that Satter's philosophy is wrong because it has withstood the test of time... she is THE authority on this subject, and for good reason.