Brain Rules for Baby (Updated and Expanded)
How to Raise a Smart and Happy Child from Zero to Five
Ratings15
Average rating4.2
What’s the single most important thing you can do during pregnancy? What does watching TV do to a child’s brain? What’s the best way to handle temper tantrums? Scientists know. In his New York Times bestseller Brain Rules, Dr. John Medina showed us how our brains really work—and why we ought to redesign our workplaces and schools. Now, in Brain Rules for Baby, he shares what the latest science says about how to raise smart and happy children from zero to five. This book is destined to revolutionize parenting. Just one of the surprises: The best way to get your children into the college of their choice? Teach them impulse control. Brain Rules for Baby bridges the gap between what scientists know and what parents practice. Through fascinating and funny stories, Medina, a developmental molecular biologist and dad, unravels how a child’s brain develops – and what you can do to optimize it. You will view your children—and how to raise them—in a whole new light. You’ll learn: Where nature ends and nurture begins Why men should do more household chores What you do when emotions run hot affects how your baby turns out, because babies need to feel safe above all TV is harmful for children under 2 Your child’s ability to relate to others predicts her future math performance Smart and happy are inseparable. Pursuing your child’s intellectual success at the expense of his happiness achieves neither Praising effort is better than praising intelligence The best predictor of academic performance is not IQ. It’s self-control What you do right now—before pregnancy, during pregnancy, and through the first five years—will affect your children for the rest of their lives. Brain Rules for Baby is an indispensable guide.
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I think I'm going to have to review this book again and again. There is so much helpful information for parents. I actually feel like this author has or right he gives you the science rather than opinion and no magical solutions
I should probably review this again in about 12-18 months, when I'll have actual experience and will be able to confidently exclaim “NO THIS BOOK IS FULL OF LIES AND FALSE PROMISE”.
But for now, I am here for this evidence-based, pretty-rigorous-seeming promise. The book covers a few major themes: pregnancy, your relationship post-kid(s), smart kids, happy kids, moral kids, and ASLEEP KIDS. Medina is a neurologist particularly interested in baby brains? I forget what his exact background is. But anyway, he's an academic (at the Univ of Washington?) and seems well-versed in statistical stuff and interpreting research results. My only “correlation is not causation!!!” exclamation was when he strongly endorsed breastfeeding as a means of pumping babies full of IQ points. (Which came on the tail end of a section describing why the IQ test is, in and of itself, kind of a garbage measure.)
Anyway, Medina's basic TLDR seems to be: have empathy (for yourself, for your partner, for your kid, and teach your kid to have it too) and spend time (with faces and talking, not with screens or useless Baby Capitalism gear). I enjoyed his tone (which was casual, a little jokey, and sciencey instead of mystical (other baby books I've looked at get waaaay mystical way fast)). I was reassured that he cited studies I've long admired, like the Grant Study (this 2009 Atlantic article describes it and, okay, made me cry) or Carol Dweck's research. I felt vindicated that the CIO (“cry it out”) method of getting your kid to sleep had some research behind it, but I also appreciated that he was like “or just go super Dr. Sears and cuddle them forever, that's fine too, whatever”. I was a little huffy about the “smart baby” section, because I feel like an ambitious emphasis on “intelligence” is sorta a recipe for a Nietszchean abyss of sadness and pride (there are more important things in life?) and because I'm sorta horrified by people who parent academic achievement starting at age 2. Then again, what do I know. I work in a “knowledge industry” and have benefited greatly from parents who emphasized schooling as the One True Way. So we'll see. Anyway, TLDR for baking a smart baby was (a) eat fish when you're preg (between IQ-lowering mercury and IQ-raising DHA, the DHA wins), (b) do face time with yo baby, (c) talk a lot (no problem for me ho ho), (d) don't bother with Mozart, (e) imaginative play! HALLO MONTESSORI Italians winning.
The book is v readable and organized in a very friendly way, which I also appreciated.
Recommended? Maybe? Talk to me in 2 years.
Un libro muy bien escrito sobre la importancia de alimentar el cerebro de un niño desde su nacimiento. Escrito con pulcritud por un experto neurólogo que lleva años estudiando el tema y que, a partir de sus investigaciones y experiencias propias concluye aquellos elementos que son fundamentales para ayudar a los padres a entender mejor el cerebro de nuestros hijos y por lo que pasan en sus diferentes etapas de bebés. Encima nos hace entender que no es necesario que sean genios, simplemente que estén correctamente desarrollados para hacerle frente a este mundo con responsabilidad y armas necesarias. Muy recomendable si eres papá.
