Summary Saturday: "Wonder Weeks"

I thought I would share summaries of great parenting books that I am currently reading with a little of my commentary/criticism on them. Saturdays sounding like a good day, not only because they start with an s (I like to alliterate) but also because when I go back to work the weekends will be easier to do this blog entry. Many of my friends ask about my readings so what better way to give a thorough explanation than a blog summary of the books I am reading? :)

For my first book I want to share my current favorite book "Wonder Weeks" by Hetty Vanderijt and Frans Plooij.



Book Summary: In "The Wonder Weeks", you'll discover the specific dates during their first 14 months when all babies take eight major developmental leaps. And you'll learn how to help your baby through the eight great "fussy phases" that mark these leaps within a week or two. Wonder week by wonder week, you'll see how your baby's mind is developing. Now you will know which games and toys are best for your baby during each key week and how to encourage each leap forward. Calendars, charts, and checklists help you track your baby's progress--and finally make sense of his fussy behavior.

The Wonder Weeks (the number indicates the age of the baby) and their focus:

Wonder Week 5: The World of Changing Sensations
Wonder Week 8: The World of Patterns
Wonder Week 12: The World of Smooth Transitions
Wonder Week 19: The World of Events
Wonder Week 26: The World of Relationships
Wonder Week 37: The World of Categories
Wonder Week 46: The World of Sequences
Wonder Week 55: The World of Programs

Click on chart to make larger.

In each "wonder week" babies become more aware of the world around them in a specific way. The week or two before this realization can be difficult for the baby as their nervous system is thrown off balance by the overload of new information. These are called "fussy or stormy weeks" where babies cry and cling and they can be very cranky. These are telltale signs that babies are growing mentally. Once these mental leaps are accomplished babies have "wonder weeks" where they want to explore their new found world. This occurs eight times in the first 14 months. These authors documented this in babies from around the world and found that all babies have similar behaviors at similar times give or take a week or two. The variation, they say, occurs because these phases are based on conception date rather than birth date. Therefore a baby who was 2 weeks late will experience these weeks 2 weeks earlier than a 40 week full term baby. On the other end, babies born early will probably experience their wonder weeks later based on the amount they were early. I found this all very interesting since Jaxon was 2 weeks early but only seems to be about a week late if that.

In general from week to week babies needs will change based on where they are in the wonder weeks. In a fussy phase a baby will need to cling to mommy. During a transition week the baby will need to play and learn new skills with mommy. And during a sunny or wonder week the baby will often need to play on his own.

My Thoughts:I just love this book. I thought I was going crazy as Jax was changing from week to week and I never knew what to expect from him in terms of mood or his needs from me. It does make the fussy phases a little bit more tolerable knowing that their is a purpose to them and that they will end sooner rather than later. There were points in time where I thought I was messing him up somehow and that I had somehow lost my happy baby and was going to have to carry him around for the rest of his babyhood. But no sooner had one fussy phase started it was just as quickly over and he was once again wanting to play and be without me some of the time. Once I read this book I was better able to handle the difficult phases and not only that, I am now able to help Jax through them. The tips and ideas in the book are helpful. The charts help me track where he is so I can know what to expect and see where he is developmentally. Finally I know that I am contributing to his mental development by doing appropriate activities with him while he is trying to figure certain phases out rather than just doing random things with him. I have to say this is one of the best books I have ever bought in regards to practical and useful parenting information. I will keep it with me throughout his first year and read each about each week as it happens. I highly recommend it. I know most of the parents I know are looking for their babies physical milestones such as rolling over and crawling and are helping them develop the muscles and strength to accomplish these tasks through tummy time and other activities. I think equally as important is our babies' mental milestones and how we help them make sense of this world. But I am a little biased being a teacher and all. :)