The Informed Parent is a parenting book written by Tara Haelle and Emily Willingham and published by the Penguin Group imprint Perigee Books on April 5, 2016.[1]
Background
editThe book is written chronologically from pregnancy to toddlerhood.[2] A range of topics are covered in the book such as whether it's safe to dye your hair during pregnancy, whether to use a pacifier, and when to start toilet training.[3] Each section has a "What We Did" paragraph at the end of it where the authors note what worked and what didn't work for them.[4]
The authors encourage the use of vaccines and emphasize that the immunization schedule has been thoroughly tested.[5] According to the studies that Haelle and Willingham used to write the book, the father experiences greater levels of sleep deprivation than the mother in the United States.[6] The book discusses the differences between breast feeding and formula feeding, and the authors' conclusions are that there are benefits to either one and that the benefits of breast feeding is over exaggerated.[7]
Reception
editThe Publishers Weekly review criticised the book saying that the book's contents are poorly organized and the book lacked the necessary footnotes to properly support and verify its claims.[8] Sarah Kuppen praised the book in The Conversation saying that the book made the research "easy to digest" and the authors did a good job of balancing the research with personal anecdotes.[9]
References
edit- ^ "The Informed Parent a Science-Based Resource for Your Child's First Four Years Research Into Pregnancy, Childbirth, and Early Childhood". Kirkus Reviews. February 2, 2016. Archived from the original on February 15, 2024. Retrieved February 14, 2024.
- ^ Koven, Suzanne (April 5, 2016). "Where science and child-rearing meet". Boston Globe. Archived from the original on October 4, 2023. Retrieved February 16, 2024.
- ^ Painter, Kim. "More moms and dads may be parenting by the (science) book". USA Today. Archived from the original on January 27, 2023. Retrieved February 15, 2024.
- ^ "New book: Use science to become an "Informed Parent"". Austin American-Statesman. September 14, 2016. Archived from the original on February 15, 2024. Retrieved February 15, 2024.
- ^ Finnegan, Gary (June 29, 2016). "New book helps parents make informed choices". VaccinesToday. EFPIA. Archived from the original on February 15, 2024. Retrieved February 15, 2024.
- ^ Dell'Antonia, KJ (April 15, 2016). "From Sleep to Sushi: Guidance for Confused Parents". The New York Times. Archived from the original on May 9, 2023. Retrieved February 16, 2024.
- ^ Randall, Rebecca (September 30, 2016). "How Science Became a Weapon in the Mommy Wars". Christianity Today. Archived from the original on January 29, 2023. Retrieved February 16, 2024.
- ^ "The Informed Parent: A Science-Based Resource for Your Child's First Four Years by Tara Haelle, Emily Willingham". Publishers Weekly. January 18, 2016. Archived from the original on February 15, 2024. Retrieved February 15, 2024.
- ^ Kuppen, Sarah (August 3, 2018). "The five best parenting books grounded in science: an expert's choice". The Conversation. Archived from the original on August 28, 2022. Retrieved February 16, 2024.