If you are still struggling to get your newborn to sleep through the night, still getting up throughout the night to feed the little one, or perhaps you are feeling as if no end is in sight, you need to read Gina Ford's The Contented Little Baby Book. It may be the only thing you need to bring peace back into your frazzled existence with your tiny baby, or babies.

After all, this book promises to teach parents tried and tested methods to get their baby to sleep through the night by the time they are 10 weeks old.

For parents who are craving their first night of unbroken sleep, Ford's book may be the answer.

Ford's methods conjure up the image of a strict and loving old nanny from yesteryear. Her techniques go against the grain of many currently popular parenting philosophies. For example, Ford, an experienced maternity nurse, is against demand feeding, believes in the necessity of waking a sleeping baby in order to establish a daily routine. Her philosophy may not be the norm today, but Ford is confident of her methods based on years of experience handling hundreds of babies.

Providing an hour-by-hour, week-by-week guide on how to get a new baby into a routine, the book includes feeding and sleeping schedules based on a baby's age. The Contented Little Baby Book provides so much information that it may be necessary to keep this paperback book handy for reference should you employ Ford's techniques.

Experienced parents may not benefit from Ford's methods, but first-time parents may learn a lot from her ideas, and for the discerning reader of parenting books, this one is a must have. For the reader who would like to weigh other parenting methods before adopting Ford's techniques, the following books may be of interest: The Baby Book, by William Sears, M.D. and Martha Sears, R.N.; What to Expect in the first year, by Eisenberg, Murkoff and Hathaway; and Your Baby and Child, by Penelope Leach. --Abbe Jacobson

A guidebook, 31 Aug 2008
I read a number of books on bringing up baby - but I didn't approach any of them as 'this is what you must do'. Gina provides some good advice and I'm sure that her routines have worked for plenty of people. For that reason her book is useful. Every baby is different - all I wanted was a book to provide reassurance when I felt out of my depth and Gina Ford does that. Would an alternative baby guide? Probably yes, but that doesn't detract from confidence I derived as a first time Mum from this book.

Every child is different, 08 Aug 2008
was given this book when my first son was about a month old, person who gave it to me raved about how fantastic it was, read it expecting very big things and thought some of the information was very good and some not so good.
As every child is not exactly the same, this will work well for some and not so well for others, but anything is worth trying once.


Book needs a warning , 06 Aug 2008
I would definitely stay clear of this book if you want to actually enjoy your baby and not have to take the poor child to a shrink later in life due to traumatised baby-hood. This book provides some sort of army regime for your toddler whereby there is no space for listening to the baby's personal needs and behaviours and probably provides more stress and trauma for the baby than anything else. I can understand people who have difficult babies may resort to this book, but there are other ways around this. I picked up the book the other day to see what Gina mentions with regard to starting with solids (which takes place at 6 months usually) and when I saw she recommended toast with jam for breakfast I couldn't believe it (how do they eat toast without teeth) and sheppards pie for lunch...hello? I mentioned it to a professional mid-wife in Switzerland who barely let me finish before she said "throw that book away". She had dealt with several parents who were attempting to follow the book, two of whoms children had to be taken in to hospital casualty to be tube fed as they were not putting on weight due to the stress entailed by the regime. Furthermore, several parents lose faith in themselves and get more desperate as they struggle with succeeding on this completely unrealistic and dangerous regime

Enjoy your baby - listen to the signs and learn together.

Good Luck

Totally Amazing!, 28 Jul 2008
I bought this book when my son was 2 weeks old and started him on the routines when he was about 1 month old and I was a bit worried that it wouldn't be for me as I like to rely on my instinct and go with the flow.
Howerver, I didn't find the routines restrictive at all and the idea behind the baby getting most of their milk during the day time hours seemed to make total sense. My son was 6 weeks premature and I was told that he would take about 6 months to settle down into any kind of routine. He slept through the night 7 til 7 at 2 months. Whenever my son went "off plan" for whatever reason, ie. dropping nap times or not sleeping properly, Gina had a probable reason and a plan to overcome it. I have to say - she was right every time and her plan sorted it out within a week. However, I wasn't a total slave to the plan, Joe dropped one of his feeds a couple of months before Gina advised to and also dropped a nap time quite a long time before she advised it, so I wasn't tying him to the bed and forcing him to sleep when he didn't need it. I also found her advice on controlled crying excellent and I did follow that to the letter and it worked, it just takes a bit of time and patience. I also used her for potty training as well and I started when Joe was 21 months during the easter holidays. Within 2 and half weeks he went from being totally untrained to being completely dry and using the toilet by himself, he would get on it and then call me for help. Within another month he was totally dry at night and a month after that was weeing standing up. He's been trained for a year and a half and has only had 3 night time accidents.

I'm now expecting my second (Joe is now 4)and I have every intention on following Gina again, the morning nap will have to be tweaked and started later as I'll be on the school run but I've every confidence it will work.

A lot of people are very sceptical and think it is too rigid ie. sleep times etc but if you read her carefully she does take other children and family needs into account and suggests adjustments to timings etc. I also know three or four people who were "totally against" her philosophy but who's own routines were actually no different to hers!

I would say, give it a whirl - you can't lose. If you don't like it, don't do it, but certainly don't knock it till you've tried it.

Love it or hate it, 12 Jul 2008
I found this book to be badly written and quite difficult to follow. The same points could be communicated using half as much paper and the author seems to spend an awful lot of time blowing her own trumpet.
Don't let this put you off though, the underlying theory of the book is a good one but it is not presented simply. I perservered and found that by referring back to certain parts it made a little more sense.
I almost wore myself to a frazzle trying to implement the routines exactly as laid out in the book when I got straight out of hospital and in the end I adjusted and simplifed the routines a little, wrote them on the noticeboard (so my husband knew what was going on!) and everything just clicked.
My little boy has almost completely dropped his night feed at 8 weeks and was sleeping five to seven hours pretty much from ten days old.

The most valuable tip in the early days was to express in the morning so my husband could do the 11pm feed, allowing me to have a bath and get to bed around 9pm.

My advice would be to read the book, and take some of the ideas and fit them into YOUR routine, otherwise its pretty difficult to even leave the house as every minute is accounted for.
Good luck.

A guidebook, 31 Aug 2008
I read a number of books on bringing up baby - but I didn't approach any of them as 'this is what you must do'. Gina provides some good advice and I'm sure that her routines have worked for plenty of people. For that reason her book is useful. Every baby is different - all I wanted was a book to provide reassurance when I felt out of my depth and Gina Ford does that. Would an alternative baby guide? Probably yes, but that doesn't detract from confidence I derived as a first time Mum from this book.

Every child is different, 08 Aug 2008
was given this book when my first son was about a month old, person who gave it to me raved about how fantastic it was, read it expecting very big things and thought some of the information was very good and some not so good.
As every child is not exactly the same, this will work well for some and not so well for others, but anything is worth trying once.


Book needs a warning , 06 Aug 2008
I would definitely stay clear of this book if you want to actually enjoy your baby and not have to take the poor child to a shrink later in life due to traumatised baby-hood. This book provides some sort of army regime for your toddler whereby there is no space for listening to the baby's personal needs and behaviours and probably provides more stress and trauma for the baby than anything else. I can understand people who have difficult babies may resort to this book, but there are other ways around this. I picked up the book the other day to see what Gina mentions with regard to starting with solids (which takes place at 6 months usually) and when I saw she recommended toast with jam for breakfast I couldn't believe it (how do they eat toast without teeth) and sheppards pie for lunch...hello? I mentioned it to a professional mid-wife in Switzerland who barely let me finish before she said "throw that book away". She had dealt with several parents who were attempting to follow the book, two of whoms children had to be taken in to hospital casualty to be tube fed as they were not putting on weight due to the stress entailed by the regime. Furthermore, several parents lose faith in themselves and get more desperate as they struggle with succeeding on this completely unrealistic and dangerous regime

Enjoy your baby - listen to the signs and learn together.

Good Luck

Totally Amazing!, 28 Jul 2008
I bought this book when my son was 2 weeks old and started him on the routines when he was about 1 month old and I was a bit worried that it wouldn't be for me as I like to rely on my instinct and go with the flow.
Howerver, I didn't find the routines restrictive at all and the idea behind the baby getting most of their milk during the day time hours seemed to make total sense. My son was 6 weeks premature and I was told that he would take about 6 months to settle down into any kind of routine. He slept through the night 7 til 7 at 2 months. Whenever my son went "off plan" for whatever reason, ie. dropping nap times or not sleeping properly, Gina had a probable reason and a plan to overcome it. I have to say - she was right every time and her plan sorted it out within a week. However, I wasn't a total slave to the plan, Joe dropped one of his feeds a couple of months before Gina advised to and also dropped a nap time quite a long time before she advised it, so I wasn't tying him to the bed and forcing him to sleep when he didn't need it. I also found her advice on controlled crying excellent and I did follow that to the letter and it worked, it just takes a bit of time and patience. I also used her for potty training as well and I started when Joe was 21 months during the easter holidays. Within 2 and half weeks he went from being totally untrained to being completely dry and using the toilet by himself, he would get on it and then call me for help. Within another month he was totally dry at night and a month after that was weeing standing up. He's been trained for a year and a half and has only had 3 night time accidents.

I'm now expecting my second (Joe is now 4)and I have every intention on following Gina again, the morning nap will have to be tweaked and started later as I'll be on the school run but I've every confidence it will work.

A lot of people are very sceptical and think it is too rigid ie. sleep times etc but if you read her carefully she does take other children and family needs into account and suggests adjustments to timings etc. I also know three or four people who were "totally against" her philosophy but who's own routines were actually no different to hers!

I would say, give it a whirl - you can't lose. If you don't like it, don't do it, but certainly don't knock it till you've tried it.

Love it or hate it, 12 Jul 2008
I found this book to be badly written and quite difficult to follow. The same points could be communicated using half as much paper and the author seems to spend an awful lot of time blowing her own trumpet.
Don't let this put you off though, the underlying theory of the book is a good one but it is not presented simply. I perservered and found that by referring back to certain parts it made a little more sense.
I almost wore myself to a frazzle trying to implement the routines exactly as laid out in the book when I got straight out of hospital and in the end I adjusted and simplifed the routines a little, wrote them on the noticeboard (so my husband knew what was going on!) and everything just clicked.
My little boy has almost completely dropped his night feed at 8 weeks and was sleeping five to seven hours pretty much from ten days old.

The most valuable tip in the early days was to express in the morning so my husband could do the 11pm feed, allowing me to have a bath and get to bed around 9pm.

My advice would be to read the book, and take some of the ideas and fit them into YOUR routine, otherwise its pretty difficult to even leave the house as every minute is accounted for.
Good luck.

We can't get enough , 18 Feb 2008
This book is excellent. Parents, who want lasting discipline, in the true sense of the word [teaching], look no further. As other reviewers have said, there is no quick fix. If that's what you are after, God help your kids!

As an author, I also found the techniques and suggestions easy to pick up and assimilate.

It is relevant for school, home and life in general.

We can't get enough of this kind of material.


Useful book and relevant but no masterpiece!, 20 Dec 2007
I am a mother of three boys aged 2, 4 and 5. Getting them to cooperate is sometimes such a challenge. And it is difficult to focus attention to three at a time so I often have the feeling that one will cry, no matter what I do or don't do. I bought this book because I was looking for ways to improve my communication with my elder boys (aged 4 and 5) who sometimes can seem so unreasonable and so defiant to me and their father. The book has helped me reacting differently and communicating comfort better to my children but I found it a touch too simplistic. I need not do my homework and see drawings to understand what this is all about. Examples are useful but I need not read ten very similar examples to get the message. It seemed to me that it was bit of a school text rather than a book aimed at grown up parents. Moreover, most examples focused on elder children (e.g. aged 8, 10 or older) contrary to what I expected, i.e. advice for communicating with toddlers and pre schoolers. In conclusion, I do recommend the book as a useful guide to improving communication with your children but it is certainly not the best book I have ever read on parenting.

My new bible, 29 Oct 2007
Really useful book.
I read it over and over again.
Excellent tips for keeping kids motivated and behaving well.
I have recommended this book to all my friends.

An essential book for any parent, 14 Jul 2007
This book really does what it says on the cover. The advice is relevant for all parents who want non-confrontational ways of disciplining their children. There are many examples given and old/new ways of dealing with situations. I found myself re-reading chapters as incidents arose within my home. Although changes won't occur overnight there should be improvements in a few days. As a teacher, I also found some of the techniques and suggestions relevant for school, I certainly intend to use them in future.

Changed my life literally overnight, 24 Apr 2007
A friend mentioned this book years before I had children of my own. When our first son was born my husband bought it, and then we forgot about it for a few years. Now my sons are 2 3/4 and 1 1/2, and I was having a really hard time.. the usual tantrums, food issues, fighting between the two... my older one was being sent to the naughty corner several times a day sometimes, I was shouting all day, and I felt absolutely miserable. Thought I was the worst mother in the world. Then I remembered the book, and aaaaah... never thought it possible that one book could hold "the truth". And it's such simple things you need to change, it's amazing. My son hasn't been to the naughty corner since I started reading the first chapter, we are a very happy, relaxed and calm family now, and my husband is still completely amazed that every evening I tell him "We had a good day" rather than finding me in tears. If you ever felt overwhelmed and powerless as a parent, and if you ever thought you were doing everything wrong ... READ THIS BOOK.

A guidebook, 31 Aug 2008
I read a number of books on bringing up baby - but I didn't approach any of them as 'this is what you must do'. Gina provides some good advice and I'm sure that her routines have worked for plenty of people. For that reason her book is useful. Every baby is different - all I wanted was a book to provide reassurance when I felt out of my depth and Gina Ford does that. Would an alternative baby guide? Probably yes, but that doesn't detract from confidence I derived as a first time Mum from this book.

Every child is different, 08 Aug 2008
was given this book when my first son was about a month old, person who gave it to me raved about how fantastic it was, read it expecting very big things and thought some of the information was very good and some not so good.
As every child is not exactly the same, this will work well for some and not so well for others, but anything is worth trying once.


Book needs a warning , 06 Aug 2008
I would definitely stay clear of this book if you want to actually enjoy your baby and not have to take the poor child to a shrink later in life due to traumatised baby-hood. This book provides some sort of army regime for your toddler whereby there is no space for listening to the baby's personal needs and behaviours and probably provides more stress and trauma for the baby than anything else. I can understand people who have difficult babies may resort to this book, but there are other ways around this. I picked up the book the other day to see what Gina mentions with regard to starting with solids (which takes place at 6 months usually) and when I saw she recommended toast with jam for breakfast I couldn't believe it (how do they eat toast without teeth) and sheppards pie for lunch...hello? I mentioned it to a professional mid-wife in Switzerland who barely let me finish before she said "throw that book away". She had dealt with several parents who were attempting to follow the book, two of whoms children had to be taken in to hospital casualty to be tube fed as they were not putting on weight due to the stress entailed by the regime. Furthermore, several parents lose faith in themselves and get more desperate as they struggle with succeeding on this completely unrealistic and dangerous regime

Enjoy your baby - listen to the signs and learn together.

Good Luck

Totally Amazing!, 28 Jul 2008
I bought this book when my son was 2 weeks old and started him on the routines when he was about 1 month old and I was a bit worried that it wouldn't be for me as I like to rely on my instinct and go with the flow.
Howerver, I didn't find the routines restrictive at all and the idea behind the baby getting most of their milk during the day time hours seemed to make total sense. My son was 6 weeks premature and I was told that he would take about 6 months to settle down into any kind of routine. He slept through the night 7 til 7 at 2 months. Whenever my son went "off plan" for whatever reason, ie. dropping nap times or not sleeping properly, Gina had a probable reason and a plan to overcome it. I have to say - she was right every time and her plan sorted it out within a week. However, I wasn't a total slave to the plan, Joe dropped one of his feeds a couple of months before Gina advised to and also dropped a nap time quite a long time before she advised it, so I wasn't tying him to the bed and forcing him to sleep when he didn't need it. I also found her advice on controlled crying excellent and I did follow that to the letter and it worked, it just takes a bit of time and patience. I also used her for potty training as well and I started when Joe was 21 months during the easter holidays. Within 2 and half weeks he went from being totally untrained to being completely dry and using the toilet by himself, he would get on it and then call me for help. Within another month he was totally dry at night and a month after that was weeing standing up. He's been trained for a year and a half and has only had 3 night time accidents.

I'm now expecting my second (Joe is now 4)and I have every intention on following Gina again, the morning nap will have to be tweaked and started later as I'll be on the school run but I've every confidence it will work.

A lot of people are very sceptical and think it is too rigid ie. sleep times etc but if you read her carefully she does take other children and family needs into account and suggests adjustments to timings etc. I also know three or four people who were "totally against" her philosophy but who's own routines were actually no different to hers!

I would say, give it a whirl - you can't lose. If you don't like it, don't do it, but certainly don't knock it till you've tried it.

Love it or hate it, 12 Jul 2008
I found this book to be badly written and quite difficult to follow. The same points could be communicated using half as much paper and the author seems to spend an awful lot of time blowing her own trumpet.
Don't let this put you off though, the underlying theory of the book is a good one but it is not presented simply. I perservered and found that by referring back to certain parts it made a little more sense.
I almost wore myself to a frazzle trying to implement the routines exactly as laid out in the book when I got straight out of hospital and in the end I adjusted and simplifed the routines a little, wrote them on the noticeboard (so my husband knew what was going on!) and everything just clicked.
My little boy has almost completely dropped his night feed at 8 weeks and was sleeping five to seven hours pretty much from ten days old.

The most valuable tip in the early days was to express in the morning so my husband could do the 11pm feed, allowing me to have a bath and get to bed around 9pm.

My advice would be to read the book, and take some of the ideas and fit them into YOUR routine, otherwise its pretty difficult to even leave the house as every minute is accounted for.
Good luck.

We can't get enough , 18 Feb 2008
This book is excellent. Parents, who want lasting discipline, in the true sense of the word [teaching], look no further. As other reviewers have said, there is no quick fix. If that's what you are after, God help your kids!

As an author, I also found the techniques and suggestions easy to pick up and assimilate.

It is relevant for school, home and life in general.

We can't get enough of this kind of material.


Useful book and relevant but no masterpiece!, 20 Dec 2007
I am a mother of three boys aged 2, 4 and 5. Getting them to cooperate is sometimes such a challenge. And it is difficult to focus attention to three at a time so I often have the feeling that one will cry, no matter what I do or don't do. I bought this book because I was looking for ways to improve my communication with my elder boys (aged 4 and 5) who sometimes can seem so unreasonable and so defiant to me and their father. The book has helped me reacting differently and communicating comfort better to my children but I found it a touch too simplistic. I need not do my homework and see drawings to understand what this is all about. Examples are useful but I need not read ten very similar examples to get the message. It seemed to me that it was bit of a school text rather than a book aimed at grown up parents. Moreover, most examples focused on elder children (e.g. aged 8, 10 or older) contrary to what I expected, i.e. advice for communicating with toddlers and pre schoolers. In conclusion, I do recommend the book as a useful guide to improving communication with your children but it is certainly not the best book I have ever read on parenting.

My new bible, 29 Oct 2007
Really useful book.
I read it over and over again.
Excellent tips for keeping kids motivated and behaving well.
I have recommended this book to all my friends.

An essential book for any parent, 14 Jul 2007
This book really does what it says on the cover. The advice is relevant for all parents who want non-confrontational ways of disciplining their children. There are many examples given and old/new ways of dealing with situations. I found myself re-reading chapters as incidents arose within my home. Although changes won't occur overnight there should be improvements in a few days. As a teacher, I also found some of the techniques and suggestions relevant for school, I certainly intend to use them in future.

Changed my life literally overnight, 24 Apr 2007
A friend mentioned this book years before I had children of my own. When our first son was born my husband bought it, and then we forgot about it for a few years. Now my sons are 2 3/4 and 1 1/2, and I was having a really hard time.. the usual tantrums, food issues, fighting between the two... my older one was being sent to the naughty corner several times a day sometimes, I was shouting all day, and I felt absolutely miserable. Thought I was the worst mother in the world. Then I remembered the book, and aaaaah... never thought it possible that one book could hold "the truth". And it's such simple things you need to change, it's amazing. My son hasn't been to the naughty corner since I started reading the first chapter, we are a very happy, relaxed and calm family now, and my husband is still completely amazed that every evening I tell him "We had a good day" rather than finding me in tears. If you ever felt overwhelmed and powerless as a parent, and if you ever thought you were doing everything wrong ... READ THIS BOOK.

BUY BUY BUY, 31 Aug 2008
This book is a must for all parents. It has so much information packed into it. It has answered nearly every question I've had on bringing up my child so far! Its very easy to dip in and out of, and you can see easily what to expect in future months!


V helpful for first time mums, 25 Aug 2008
This is a complete godsend when you have conflicting advice from all those around you. You can either read it on a month by month basis or use the index at the back. I cannot recommend it enough and it has put both mine and my husband's mind at ease when we're confused.

BUY IT, I cannot recommend it enough! , 08 Apr 2008
The title says it all, this book is GREAT. Whether you are a first time mum wanting a bible or are looking for the ideal present for a mother to be, this has got to be it. I have not yet found another book that is so thorough, reassuring, practical, unbiased or (believe it or not) entertaining as this one. It will save you trips to the pediatrician, reassure and help you with practical problems, give guidance on baby's development, in short, there is not an area or issue, however obscure, that hasn't been covered.

If there is any criticism at all, as mentioned by a previous review, is the way the book is organised into months, although it is hard to see with the volume of information it contains how it would best be done. I would agree with previous readers to read a couple of months ahead each time as sometimes issues arise ahead of schedule, so to speak!

Fantastic reference book - often needed for those panic moments!, 23 Mar 2008
My friend lent me this book just after I had given birth to my baby daughter and I thought to myself 'nice of her to lend it to me but I'll probably never read it and will just get by with the internet as and when I need to' - but it has often been, I wouldn't say a 'god send', but a great book to refer to at those times when baby is causing concern, or you need some reassurance or if in need of a medical opinion. More often than not you just need to know that something is quite 'normal' or not never been heard of in the world of babies!

This book has come out many a time in the last 10 weeks when my little one is having a few problems (though nothing worrying enough for me to contact a doctor) or when we are just simply curious about something or need something confirming.

Generally it always delivers the answers, which are unbiased and to the point.

I would call this an overall fantastic 'baby bible' for any first time mummies and obviously worth keeping as a manual for the next baby should you be planning on doing it all again?!

So Glad I Bought It, 28 Feb 2008
I only bought one book after having my little boy a year ago and am I glad it was this one. It has covered every aspect for the first year, which you would expect, but it was not one of those books which tells you which way is best. What I mean is, I am still breastfeeding my son at just over one year old and I never felt it pushed the bottle on me or breastfeeding, just gives advice on whatever you feel is best. And lets be honest, we all know what feels right for each of us, we just need a little bit of advice.

My sister has just had her first baby and I have bought the book for her. We have different ideas on things, but we have both felt a great deal of reassurance from this book.

A guidebook, 31 Aug 2008
I read a number of books on bringing up baby - but I didn't approach any of them as 'this is what you must do'. Gina provides some good advice and I'm sure that her routines have worked for plenty of people. For that reason her book is useful. Every baby is different - all I wanted was a book to provide reassurance when I felt out of my depth and Gina Ford does that. Would an alternative baby guide? Probably yes, but that doesn't detract from confidence I derived as a first time Mum from this book.

Every child is different, 08 Aug 2008
was given this book when my first son was about a month old, person who gave it to me raved about how fantastic it was, read it expecting very big things and thought some of the information was very good and some not so good.
As every child is not exactly the same, this will work well for some and not so well for others, but anything is worth trying once.


Book needs a warning , 06 Aug 2008
I would definitely stay clear of this book if you want to actually enjoy your baby and not have to take the poor child to a shrink later in life due to traumatised baby-hood. This book provides some sort of army regime for your toddler whereby there is no space for listening to the baby's personal needs and behaviours and probably provides more stress and trauma for the baby than anything else. I can understand people who have difficult babies may resort to this book, but there are other ways around this. I picked up the book the other day to see what Gina mentions with regard to starting with solids (which takes place at 6 months usually) and when I saw she recommended toast with jam for breakfast I couldn't believe it (how do they eat toast without teeth) and sheppards pie for lunch...hello? I mentioned it to a professional mid-wife in Switzerland who barely let me finish before she said "throw that book away". She had dealt with several parents who were attempting to follow the book, two of whoms children had to be taken in to hospital casualty to be tube fed as they were not putting on weight due to the stress entailed by the regime. Furthermore, several parents lose faith in themselves and get more desperate as they struggle with succeeding on this completely unrealistic and dangerous regime

Enjoy your baby - listen to the signs and learn together.

Good Luck

Totally Amazing!, 28 Jul 2008
I bought this book when my son was 2 weeks old and started him on the routines when he was about 1 month old and I was a bit worried that it wouldn't be for me as I like to rely on my instinct and go with the flow.
Howerver, I didn't find the routines restrictive at all and the idea behind the baby getting most of their milk during the day time hours seemed to make total sense. My son was 6 weeks premature and I was told that he would take about 6 months to settle down into any kind of routine. He slept through the night 7 til 7 at 2 months. Whenever my son went "off plan" for whatever reason, ie. dropping nap times or not sleeping properly, Gina had a probable reason and a plan to overcome it. I have to say - she was right every time and her plan sorted it out within a week. However, I wasn't a total slave to the plan, Joe dropped one of his feeds a couple of months before Gina advised to and also dropped a nap time quite a long time before she advised it, so I wasn't tying him to the bed and forcing him to sleep when he didn't need it. I also found her advice on controlled crying excellent and I did follow that to the letter and it worked, it just takes a bit of time and patience. I also used her for potty training as well and I started when Joe was 21 months during the easter holidays. Within 2 and half weeks he went from being totally untrained to being completely dry and using the toilet by himself, he would get on it and then call me for help. Within another month he was totally dry at night and a month after that was weeing standing up. He's been trained for a year and a half and has only had 3 night time accidents.

I'm now expecting my second (Joe is now 4)and I have every intention on following Gina again, the morning nap will have to be tweaked and started later as I'll be on the school run but I've every confidence it will work.

A lot of people are very sceptical and think it is too rigid ie. sleep times etc but if you read her carefully she does take other children and family needs into account and suggests adjustments to timings etc. I also know three or four people who were "totally against" her philosophy but who's own routines were actually no different to hers!

I would say, give it a whirl - you can't lose. If you don't like it, don't do it, but certainly don't knock it till you've tried it.

Love it or hate it, 12 Jul 2008
I found this book to be badly written and quite difficult to follow. The same points could be communicated using half as much paper and the author seems to spend an awful lot of time blowing her own trumpet.
Don't let this put you off though, the underlying theory of the book is a good one but it is not presented simply. I perservered and found that by referring back to certain parts it made a little more sense.
I almost wore myself to a frazzle trying to implement the routines exactly as laid out in the book when I got straight out of hospital and in the end I adjusted and simplifed the routines a little, wrote them on the noticeboard (so my husband knew what was going on!) and everything just clicked.
My little boy has almost completely dropped his night feed at 8 weeks and was sleeping five to seven hours pretty much from ten days old.

The most valuable tip in the early days was to express in the morning so my husband could do the 11pm feed, allowing me to have a bath and get to bed around 9pm.

My advice would be to read the book, and take some of the ideas and fit them into YOUR routine, otherwise its pretty difficult to even leave the house as every minute is accounted for.
Good luck.

We can't get enough , 18 Feb 2008
This book is excellent. Parents, who want lasting discipline, in the true sense of the word [teaching], look no further. As other reviewers have said, there is no quick fix. If that's what you are after, God help your kids!

As an author, I also found the techniques and suggestions easy to pick up and assimilate.

It is relevant for school, home and life in general.

We can't get enough of this kind of material.


Useful book and relevant but no masterpiece!, 20 Dec 2007
I am a mother of three boys aged 2, 4 and 5. Getting them to cooperate is sometimes such a challenge. And it is difficult to focus attention to three at a time so I often have the feeling that one will cry, no matter what I do or don't do. I bought this book because I was looking for ways to improve my communication with my elder boys (aged 4 and 5) who sometimes can seem so unreasonable and so defiant to me and their father. The book has helped me reacting differently and communicating comfort better to my children but I found it a touch too simplistic. I need not do my homework and see drawings to understand what this is all about. Examples are useful but I need not read ten very similar examples to get the message. It seemed to me that it was bit of a school text rather than a book aimed at grown up parents. Moreover, most examples focused on elder children (e.g. aged 8, 10 or older) contrary to what I expected, i.e. advice for communicating with toddlers and pre schoolers. In conclusion, I do recommend the book as a useful guide to improving communication with your children but it is certainly not the best book I have ever read on parenting.

My new bible, 29 Oct 2007
Really useful book.
I read it over and over again.
Excellent tips for keeping kids motivated and behaving well.
I have recommended this book to all my friends.

An essential book for any parent, 14 Jul 2007
This book really does what it says on the cover. The advice is relevant for all parents who want non-confrontational ways of disciplining their children. There are many examples given and old/new ways of dealing with situations. I found myself re-reading chapters as incidents arose within my home. Although changes won't occur overnight there should be improvements in a few days. As a teacher, I also found some of the techniques and suggestions relevant for school, I certainly intend to use them in future.

Changed my life literally overnight, 24 Apr 2007
A friend mentioned this book years before I had children of my own. When our first son was born my husband bought it, and then we forgot about it for a few years. Now my sons are 2 3/4 and 1 1/2, and I was having a really hard time.. the usual tantrums, food issues, fighting between the two... my older one was being sent to the naughty corner several times a day sometimes, I was shouting all day, and I felt absolutely miserable. Thought I was the worst mother in the world. Then I remembered the book, and aaaaah... never thought it possible that one book could hold "the truth". And it's such simple things you need to change, it's amazing. My son hasn't been to the naughty corner since I started reading the first chapter, we are a very happy, relaxed and calm family now, and my husband is still completely amazed that every evening I tell him "We had a good day" rather than finding me in tears. If you ever felt overwhelmed and powerless as a parent, and if you ever thought you were doing everything wrong ... READ THIS BOOK.

BUY BUY BUY, 31 Aug 2008
This book is a must for all parents. It has so much information packed into it. It has answered nearly every question I've had on bringing up my child so far! Its very easy to dip in and out of, and you can see easily what to expect in future months!


V helpful for first time mums, 25 Aug 2008
This is a complete godsend when you have conflicting advice from all those around you. You can either read it on a month by month basis or use the index at the back. I cannot recommend it enough and it has put both mine and my husband's mind at ease when we're confused.

BUY IT, I cannot recommend it enough! , 08 Apr 2008
The title says it all, this book is GREAT. Whether you are a first time mum wanting a bible or are looking for the ideal present for a mother to be, this has got to be it. I have not yet found another book that is so thorough, reassuring, practical, unbiased or (believe it or not) entertaining as this one. It will save you trips to the pediatrician, reassure and help you with practical problems, give guidance on baby's development, in short, there is not an area or issue, however obscure, that hasn't been covered.

If there is any criticism at all, as mentioned by a previous review, is the way the book is organised into months, although it is hard to see with the volume of information it contains how it would best be done. I would agree with previous readers to read a couple of months ahead each time as sometimes issues arise ahead of schedule, so to speak!

Fantastic reference book - often needed for those panic moments!, 23 Mar 2008
My friend lent me this book just after I had given birth to my baby daughter and I thought to myself 'nice of her to lend it to me but I'll probably never read it and will just get by with the internet as and when I need to' - but it has often been, I wouldn't say a 'god send', but a great book to refer to at those times when baby is causing concern, or you need some reassurance or if in need of a medical opinion. More often than not you just need to know that something is quite 'normal' or not never been heard of in the world of babies!

This book has come out many a time in the last 10 weeks when my little one is having a few problems (though nothing worrying enough for me to contact a doctor) or when we are just simply curious about something or need something confirming.

Generally it always delivers the answers, which are unbiased and to the point.

I would call this an overall fantastic 'baby bible' for any first time mummies and obviously worth keeping as a manual for the next baby should you be planning on doing it all again?!

So Glad I Bought It, 28 Feb 2008
I only bought one book after having my little boy a year ago and am I glad it was this one. It has covered every aspect for the first year, which you would expect, but it was not one of those books which tells you which way is best. What I mean is, I am still breastfeeding my son at just over one year old and I never felt it pushed the bottle on me or breastfeeding, just gives advice on whatever you feel is best. And lets be honest, we all know what feels right for each of us, we just need a little bit of advice.

My sister has just had her first baby and I have bought the book for her. We have different ideas on things, but we have both felt a great deal of reassurance from this book.

my son was dry on the 3rd day, 16 Jun 2008
i found this book a huge help. my son only had acsident on the 1st two day. i know this was down to my son not the book but it helped my make a start.

Potty trained in one week....who is she kidding?, 21 May 2008
You can't fault her style or clarity, but this book should come with a sanity warning. The programme probably does work but (and this is a big but) your child has to be ready and predisposed to the Gina Ford technique. We had followed a lot of her advice in Contented Baby etc and so were pretty positive about it, but, ended up having to abandon the Gina Ford way of potty training because of the tantrums and tears (and not just the baby's). To be fair, the book makes it clear you can potty-train in one week...but only if your child is ready. And there's lots of good advice on familiarising your child with what will happen and sensible comments on how parents need to prepare themselves too. But nothing really your health visitor couldn't tell you or which you couldn't get off the net. And I think there's another caveat. Your child has to have the "right" personality. My son is very wilful and we abandoned the Gina Ford technique on our third attempt. Her answer would probably be "well, then he isn't ready," but at nearly 3 he should be (our health visitor agrees and, believe me I have devoted weeks to it pretty much full time). All following the Gina Ford method has achieved (apart from making us feel bad)is a power struggle and we are now having to back-track and try to undo some of the damage. No doubt it works well for some, but they're probably the kids who would be easy to potty train in any case.








A week?? More like 3 days!, 08 May 2008
This book is a little miracle. Following the advice in this book, my son was going to his potty without any prompting by the end of the first day. In three days, he was more or less fully trained and has had very few accidents since he came out of nappies. I was so worried about potty training and was expecting it to be a complete nightmare, but it turned out to be really easy - in large part due to this book. If you are thinking of buying this book, my advice is don't hesitate - you won't regret it. I certainly didn't!

Not a one-size-fits-all book, 04 May 2008
I followed this for both my children. It worked for one but not for the other. The preparation for potty training sections are good, to help you get your litte one used to sitting on the potty a certain times of day before the nappies come off for good and you go for it. But there is no advice whatsoever on how to handle poo accidents and how help a child who is not freaked out by number two's but who is never able to manage them on the potty.

much better than expected, 24 Apr 2008
I tried much of the techniques with my 27 month son - and while it was more than a week he is doing pretty well - as she said if you and your child is ready it will work - if not it won't! Agree about style - if it doesn't work its is somehow your fault but if you ignore that lots of useful ideas and good points - like the idea of a cushion for car seat - also using a chart for you to see how the child is doing - didn't try the star chart as my son is too young in my view crw

A guidebook, 31 Aug 2008
I read a number of books on bringing up baby - but I didn't approach any of them as 'this is what you must do'. Gina provides some good advice and I'm sure that her routines have worked for plenty of people. For that reason her book is useful. Every baby is different - all I wanted was a book to provide reassurance when I felt out of my depth and Gina Ford does that. Would an alternative baby guide? Probably yes, but that doesn't detract from confidence I derived as a first time Mum from this book.

Every child is different, 08 Aug 2008
was given this book when my first son was about a month old, person who gave it to me raved about how fantastic it was, read it expecting very big things and thought some of the information was very good and some not so good.
As every child is not exactly the same, this will work well for some and not so well for others, but anything is worth trying once.


Book needs a warning , 06 Aug 2008
I would definitely stay clear of this book if you want to actually enjoy your baby and not have to take the poor child to a shrink later in life due to traumatised baby-hood. This book provides some sort of army regime for your toddler whereby there is no space for listening to the baby's personal needs and behaviours and probably provides more stress and trauma for the baby than anything else. I can understand people who have difficult babies may resort to this book, but there are other ways around this. I picked up the book the other day to see what Gina mentions with regard to starting with solids (which takes place at 6 months usually) and when I saw she recommended toast with jam for breakfast I couldn't believe it (how do they eat toast without teeth) and sheppards pie for lunch...hello? I mentioned it to a professional mid-wife in Switzerland who barely let me finish before she said "throw that book away". She had dealt with several parents who were attempting to follow the book, two of whoms children had to be taken in to hospital casualty to be tube fed as they were not putting on weight due to the stress entailed by the regime. Furthermore, several parents lose faith in themselves and get more desperate as they struggle with succeeding on this completely unrealistic and dangerous regime

Enjoy your baby - listen to the signs and learn together.

Good Luck

Totally Amazing!, 28 Jul 2008
I bought this book when my son was 2 weeks old and started him on the routines when he was about 1 month old and I was a bit worried that it wouldn't be for me as I like to rely on my instinct and go with the flow.
Howerver, I didn't find the routines restrictive at all and the idea behind the baby getting most of their milk during the day time hours seemed to make total sense. My son was 6 weeks premature and I was told that he would take about 6 months to settle down into any kind of routine. He slept through the night 7 til 7 at 2 months. Whenever my son went "off plan" for whatever reason, ie. dropping nap times or not sleeping properly, Gina had a probable reason and a plan to overcome it. I have to say - she was right every time and her plan sorted it out within a week. However, I wasn't a total slave to the plan, Joe dropped one of his feeds a couple of months before Gina advised to and also dropped a nap time quite a long time before she advised it, so I wasn't tying him to the bed and forcing him to sleep when he didn't need it. I also found her advice on controlled crying excellent and I did follow that to the letter and it worked, it just takes a bit of time and patience. I also used her for potty training as well and I started when Joe was 21 months during the easter holidays. Within 2 and half weeks he went from being totally untrained to being completely dry and using the toilet by himself, he would get on it and then call me for help. Within another month he was totally dry at night and a month after that was weeing standing up. He's been trained for a year and a half and has only had 3 night time accidents.

I'm now expecting my second (Joe is now 4)and I have every intention on following Gina again, the morning nap will have to be tweaked and started later as I'll be on the school run but I've every confidence it will work.

A lot of people are very sceptical and think it is too rigid ie. sleep times etc but if you read her carefully she does take other children and family needs into account and suggests adjustments to timings etc. I also know three or four people who were "totally against" her philosophy but who's own routines were actually no different to hers!

I would say, give it a whirl - you can't lose. If you don't like it, don't do it, but certainly don't knock it till you've tried it.

Love it or hate it, 12 Jul 2008
I found this book to be badly written and quite difficult to follow. The same points could be communicated using half as much paper and the author seems to spend an awful lot of time blowing her own trumpet.
Don't let this put you off though, the underlying theory of the book is a good one but it is not presented simply. I perservered and found that by referring back to certain parts it made a little more sense.
I almost wore myself to a frazzle trying to implement the routines exactly as laid out in the book when I got straight out of hospital and in the end I adjusted and simplifed the routines a little, wrote them on the noticeboard (so my husband knew what was going on!) and everything just clicked.
My little boy has almost completely dropped his night feed at 8 weeks and was sleeping five to seven hours pretty much from ten days old.

The most valuable tip in the early days was to express in the morning so my husband could do the 11pm feed, allowing me to have a bath and get to bed around 9pm.

My advice would be to read the book, and take some of the ideas and fit them into YOUR routine, otherwise its pretty difficult to even leave the house as every minute is accounted for.
Good luck.

We can't get enough , 18 Feb 2008
This book is excellent. Parents, who want lasting discipline, in the true sense of the word [teaching], look no further. As other reviewers have said, there is no quick fix. If that's what you are after, God help your kids!

As an author, I also found the techniques and suggestions easy to pick up and assimilate.

It is relevant for school, home and life in general.

We can't get enough of this kind of material.


Useful book and relevant but no masterpiece!, 20 Dec 2007
I am a mother of three boys aged 2, 4 and 5. Getting them to cooperate is sometimes such a challenge. And it is difficult to focus attention to three at a time so I often have the feeling that one will cry, no matter what I do or don't do. I bought this book because I was looking for ways to improve my communication with my elder boys (aged 4 and 5) who sometimes can seem so unreasonable and so defiant to me and their father. The book has helped me reacting differently and communicating comfort better to my children but I found it a touch too simplistic. I need not do my homework and see drawings to understand what this is all about. Examples are useful but I need not read ten very similar examples to get the message. It seemed to me that it was bit of a school text rather than a book aimed at grown up parents. Moreover, most examples focused on elder children (e.g. aged 8, 10 or older) contrary to what I expected, i.e. advice for communicating with toddlers and pre schoolers. In conclusion, I do recommend the book as a useful guide to improving communication with your children but it is certainly not the best book I have ever read on parenting.

My new bible, 29 Oct 2007
Really useful book.
I read it over and over again.
Excellent tips for keeping kids motivated and behaving well.
I have recommended this book to all my friends.

An essential book for any parent, 14 Jul 2007
This book really does what it says on the cover. The advice is relevant for all parents who want non-confrontational ways of disciplining their children. There are many examples given and old/new ways of dealing with situations. I found myself re-reading chapters as incidents arose within my home. Although changes won't occur overnight there should be improvements in a few days. As a teacher, I also found some of the techniques and suggestions relevant for school, I certainly intend to use them in future.

Changed my life literally overnight, 24 Apr 2007
A friend mentioned this book years before I had children of my own. When our first son was born my husband bought it, and then we forgot about it for a few years. Now my sons are 2 3/4 and 1 1/2, and I was having a really hard time.. the usual tantrums, food issues, fighting between the two... my older one was being sent to the naughty corner several times a day sometimes, I was shouting all day, and I felt absolutely miserable. Thought I was the worst mother in the world. Then I remembered the book, and aaaaah... never thought it possible that one book could hold "the truth". And it's such simple things you need to change, it's amazing. My son hasn't been to the naughty corner since I started reading the first chapter, we are a very happy, relaxed and calm family now, and my husband is still completely amazed that every evening I tell him "We had a good day" rather than finding me in tears. If you ever felt overwhelmed and powerless as a parent, and if you ever thought you were doing everything wrong ... READ THIS BOOK.

BUY BUY BUY, 31 Aug 2008
This book is a must for all parents. It has so much information packed into it. It has answered nearly every question I've had on bringing up my child so far! Its very easy to dip in and out of, and you can see easily what to expect in future months!


V helpful for first time mums, 25 Aug 2008
This is a complete godsend when you have conflicting advice from all those around you. You can either read it on a month by month basis or use the index at the back. I cannot recommend it enough and it has put both mine and my husband's mind at ease when we're confused.

BUY IT, I cannot recommend it enough! , 08 Apr 2008
The title says it all, this book is GREAT. Whether you are a first time mum wanting a bible or are looking for the ideal present for a mother to be, this has got to be it. I have not yet found another book that is so thorough, reassuring, practical, unbiased or (believe it or not) entertaining as this one. It will save you trips to the pediatrician, reassure and help you with practical problems, give guidance on baby's development, in short, there is not an area or issue, however obscure, that hasn't been covered.

If there is any criticism at all, as mentioned by a previous review, is the way the book is organised into months, although it is hard to see with the volume of information it contains how it would best be done. I would agree with previous readers to read a couple of months ahead each time as sometimes issues arise ahead of schedule, so to speak!

Fantastic reference book - often needed for those panic moments!, 23 Mar 2008
My friend lent me this book just after I had given birth to my baby daughter and I thought to myself 'nice of her to lend it to me but I'll probably never read it and will just get by with the internet as and when I need to' - but it has often been, I wouldn't say a 'god send', but a great book to refer to at those times when baby is causing concern, or you need some reassurance or if in need of a medical opinion. More often than not you just need to know that something is quite 'normal' or not never been heard of in the world of babies!

This book has come out many a time in the last 10 weeks when my little one is having a few problems (though nothing worrying enough for me to contact a doctor) or when we are just simply curious about something or need something confirming.

Generally it always delivers the answers, which are unbiased and to the point.

I would call this an overall fantastic 'baby bible' for any first time mummies and obviously worth keeping as a manual for the next baby should you be planning on doing it all again?!

So Glad I Bought It, 28 Feb 2008
I only bought one book after having my little boy a year ago and am I glad it was this one. It has covered every aspect for the first year, which you would expect, but it was not one of those books which tells you which way is best. What I mean is, I am still breastfeeding my son at just over one year old and I never felt it pushed the bottle on me or breastfeeding, just gives advice on whatever you feel is best. And lets be honest, we all know what feels right for each of us, we just need a little bit of advice.

My sister has just had her first baby and I have bought the book for her. We have different ideas on things, but we have both felt a great deal of reassurance from this book.

my son was dry on the 3rd day, 16 Jun 2008
i found this book a huge help. my son only had acsident on the 1st two day. i know this was down to my son not the book but it helped my make a start.

Potty trained in one week....who is she kidding?, 21 May 2008
You can't fault her style or clarity, but this book should come with a sanity warning. The programme probably does work but (and this is a big but) your child has to be ready and predisposed to the Gina Ford technique. We had followed a lot of her advice in Contented Baby etc and so were pretty positive about it, but, ended up having to abandon the Gina Ford way of potty training because of the tantrums and tears (and not just the baby's). To be fair, the book makes it clear you can potty-train in one week...but only if your child is ready. And there's lots of good advice on familiarising your child with what will happen and sensible comments on how parents need to prepare themselves too. But nothing really your health visitor couldn't tell you or which you couldn't get off the net. And I think there's another caveat. Your child has to have the "right" personality. My son is very wilful and we abandoned the Gina Ford technique on our third attempt. Her answer would probably be "well, then he isn't ready," but at nearly 3 he should be (our health visitor agrees and, believe me I have devoted weeks to it pretty much full time). All following the Gina Ford method has achieved (apart from making us feel bad)is a power struggle and we are now having to back-track and try to undo some of the damage. No doubt it works well for some, but they're probably the kids who would be easy to potty train in any case.








A week?? More like 3 days!, 08 May 2008
This book is a little miracle. Following the advice in this book, my son was going to his potty without any prompting by the end of the first day. In three days, he was more or less fully trained and has had very few accidents since he came out of nappies. I was so worried about potty training and was expecting it to be a complete nightmare, but it turned out to be really easy - in large part due to this book. If you are thinking of buying this book, my advice is don't hesitate - you won't regret it. I certainly didn't!

Not a one-size-fits-all book, 04 May 2008
I followed this for both my children. It worked for one but not for the other. The preparation for potty training sections are good, to help you get your litte one used to sitting on the potty a certain times of day before the nappies come off for good and you go for it. But there is no advice whatsoever on how to handle poo accidents and how help a child who is not freaked out by number two's but who is never able to manage them on the potty.

much better than expected, 24 Apr 2008
I tried much of the techniques with my 27 month son - and while it was more than a week he is doing pretty well - as she said if you and your child is ready it will work - if not it won't! Agree about style - if it doesn't work its is somehow your fault but if you ignore that lots of useful ideas and good points - like the idea of a cushion for car seat - also using a chart for you to see how the child is doing - didn't try the star chart as my son is too young in my view crw

inflexible approach - did not work for us, 25 Aug 2008
I found the book not useful at all. Gina Ford's approach is totally inflexible and rigid.

And what do you do if the baby refuses the solids as my baby did? This book does not offer any advise and help with a baby refusing solids

£6.49 wasted :-(

Weaning - Gina Ford, 18 Aug 2008
This book is excellent and gives clear guidance to Mums on what to do when weaning your baby. As a first time Mum, this book answered loads of my questions from what consistency purées should be to what quantities you should try with your baby. I used the very precise timetable and meal planners as a guide and adapted it to meet the needs of my baby.

Excellent Guide for All the Family, 17 Jun 2008
This book has been an absolute revelation. Easy step by step guides as to introduce various foods and fantastic recipes that can be adapted for the whole family.Also a very handy A - Z index of foods, and great case studies for any hiccups that can happen. My Little boy (however not so little thanks to this book)eats everything put in front of him and enjoys a fantastic, healthy, varied diet... in fact a lot better diet than his parents. For a family who are worried about weaning would certainly recommend this as their guide. But as with all of Gina's books, should be used as a GUIDE. That way you cant go wrong.

Not the book for us!, 16 Jun 2008
I bought this book on recommendation by a friend, as I wanted a weaning plan for a 6 month old, and traditionally other weaning books focus on 4 month or 4-6 month weaning.
I suppose I should have expected any book by Gina Ford would be rigid and inflexible, and this is certainly what I got. There was no advice whatsoever about what to do should your baby display a will of their own and refuse to follow the routine, as we discovered with our 6 month old. No advice on how to actually get them to eat! I found myself floundering around and panicking that she had not achieved the 2.5 ice cubes per meal on day 3 etc etc as prescribed by Gina. So i remembered that I'm bringing up a baby, not a robot, ditched the book, plonked some toast, bananas and lumps of cheese in front of madam, and we've never looked back.
The only reason I've given it 2 stars instead of 1 is that some of the recipes may come in handy!

Weaning made easy, 25 Mar 2008
Just what you need before you embark on weaning. A sensible and easy to read book which spells it out for you in a no nonsense manner. It has lists of what foods you can introduce when, daily meal schedules for 6mth olds to 12+mths, great recipes for baby and family, practical freezing advice and questions and answers section which has proved very useful. I only wish I had her on hand as she knows what she is talking about!

A guidebook, 31 Aug 2008
I read a number of books on bringing up baby - but I didn't approach any of them as 'this is what you must do'. Gina provides some good advice and I'm sure that her routines have worked for plenty of people. For that reason her book is useful. Every baby is different - all I wanted was a book to provide reassurance when I felt out of my depth and Gina Ford does that. Would an alternative baby guide? Probably yes, but that doesn't detract from confidence I derived as a first time Mum from this book.

Every child is different, 08 Aug 2008
was given this book when my first son was about a month old, person who gave it to me raved about how fantastic it was, read it expecting very big things and thought some of the information was very good and some not so good.
As every child is not exactly the same, this will work well for some and not so well for others, but anything is worth trying once.


Book needs a warning , 06 Aug 2008
I would definitely stay clear of this book if you want to actually enjoy your baby and not have to take the poor child to a shrink later in life due to traumatised baby-hood. This book provides some sort of army regime for your toddler whereby there is no space for listening to the baby's personal needs and behaviours and probably provides more stress and trauma for the baby than anything else. I can understand people who have difficult babies may resort to this book, but there are other ways around this. I picked up the book the other day to see what Gina mentions with regard to starting with solids (which takes place at 6 months usually) and when I saw she recommended toast with jam for breakfast I couldn't believe it (how do they eat toast without teeth) and sheppards pie for lunch...hello? I mentioned it to a professional mid-wife in Switzerland who barely let me finish before she said "throw that book away". She had dealt with several parents who were attempting to follow the book, two of whoms children had to be taken in to hospital casualty to be tube fed as they were not putting on weight due to the stress entailed by the regime. Furthermore, several parents lose faith in themselves and get more desperate as they struggle with succeeding on this completely unrealistic and dangerous regime

Enjoy your baby - listen to the signs and learn together.

Good Luck

Totally Amazing!, 28 Jul 2008
I bought this book when my son was 2 weeks old and started him on the routines when he was about 1 month old and I was a bit worried that it wouldn't be for me as I like to rely on my instinct and go with the flow.
Howerver, I didn't find the routines restrictive at all and the idea behind the baby getting most of their milk during the day time hours seemed to make total sense. My son was 6 weeks premature and I was told that he would take about 6 months to settle down into any kind of routine. He slept through the night 7 til 7 at 2 months. Whenever my son went "off plan" for whatever reason, ie. dropping nap times or not sleeping properly, Gina had a probable reason and a plan to overcome it. I have to say - she was right every time and her plan sorted it out within a week. However, I wasn't a total slave to the plan, Joe dropped one of his feeds a couple of months before Gina advised to and also dropped a nap time quite a long time before she advised it, so I wasn't tying him to the bed and forcing him to sleep when he didn't need it. I also found her advice on controlled crying excellent and I did follow that to the letter and it worked, it just takes a bit of time and patience. I also used her for potty training as well and I started when Joe was 21 months during the easter holidays. Within 2 and half weeks he went from being totally untrained to being completely dry and using the toilet by himself, he would get on it and then call me for help. Within another month he was totally dry at night and a month after that was weeing standing up. He's been trained for a year and a half and has only had 3 night time accidents.

I'm now expecting my second (Joe is now 4)and I have every intention on following Gina again, the morning nap will have to be tweaked and started later as I'll be on the school run but I've every confidence it will work.

A lot of people are very sceptical and think it is too rigid ie. sleep times etc but if you read her carefully she does take other children and family needs into account and suggests adjustments to timings etc. I also know three or four people who were "totally against" her philosophy but who's own routines were actually no different to hers!

I would say, give it a whirl - you can't lose. If you don't like it, don't do it, but certainly don't knock it till you've tried it.

Love it or hate it, 12 Jul 2008
I found this book to be badly written and quite difficult to follow. The same points could be communicated using half as much paper and the author seems to spend an awful lot of time blowing her own trumpet.
Don't let this put you off though, the underlying theory of the book is a good one but it is not presented simply. I perservered and found that by referring back to certain parts it made a little more sense.
I almost wore myself to a frazzle trying to implement the routines exactly as laid out in the book when I got straight out of hospital and in the end I adjusted and simplifed the routines a little, wrote them on the noticeboard (so my husband knew what was going on!) and everything just clicked.
My little boy has almost completely dropped his night feed at 8 weeks and was sleeping five to seven hours pretty much from ten days old.

The most valuable tip in the early days was to express in the morning so my husband could do the 11pm feed, allowing me to have a bath and get to bed around 9pm.

My advice would be to read the book, and take some of the ideas and fit them into YOUR routine, otherwise its pretty difficult to even leave the house as every minute is accounted for.
Good luck.

We can't get enough , 18 Feb 2008
This book is excellent. Parents, who want lasting discipline, in the true sense of the word [teaching], look no further. As other reviewers have said, there is no quick fix. If that's what you are after, God help your kids!

As an author, I also found the techniques and suggestions easy to pick up and assimilate.

It is relevant for school, home and life in general.

We can't get enough of this kind of material.


Useful book and relevant but no masterpiece!, 20 Dec 2007
I am a mother of three boys aged 2, 4 and 5. Getting them to cooperate is sometimes such a challenge. And it is difficult to focus attention to three at a time so I often have the feeling that one will cry, no matter what I do or don't do. I bought this book because I was looking for ways to improve my communication with my elder boys (aged 4 and 5) who sometimes can seem so unreasonable and so defiant to me and their father. The book has helped me reacting differently and communicating comfort better to my children but I found it a touch too simplistic. I need not do my homework and see drawings to understand what this is all about. Examples are useful but I need not read ten very similar examples to get the message. It seemed to me that it was bit of a school text rather than a book aimed at grown up parents. Moreover, most examples focused on elder children (e.g. aged 8, 10 or older) contrary to what I expected, i.e. advice for communicating with toddlers and pre schoolers. In conclusion, I do recommend the book as a useful guide to improving communication with your children but it is certainly not the best book I have ever read on parenting.

My new bible, 29 Oct 2007
Really useful book.
I read it over and over again.
Excellent tips for keeping kids motivated and behaving well.
I have recommended this book to all my friends.

An essential book for any parent, 14 Jul 2007
This book really does what it says on the cover. The advice is relevant for all parents who want non-confrontational ways of disciplining their children. There are many examples given and old/new ways of dealing with situations. I found myself re-reading chapters as incidents arose within my home. Although changes won't occur overnight there should be improvements in a few days. As a teacher, I also found some of the techniques and suggestions relevant for school, I certainly intend to use them in future.

Changed my life literally overnight, 24 Apr 2007
A friend mentioned this book years before I had children of my own. When our first son was born my husband bought it, and then we forgot about it for a few years. Now my sons are 2 3/4 and 1 1/2, and I was having a really hard time.. the usual tantrums, food issues, fighting between the two... my older one was being sent to the naughty corner several times a day sometimes, I was shouting all day, and I felt absolutely miserable. Thought I was the worst mother in the world. Then I remembered the book, and aaaaah... never thought it possible that one book could hold "the truth". And it's such simple things you need to change, it's amazing. My son hasn't been to the naughty corner since I started reading the first chapter, we are a very happy, relaxed and calm family now, and my husband is still completely amazed that every evening I tell him "We had a good day" rather than finding me in tears. If you ever felt overwhelmed and powerless as a parent, and if you ever thought you were doing everything wrong ... READ THIS BOOK.

BUY BUY BUY, 31 Aug 2008
This book is a must for all parents. It has so much information packed into it. It has answered nearly every question I've had on bringing up my child so far! Its very easy to dip in and out of, and you can see easily what to expect in future months!


V helpful for first time mums, 25 Aug 2008
This is a complete godsend when you have conflicting advice from all those around you. You can either read it on a month by month basis or use the index at the back. I cannot recommend it enough and it has put both mine and my husband's mind at ease when we're confused.

BUY IT, I cannot recommend it enough! , 08 Apr 2008
The title says it all, this book is GREAT. Whether you are a first time mum wanting a bible or are looking for the ideal present for a mother to be, this has got to be it. I have not yet found another book that is so thorough, reassuring, practical, unbiased or (believe it or not) entertaining as this one. It will save you trips to the pediatrician, reassure and help you with practical problems, give guidance on baby's development, in short, there is not an area or issue, however obscure, that hasn't been covered.

If there is any criticism at all, as mentioned by a previous review, is the way the book is organised into months, although it is hard to see with the volume of information it contains how it would best be done. I would agree with previous readers to read a couple of months ahead each time as sometimes issues arise ahead of schedule, so to speak!

Fantastic reference book - often needed for those panic moments!, 23 Mar 2008
My friend lent me this book just after I had given birth to my baby daughter and I thought to myself 'nice of her to lend it to me but I'll probably never read it and will just get by with the internet as and when I need to' - but it has often been, I wouldn't say a 'god send', but a great book to refer to at those times when baby is causing concern, or you need some reassurance or if in need of a medical opinion. More often than not you just need to know that something is quite 'normal' or not never been heard of in the world of babies!

This book has come out many a time in the last 10 weeks when my little one is having a few problems (though nothing worrying enough for me to contact a doctor) or when we are just simply curious about something or need something confirming.

Generally it always delivers the answers, which are unbiased and to the point.

I would call this an overall fantastic 'baby bible' for any first time mummies and obviously worth keeping as a manual for the next baby should you be planning on doing it all again?!

So Glad I Bought It, 28 Feb 2008
I only bought one book after having my little boy a year ago and am I glad it was this one. It has covered every aspect for the first year, which you would expect, but it was not one of those books which tells you which way is best. What I mean is, I am still breastfeeding my son at just over one year old and I never felt it pushed the bottle on me or breastfeeding, just gives advice on whatever you feel is best. And lets be honest, we all know what feels right for each of us, we just need a little bit of advice.

My sister has just had her first baby and I have bought the book for her. We have different ideas on things, but we have both felt a great deal of reassurance from this book.

my son was dry on the 3rd day, 16 Jun 2008
i found this book a huge help. my son only had acsident on the 1st two day. i know this was down to my son not the book but it helped my make a start.

Potty trained in one week....who is she kidding?, 21 May 2008
You can't fault her style or clarity, but this book should come with a sanity warning. The programme probably does work but (and this is a big but) your child has to be ready and predisposed to the Gina Ford technique. We had followed a lot of her advice in Contented Baby etc and so were pretty positive about it, but, ended up having to abandon the Gina Ford way of potty training because of the tantrums and tears (and not just the baby's). To be fair, the book makes it clear you can potty-train in one week...but only if your child is ready. And there's lots of good advice on familiarising your child with what will happen and sensible comments on how parents need to prepare themselves too. But nothing really your health visitor couldn't tell you or which you couldn't get off the net. And I think there's another caveat. Your child has to have the "right" personality. My son is very wilful and we abandoned the Gina Ford technique on our third attempt. Her answer would probably be "well, then he isn't ready," but at nearly 3 he should be (our health visitor agrees and, believe me I have devoted weeks to it pretty much full time). All following the Gina Ford method has achieved (apart from making us feel bad)is a power struggle and we are now having to back-track and try to undo some of the damage. No doubt it works well for some, but they're probably the kids who would be easy to potty train in any case.








A week?? More like 3 days!, 08 May 2008
This book is a little miracle. Following the advice in this book, my son was going to his potty without any prompting by the end of the first day. In three days, he was more or less fully trained and has had very few accidents since he came out of nappies. I was so worried about potty training and was expecting it to be a complete nightmare, but it turned out to be really easy - in large part due to this book. If you are thinking of buying this book, my advice is don't hesitate - you won't regret it. I certainly didn't!

Not a one-size-fits-all book, 04 May 2008
I followed this for both my children. It worked for one but not for the other. The preparation for potty training sections are good, to help you get your litte one used to sitting on the potty a certain times of day before the nappies come off for good and you go for it. But there is no advice whatsoever on how to handle poo accidents and how help a child who is not freaked out by number two's but who is never able to manage them on the potty.

much better than expected, 24 Apr 2008
I tried much of the techniques with my 27 month son - and while it was more than a week he is doing pretty well - as she said if you and your child is ready it will work - if not it won't! Agree about style - if it doesn't work its is somehow your fault but if you ignore that lots of useful ideas and good points - like the idea of a cushion for car seat - also using a chart for you to see how the child is doing - didn't try the star chart as my son is too young in my view crw

inflexible approach - did not work for us, 25 Aug 2008
I found the book not useful at all. Gina Ford's approach is totally inflexible and rigid.

And what do you do if the baby refuses the solids as my baby did? This book does not offer any advise and help with a baby refusing solids

£6.49 wasted :-(

Weaning - Gina Ford, 18 Aug 2008
This book is excellent and gives clear guidance to Mums on what to do when weaning your baby. As a first time Mum, this book answered loads of my questions from what consistency purées should be to what quantities you should try with your baby. I used the very precise timetable and meal planners as a guide and adapted it to meet the needs of my baby.

Excellent Guide for All the Family, 17 Jun 2008
This book has been an absolute revelation. Easy step by step guides as to introduce various foods and fantastic recipes that can be adapted for the whole family.Also a very handy A - Z index of foods, and great case studies for any hiccups that can happen. My Little boy (however not so little thanks to this book)eats everything put in front of him and enjoys a fantastic, healthy, varied diet... in fact a lot better diet than his parents. For a family who are worried about weaning would certainly recommend this as their guide. But as with all of Gina's books, should be used as a GUIDE. That way you cant go wrong.

Not the book for us!, 16 Jun 2008
I bought this book on recommendation by a friend, as I wanted a weaning plan for a 6 month old, and traditionally other weaning books focus on 4 month or 4-6 month weaning.
I suppose I should have expected any book by Gina Ford would be rigid and inflexible, and this is certainly what I got. There was no advice whatsoever about what to do should your baby display a will of their own and refuse to follow the routine, as we discovered with our 6 month old. No advice on how to actually get them to eat! I found myself floundering around and panicking that she had not achieved the 2.5 ice cubes per meal on day 3 etc etc as prescribed by Gina. So i remembered that I'm bringing up a baby, not a robot, ditched the book, plonked some toast, bananas and lumps of cheese in front of madam, and we've never looked back.
The only reason I've given it 2 stars instead of 1 is that some of the recipes may come in handy!

Weaning made easy, 25 Mar 2008
Just what you need before you embark on weaning. A sensible and easy to read book which spells it out for you in a no nonsense manner. It has lists of what foods you can introduce when, daily meal schedules for 6mth olds to 12+mths, great recipes for baby and family, practical freezing advice and questions and answers section which has proved very useful. I only wish I had her on hand as she knows what she is talking about!

Long winded waffle, 28 Jul 2008
I found the chatty style just too long winded when what I am after is to the point advice. But for me it wasn't the rope trick (tying the child's door so they can't open it at night) but suggesting that after the toddler comes into the parent's bedroom for the third time at night, that was the time to use a smack if you chose to smack! And this is the "world's best selling parent guide" - god help us and our children!

"Confident parents are positive and positive parents are very powerful people", 08 Apr 2008
Toddler Taming is a great resource for first time parents. It covers a wide range of topics, which includes tantrums, eating, sleeping, toilet training and common toddler illnesses. It also includes a valuable set of appendices that cover child development milestones and immunisations.

Despite the wealth of general knowledge that is covered within the book, I personally found that some of the methods that were suggested for dealing with common toddler behavioural problems were either impractical or contradictory. However, the main value of the book lies in the fact that it educates the parents about toddlers and their characteristics and common traits. It also helps ingrain the fact that these challenges that are faced by parents are in fact the norm rather than the exception. Armed with this knowledge, confidence in parenting is likely to increase, and customising some of the methods suggested in this book to suite your parenting style could make noticeable difference, if not to your child's behaviour then at least to your reaction, understanding and ability to cope with such behaviour!

The book is written in a way that makes it accessible to all, and the author's use of humour made the educational experience all the more enjoyable.


The sleep section really works, 20 Feb 2008
I had bought this book purely for tips on how to cope with challenging toddler behaviour, but to my delight I found a section on sleep problems. My 16 month old has NEVER slept through the night and since Christmas has slept in bed with us, so On Sunday night I started the controlled crying technique and although he cried for a hour and a half at 2 in the morning by the second night it only lasted 45 mins and the third night he slept from 7-5am(unheard of in our house) and last night he slept from 7-7am. I still cannot believe it has been this easy and we are both keeping our fingers crossed that tonight will be the same, but if it's not I now have the confidence to see it through to conclusion. Christopher Green's sleep training process is easy to follow and is not as harsh as some of the other authors on the market, which I had bought at the same time as this one! If you want to change your child's sleeping habits but are looking for a gentler approach with 100% success then this is for you and there are lots more to the book too.

Solve the problems but start a row, 09 Dec 2007
An informative read which sets a different perspective to the problem and, without prescribing step by step must do actions, puts forward sound ideas to try. Also - it makes you feel human. Be warned however, this will test whether you are a pair or not .... my wife hate's me even mentioning the book if I suggest an alternative solution so, although I was recommended it and would recommend it, mine's going on Ebay as soon as I can be bothered to list it. Joking aside - it's the only parenting book I have found worth giving a read.

A must for all parents, 17 Oct 2007
This book offers invaluable advice. I always buy it for my friends instead of flowers after having their first child!!! My copy is completely dog eared from the times that I have thumbed through (for myself and when others have asked my advice!). I think the thing is with Dr Green that he helps to put these things into perspective and makes you realise that no parent is perfect, there will always be hurdles and that there is always a solution. After three children I still refer back to his advice when I come across something that is worrying me and it gives me the inspiration I need to deal with the situation, regardless of the problem.

A guidebook, 31 Aug 2008
I read a number of books on bringing up baby - but I didn't approach any of them as 'this is what you must do'. Gina provides some good advice and I'm sure that her routines have worked for plenty of people. For that reason her book is useful. Every baby is different - all I wanted was a book to provide reassurance when I felt out of my depth and Gina Ford does that. Would an alternative baby guide? Probably yes, but that doesn't detract from confidence I derived as a first time Mum from this book.

Every child is different, 08 Aug 2008
was given this book when my first son was about a month old, person who gave it to me raved about how fantastic it was, read it expecting very big things and thought some of the information was very good and some not so good.
As every child is not exactly the same, this will work well for some and not so well for others, but anything is worth trying once.


Book needs a warning , 06 Aug 2008
I would definitely stay clear of this book if you want to actually enjoy your baby and not have to take the poor child to a shrink later in life due to traumatised baby-hood. This book provides some sort of army regime for your toddler whereby there is no space for listening to the baby's personal needs and behaviours and probably provides more stress and trauma for the baby than anything else. I can understand people who have difficult babies may resort to this book, but there are other ways around this. I picked up the book the other day to see what Gina mentions with regard to starting with solids (which takes place at 6 months usually) and when I saw she recommended toast with jam for breakfast I couldn't believe it (how do they eat toast without teeth) and sheppards pie for lunch...hello? I mentioned it to a professional mid-wife in Switzerland who barely let me finish before she said "throw that book away". She had dealt with several parents who were attempting to follow the book, two of whoms children had to be taken in to hospital casualty to be tube fed as they were not putting on weight due to the stress entailed by the regime. Furthermore, several parents lose faith in themselves and get more desperate as they struggle with succeeding on this completely unrealistic and dangerous regime

Enjoy your baby - listen to the signs and learn together.

Good Luck

Totally Amazing!, 28 Jul 2008
I bought this book when my son was 2 weeks old and started him on the routines when he was about 1 month old and I was a bit worried that it wouldn't be for me as I like to rely on my instinct and go with the flow.
Howerver, I didn't find the routines restrictive at all and the idea behind the baby getting most of their milk during the day time hours seemed to make total sense. My son was 6 weeks premature and I was told that he would take about 6 months to settle down into any kind of routine. He slept through the night 7 til 7 at 2 months. Whenever my son went "off plan" for whatever reason, ie. dropping nap times or not sleeping properly, Gina had a probable reason and a plan to overcome it. I have to say - she was right every time and her plan sorted it out within a week. However, I wasn't a total slave to the plan, Joe dropped one of his feeds a couple of months before Gina advised to and also dropped a nap time quite a long time before she advised it, so I wasn't tying him to the bed and forcing him to sleep when he didn't need it. I also found her advice on controlled crying excellent and I did follow that to the letter and it worked, it just takes a bit of time and patience. I also used her for potty training as well and I started when Joe was 21 months during the easter holidays. Within 2 and half weeks he went from being totally untrained to being completely dry and using the toilet by himself, he would get on it and then call me for help. Within another month he was totally dry at night and a month after that was weeing standing up. He's been trained for a year and a half and has only had 3 night time accidents.

I'm now expecting my second (Joe is now 4)and I have every intention on following Gina again, the morning nap will have to be tweaked and started later as I'll be on the school run but I've every confidence it will work.

A lot of people are very sceptical and think it is too rigid ie. sleep times etc but if you read her carefully she does take other children and family needs into account and suggests adjustments to timings etc. I also know three or four people who were "totally against" her philosophy but who's own routines were actually no different to hers!

I would say, give it a whirl - you can't lose. If you don't like it, don't do it, but certainly don't knock it till you've tried it.

Love it or hate it, 12 Jul 2008
I found this book to be badly written and quite difficult to follow. The same points could be communicated using half as much paper and the author seems to spend an awful lot of time blowing her own trumpet.
Don't let this put you off though, the underlying theory of the book is a good one but it is not presented simply. I perservered and found that by referring back to certain parts it made a little more sense.
I almost wore myself to a frazzle trying to implement the routines exactly as laid out in the book when I got straight out of hospital and in the end I adjusted and simplifed the routines a little, wrote them on the noticeboard (so my husband knew what was going on!) and everything just clicked.
My little boy has almost completely dropped his night feed at 8 weeks and was sleeping five to seven hours pretty much from ten days old.

The most valuable tip in the early days was to express in the morning so my husband could do the 11pm feed, allowing me to