Kiss Me: How to Raise your Children with Love

This charming book by a Spanish pediatrician would be a lovely gift to give anyone having or intending to have a baby. It is funny, kind, insightful and inspires us to treat our babies like human beings whose wishes matter. The author is pro babies, but not anti parents. He understands the pressures we parents are under to adhere to the ways people typically treat babies in our culture, and he shows us that we can reject the standard callous treatment of babies and treat them with the love that is in our hearts. (But if you think that children need firm discipline, and that babies need to be firmly taught who's boss or they will manipulate you, this is not the book for you. As the author says, there are plenty of such books out there to choose from. This one rejects that whole way of thinking.)

Eye-opening read with a warm and friendly tone. Carlos González, a pediatrician from Spain, leads you gently through the centuries of parenting advice that have stacked up around us and carefully wipes it all away. He leaves you with clear and simple info to explain why babies and children do what they do (hint: it’s for good reason), and what our ancestors did to support them. He also just lays on the common sense and logic. For example, why is it okay to hit or berate a child, but not a coworker or spouse? He asks lots of questions like that, and shows that we’ve essentially been taught it’s okay to abuse children, or at the very least, that it’s okay to ignore their needs. Here is a book from an author who has truly empathized with both children and parents. I wish so much that there were an English audio version so my dyslexic husband could listen to it.

Very nice book. The author explains simple things we all think we know.

Another excellent book of Mr. Gonzalez and a must read for parents and people that influence the raising of children in any way!I was only disappointed with two passages: the first is on page 209 (kindle version) referring to a boy who used to bite other children to which it is implied that the reason for such behavior was "problems at home". I believe that biting can also occur -for various reasons- in toddlers raised with love and attachment and I would like to see a remark of that sort in later editions.The second passage (page 209) reads "Indeed toddlers ....hit [fellow children] because they have been brought up by parents who hit them." Again, although this may be true in many cases, it is not true for all toddlers who hit other children and again this can happen in loving families who practice attachment parenting and not hitting. Both biting and hiting are "common" behaviors among many toddlers who have to learn how to express their feelings (of anger, jealousy, etc.) in more appropriate ways. Generalizing like that is just adding insult to injury for caring families who have to deal with their toddlers temperament along with the critisim of their supposedly bad parenting.

Very good book, explains the origin of the practices and advices for raising your baby that are most common today (in the usa, and spreading globally) many of them without having been properly researched, or from very dark, obsolete, dubious studies - The famous let your baby cry out to sleep, etc. Really, you'll feel sad if you think of applying that on your child after knowing more facts about our human nature, and why children do what they do, including crying.Dr. González uses logical thinking, scientific evidence and humor to get to the most convincing conclusions.If you are all for the training your baby to do or stop doing things, you might find this book is not for you. I read a review where someone mentions something that the Dr says about a toddler biting other kids or hitting and how it comes from a problem at home, I see how that can be seen as unfair for the parents, but it's still worth reading if you are not easily offended, consider that a problem at home (he tells a specific story for that boy) could be as simple as having a new baby and the older child feeling neglected, that could be a reason enough for a child to bite, also if you have been practicing any of the things Dr González is against - you might as well have a confused frustrated child unnable to communicate in no other way but biting or hitting. Don't take it too personally! This book will open your eyes if you want them to be open... In the end it's up to you, what you do with your kids, but at least you'll know what's best

It basically justifies why you should always parent with love, empathy, and consideration. Read it if you want to reinforce the idea or if you have doubts on why loving too much is ok. ITS NOT A MANUAL for raising kids, but a friendly approach to what children are and how we can start seeing them and their needs. Whoever says has the manual on how to raise children is lying, children aren’t programmed machines. Enjoy!

The book presents a view of parenthood based on respect, on seeing children as humans deserving rights and affection. Don't confuse this with permissive parenting.

I bought it after reading his other one about breastfeeding. I loved it and I also enjoyed a lot this one. I will be welcoming my first baby in days, and reading this book has given me a new sense of things.Carlos Gonzalez has a wonderful approach to "baby matters", empowering women to follow their hearts and instincts and trust their gut.First of all he explains the reasons why babies and toddlers behave the way they do. Afterwards he expresses respectfully his approach, which I like because he is flexible and he encourages each family to find their own way and not let themselves be bullied, shamed or pressured by anyone else.

Com sarcasmo de sobra, essa pessoa nos mostra o que realmente importa na criação de filhos: carinho. O pediatra o faz com base em muita bibliografia, antropologia, biologia e, mais importante de tudo, humanidade. Definitivamente recomendo!

I loved every chapter in this book. It resonated with me. It is a must read for all parents who are interested in gentle parenting

Dieses Buch hat Potenzial die Welt besser zu machen. Wenn jeder Eltern es lesen könnten, würde unsere Gesellschaft viel harmonischer und liebevoller. Bitte lesen und weiter verschenken...

I thank the author for such a great reminder of the good nature of children and the need to understand and believe in their true efforts to please us and to learn from us, their parents, the people that they love the most. I think the parents will benefit to read this specially in times of difficulty and impotence, we all need someone to keep opening our eyes and keep us in touch with the beauty of parenthood. Also, for those that already think that their children are essentially good people, this will enlighten them even more about the things that society now a days has forgotten and that will make their life with their children even more enjoyable. I truly loved this book and bought his book about feeding, which I am also enjoying deeply.I completely recommended this book to all parents and extended family....

Vedere le cose da un altro punto di vista e mettere in discussione tutte le teorie del secolo su come comportarsi con un neonato. Un nuovo stimolo di riflessione e di discussione per tutti verso un ritorno alla naturalezza della vita. Gonzales è un pediatra di altissimo livello