New First Three Years of Life: Completely Revised and Updated

Burton White, Ph.D., was a Harvard child psychologist who directed the first "Head Start Program" for this country in the administration of President Kennedy and hosted a child development advice tv program on WGBH Boston. In his research for Head Start, he found that to significantly influence the readiness of children to enter kindergarten/first grade he had to impact them at age 3 and younger. He presented his findings and recommendations in this book. The science of child development has shown enormous advancement since this book was first written - there are now huge textbooks and college courses taught on the subject - but the basic information in his book is still valid and easily understandable. The environment in which a child develops from the time of birth plays a crucial role in their intellectual and emotional development.I am the parent of a child born in 1975 who read the 1975 edition of this book and followed its recommendations. In elementary school, the child scored in the 99%tile on the California Standardized Achievement Test and went on to earn a STEM Ph.D. at UC Davis and is now teaching at a university.Kudos to Dr. White.

I enjoyed reading this book while pregnant with my first child. It read more like a textbook with a ton of facts and studies on various baby development topics than other parenting books. I found it interesting and would recommend to someone who wants to know the WHY you should or shouldn’t do something as a parent. Rather than just being told to do it because it works.

I can't praise this book enough. Most books on child rearing are written from the medical perspective. You will find more information on health than on behavior and developmental issues in these other books. This book is for behavior and developement. The author was a Harvard professor, and the book is based on many years of actual research into child rearing and behavior with hundreds of real families. As the author warns you, beware of books not backed up by research. In the area of behavior, that's pretty much all of them except this one. In particular, this book shows you how not to spoil your child. And, since probably 80% of children are spoiled (any unhappy as result), there is a great need for this book. Our 1st child is now 8 months old, and he is doing great--hardly cries at all, and extremely happy. The credit goes 1st to my wife who is very loving and patient, but also to this book, for showing how to deal with his behavior. Our son is also extremely active; crawling all over the place since 7 months old; this book puts a lot of stress on developing motor skills and keeping your baby developing properly. I now give this a gift to other friends who have their first child. You will also need a medical reference book, of course; there are many excellent ones. We purchased the Mayo Book of Pregnancy and Baby's first year which is encylopedic.

This the most fantastically helpful book for new parents. It precisely guides one through the phases which your baby will pass. By reading the book before the birth, one develops a feel for how the baby develops and his needs for stimulation as each of his faculties begin to mature. The information is presented in a such a comprehensible fashion, that one does not realize he is actually learning methods of helping his child develop, and that the book is the most significant resource book he will have for the first three years of the baby's life. Nowhere, is baby development so precisely taught in the public schools, This book is a course in itself. By reading each phase before your baby the enters it, one is prepared for and recognizes all the complex and interesting activities, moods and actions which the child will exhibit. This is an amazing asset for any parent, especially a first time parent. It is the best guide book for helping both the developing child and the parents. Congratulations Dr. Burton L. White and your team. I read the first edition, my son's and their wives are reading this new revised edition. Elaine Boldrick Vallianou August 1st, 2015

I'm only half way through the book, but wanted to go ahead and write a review. I'm still pregnant, due in 2 1/2 months, and as I go through the book, I'm turning down pages, making notes, and highlighting things so I can refer back to them when my son is at that phase. I think it will be very helpful to know what to expect from him developmentally, and what not to expect so I don't think I'm doing something wrong. I've really been fascinated with it so far.I'm giving it 4 stars because the last revision was 23 years ago and some of the items he talks about, like certain products, I think are somewhat outdated. Also, some areas seem to ramble on and repeat themselves, so I think some of it could be condensed. Still, these are small negatives, and would highly recommend it.

I'm the mother of a 2 year old boy, and can honestly say that my experiences raising my son have been significantly altered by reading this book.Most books about parenting a young child are written by pediatricians. The information is largely anecdotal, opinionated, dated and sometimes reflects more about the writers' politics than the actual process of childrearing. I find the Dr. Sears series to be a tiresome example of parenting politics interfering with the rare opportunity to impart real information to exhausted parents.In Burton White's The First Three Years, there's an emphasis placed on the scientific observation of a growing child through the baby/toddler years. He draws his evidence not from the 1001 children he raised or treated (like the Sears series) but from the 1001 children he observed in a clinical setting. A pediatrician "observes" children in 20 minute intake visits; these occur maybe 2x per year after age 1. When White talks about "observing" children, he's talking from the viewpoint of a developmental psychologist. Child behavior is not an incidental thing to observe -- it is what he studies.I will continue to give this book to every new parent I know. It brought clarity to a completely bewildering time, and I have a better son for it.

A family friend brought this book for us when we had our first daughter. I have read lots of books on baby development however this is head and shoulders above the rest. A must read for all parents.

This was the single most helpful book for raising young children. It's chapters are short and deal with early development from birth to three years in 6 week to several month increments. It is expertly researched and documented and helps you understand why to expect developmentally for your child in each stage. The parenting suggestions are gold. The author never fails to give good insight and wise counsel to those trying to figure out parenting. I give this book to all young couples I know when they have their first child. I recommend it highly!!!

After reading other reviews I decided to buy this book. My son was 7 months when I got it and I was quickly amazed at how accurate the book was at describing the progression of his development.The immediate benefit I got from reading this book was in buying better toys. Understanding my son's development gave me a better strategy on what toys to try. I buy used toys and was able to find and buy toys that he actually uses and loves. He quickly showed me that he was much more advanced in using toys than I gave him credit for.I have found all parts of this book interesting and have really enjoyed reading about an infant's social development as well. I think it has prepared me well in what to expect over the next 2+ years.The book is not a how-to type book but it really gave me the knowledge I wanted to understand the stages of learning and development in the first few years.

A lot of commentary without much advice on techniques/tools. Definitely better publications out there.

I always buy this book for new parents...timeless