Parenting Made Complicated

Screen time. Daycare. Praise. Sleep training. Spanking and time-outs. Helicopter versus "old school" parenting. There are a lot of questions facing parents of young children but consistent and reliable science-based answers can be hard to find. Parenting Made Complicated, written by child psychiatrist Dr. David Rettew, tackles many of the biggest controversies facing new parents today and examines the science behind these issues with writing that is lively, personal, non-preachy, and even funny. This book doesn't assume that the "correct" answer for each parenting dilemma is the same for each child. Instead it describes how different approaches may be required based on a child's unique temperament or other important factors. Practical, informed, and entertaining, Parenting Made Complicated is a complete resource for parents and professionals alike who are looking for dependable information about today's parenting controversies.

David Rettew, MD is an Associate Professor of Psychiatry and Pediatrics at the University of Vermont Larner College of Medicine and serves as Medical Director of the Child, Adolescent, and Family Division of the Vermont Department of Mental Health. He has been in practice for nearly 20 years, dividing his time between clinical, teaching, public policy, and research activities. Dr. Rettew has published over 100 journal articles, chapters, and scientific abstracts on a variety of child mental health topics, including the 2013 book Child Temperament: New Thinking About the Boundary Between Traits and Illness. He writes a blog for Psychology Today called "The ABCs of Child Psychiatry." You can also follow him on Twitter and Facebook @PediPsych.

Part 1: General Principles 1. It DependsUnpacking the Most Boring Answer in Science2. Child TempermentA Primer on Personality Differences in Children3. Tiger/Attatchment/Helicopter ParentingSearching for Truth Among the Books and the BlogsPart 2: Infancy4. Pick Them Up or Let Them Cry (For a While)?The Passionate Debate over Sleep Training5. WorkingMaking Peace with the Childcare Wars6. Got Milk?The Case for Breastfeeding Leading to Smarter and Happier Kids7. Blue, Pink or Yellow?How Parents Can Affect Gender DevelopmentPart 3. Toddlers and Preschoolers 8. YuckyFinding Solutions for Picky Eaters9. For the Sake of the Kids Considerations on Separation and Divorce10. Sparing the Rod (and the Chair?)Spanking, Time-Outs, and Other Disciplinary Techniques11. IToddler The Effects of Early Media and Technology Use12. Good Job!Science Examines Praising and Overpraising13. The Next StepsPutting Knowledge Into Action14. References