Baby Hearts A Guide to Giving Your Child an Emotional Head Start

Who says your baby can't "talk" about his or her feelings? In fact, babies' actions often speak louder than words! Understanding those actionsand responding appropriately to themis the key to giving your child a head start to a healthy and happy future. Now the authors of the bestsellingBaby MindsandBaby Signstranslate the latest research on the rich inner life of babies into practical, fun activities that will foster your child's emotional skills during the most critical periodbetween birth and age three. This comprehensive guide will help you help your child express emotions effectively, develop empathy, form healthy friendships, and cope with specific challenges. Learn how to: Talk with your child about emotions in order to help him recognize and control his own Use face-to-face interaction, tone of voice, song, and touch to make your infant feel safe and secure Start a gratitude journal to help your child appreciate the good things in life Nurture self-esteem with "try, try again" activities and simple chores Create a "What are they feeling" deck of cards to help your child understand and practice emotions Use games and songs to help your child practice self-control Overcome temper tantrums, aggression, shyness, separation anxiety, and other challenges Whether your child is as easy to raise as a sunflower, as difficult as the prickly holly bush, requires the patience of the delicate orchid, or is as active as the exuberant dandelion,Baby Heartshelps you provide the emotional support that may be the most important gift a parent can give. From the Trade Paperback edition.

Linda Acredolo, Ph.D. is emeritus professor of psychology at the University of California, Davis. Dr. Acredolo received her Ph.D. from the Institute of Child Development at the University of Minnesota. She has served as an editor of Child Development and as an officer of the prestigious Society for Research in Child Development.

Susan Goodwyn, Ph.D. is professor of Psychology and Child Development at California State University, Stanislaus, where she has served as Project Director for several longitudinal research projects. Dr. Goodwyn earned her Ph.D. as a Developmental Psychologist at the University of California, Davis.

Drs. Acredolo and Goodwyn have received numerous research grants, most notably from the National Institutes of Child Health and Development. They have published over 50 scholarly articles and have presented at over 75 national and international research meetings. Their pioneering research into infant and toddler development led them to co-author the 400,000-copy bestselling book Baby Signs (Contemporary Books, 1996, revised edition 2002) and Baby Minds (Bantam, 2000), as well as to found Baby Signs, Inc. in 2001. BABY HEARTS will be the third volume in the series.