The Difficult Child ~ the book that brought me to tears

I'm the kind of person that researches and reads and reads.  When we were having our first child, my mother mocked my arsenal of baby books.  I somehow thought that it was going to really prepare me for what lies ahead.  The only thing it really accomplished was an extensive expensive collection of baby books that were outdated by the time my second child came around.

You'd think that I would have learned from those early years, but I didn't.  Instead when we started to have "issues" with our daughter I went out seeking answers.  I should have started in the public library, but alas, I like to be able to keep books if I like them.   Is she a "highly spirited child"...absolutely.  1-2-3 Magic.  New Child by Friday.  I read and read and sucked up the information.

The truth was ~ we were consistent.  We had good routines in our house.  Bed time rituals and well rested children are cherished in this house.  These books didn't give me what I was looking for.  They didn't seem to touch on what was really going on in our house and what it was doing to me (ya ya ya I know that it isn't about me).

I asked the professional ~ what book would I best relate to?  She smiled and pointed to a book on her shelf, The Difficult Child by Stanley Turecki.  I promptly purchased and finally found the comfort I was looking for.

I cried as I read about other families facing these same obstacles.  Parents that absolutely thought the world of their children and were amazed by how immediately their child's temperament and mood could dominate not only a moment, but weeks at a time.  I was relieved to get additional confirmation that we had not created this little "monster".  This is her innate temperament and it is our job to figure out the best way to work with it and help her develop coping skills for it.

I'm still working my way through the book and assessing our situation with my husband, but things have gotten a bit more quiet and calm.  Finally ~ money well spent.  But if you know anyone looking for an extensive pregnancy, baby, parenting, discipline library ~ let me know.