Parenting: the Missing Pages: Birth to 2 Years: Book One in a Series

By Leslie LB Cruz

This book is a quick, practical read on how to build your foundation in being a Great Parent to your babies and toddlers. Get clear guidance around handling challenging behaviors such as biting, terrible twos, tantrums, crying mysteries, weaning, timeouts, diaper changes, and discipline are present. One tool included are four sections: Quick Advice tidbits of quick tips; Mind Switchhelps get your mind ready for parenting ideas; Serious Cornerfocuses on serious topics in the chapter; Your Areawrite down your own thoughts, ideas, items to remember and aha moments. The humor and cute stories augment our parenting adventures and at a foundational level apply to all children. Look out for future books focusing upon older ages www.ParentingGrandCentral.com

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Jun 6, 2011
• ISBN: 9781462855841

Leslie LB Cruz

Leslie Cruz is a mother of three who happens to be a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist. She has spent over ten years guiding children of all ages in various settings including schools, mental health/ behaviorally guided classrooms, in homes, workshops, and community systems. Supporting parents and mental health personnel to illuminate children’s greatest potential has been her passion. Her experience discovering ways for parents to handle an array of mild to severe unsafe behaviors has empowered parents to create family environments they desire. The author believes that people hold the power within themselves to get whatever they want in life. She was inspired to write this book to guide a greater number of parents to unlock the Great Parent within themselves.

Book preview

Copyright © 2011 by Leslie LB Cruz.

Library of Congress Control Number:       2011905721

ISBN:         Hardcover                               978-1-4628-5583-4

                   Softcover                                 978-1-4628-5582-7

                   Ebook                                      978-1-4628-5584-1

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted

in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying,

recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system,

without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

This book was printed in the United States of America.

To order additional copies of this book, contact:

Xlibris Corporation

1-888-795-4274

www.Xlibris.com

[e-mail]

92431

Contents

Preface

Book Format

Introduction

Surviving The First Few Months

Crying Mysteries (Infants)

Nearing One Year Old

Bottles And Blankets, When To Wean?

Impossible Diaper Changing

Transitions: Leaving One Activity To Start Another

Transitional Words

Transitional Expectations

Biting

Infant/Toddler Tantrums

How To Approach Tantrums

Nearing Two Years Old

Terrible Twos— What’s That?

Random Crying

Personal Awareness

Testing Limits Or Rules

Discipline

Time-Outs (A Planning-Ahead Tool)

How To Use Time-Outs

Is Spanking Ok Or Not?

Making Mistakes In Parenting

In Conclusion

PREFACE

Congratulations on your new baby and for being an active parent. I’m sure you’ve heard this, but I will say it here: parenting is the hardest job you’ll ever do. Take my word for it as I have over seven years of higher education and three children under age seven right this second and still parenting is the hardest job ever—with the greatest rewards!

Thank you to my husband and three children, Aidan, Isabella, and Jared, as their wonderful energy and infinite learning opportunities have been a blessing and source of pure inspiration. And thank you to my ninety-year-old grandmother, Veronica Bronson, who inspires me and the title of this book. As I shared early edits of this book with my grandmother, she shared how she in her early twenties wrote a nonfiction piece called the The Missing Pages.

To all of you (you know who you are) who encouraged me and had belief in my talents, I send you all a heartfelt thank you.

BOOK FORMAT

This book is a tool. Some of the stated techniques or skills are more effective with certain ages and not others; however, the philosophical foundations stated throughout this book apply truly to all human beings including your newborn baby and/or your two-year-old climbing on you right now. I’ve highlighted key areas in parenting that will help you, and by no means is it all inclusive, which is why all of you should look out for all of my books in this series and never stop learning. I have placed the following four sections:

1.jpg Quick Advice—provides tidbits of quick tips

Mind Switch—helps with getting your mind ready for my parenting ideas

Serious Corner—focuses upon serious parts of the chapters topics

2.jpg Your Area—gives you space to write down your own thoughts and ideas along with items you really want to remember throughout this book to provide another fast tool for you. For example, some of you may need a fast mind switch to get back on track with becoming an even awesomer parent, as my six-year-old would say.

My hope is that this book meets at least one of your wants or needs and takes a little bit of the mystery and frustration out of parenting. For some of you this book serves as a reminder, and for some this is a first step. Good for you, give yourself a pat on the back—preferably not in public as you could get a few strange looks. But hey, if kids are with you right now, give yourself a hug and make a silly game out of it (people will think it’s cute).

Each chapter has these four sections to help focus your mind. You could, for example, if needing a quick read, look at the Mind Switch sections, and you will get a lot out of this book.

INTRODUCTION

Right now you may be asking yourself, How can Leslie Cruz help me? or "Why is this professional mother of three young children taking the time to write this book?" As a marriage and family therapist in public, I always want to jump in and help guide an emotionally drained parent with their child. I couldn’t do this for social reasons, privacy and truly overall out of respect. This book is a way for me to impart to parents my knowledge without all the negative (anxious, fearful, shaming) feelings I think arise when people think of seeing a psychotherapist. Know that my