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  • The Happiest Toddler on the Block

  • How to Eliminate Tantrums and Raise a Patient, Respectful and Cooperative One- to Four-Year-Old: Revised Edition
  • Written by: Harvey Karp Md
  • Narrated by: Tim Fannon
  • Length: 7 hrs and 7 mins
  • 4.3 out of 5 stars (26 ratings)

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The Happiest Toddler on the Block

Written by: Harvey Karp Md
Narrated by: Tim Fannon
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Publisher's Summary

Perfect for expecting parents who want to prepare themselves for the challenging toddler years (which starts around eight months of age), this essential guide, a national bestseller by respected pediatrician and child development expert Dr. Harvey Karp, not only helps reduce tantrums but makes happy kids even happier by boosting patience, cooperation, and self-confidence.

Toddlers can drive you bonkers...so adorable and fun one minute...so stubborn and demanding the next! Yet, as unbelievable as it sounds, there is a way to turn the daily stream of “nos” and “don’ts” into “yeses” and hugs...if you know how to speak your toddler’s language. In one of the most useful advances in parenting techniques of the past 25 years, Dr. Karp reveals that toddlers, with their immature brains and stormy outbursts, should be thought of not as pint-size people but as pint size...cavemen. 

Having noticed that the usual techniques often failed to calm crying toddlers, Dr. Karp discovered that the key to effective communication was to speak to them in their own primitive language. When he did, suddenly he was able to soothe their outbursts almost every time! This amazing success led him to the realization that children between the ages of one and four go through four stages of “evolutionary” growth, each linked to the development of the brain, and each echoing a step in prehistoric humankind’s journey to civilization:

  • The “Charming Chimp-Child” (12 to 18 months): Wobbles around on two legs, grabs everything in reach, plays a nonstop game of “monkey see monkey do.”
  • The “Knee-High Neanderthal” (18 to 24 months): Strong-willed, fun-loving, messy, with a vocabulary of about 30 words, the favorites being “no” and “mine.”
  • The “Clever Caveman” (24 to 36 months): Just beginning to learn how to share, make friends, take turns, and use the potty.
  • The “Versatile Villager” (36 to 48 months): Loves to tell stories, sing songs and dance, while trying hard to behave.

To speak to these children, Dr. Karp has developed two extraordinarily effective techniques:

  1. The “fast food” rule - restating what your child has said to make sure you got it right
  2. The four-step rule - using gesture, repetition, simplicity, and tone to help your irate Stone-Ager be happy again.
©2008 Happiest Baby Inc. (P)2019 Novel Audio Inc.

What listeners say about The Happiest Toddler on the Block

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clear, concise, helpful

the book is extremely informative and helped me figure out how to discipline my first child. it's very well organized so it's easy to read and absorb. it doesn't beat around the bush. it gets straight to the point so there's no wasted time.

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Basic Information

I felt this book was fairly simplistic. Nothing profound was expressed. Mostly common sense information. Could have been done in 1/4 of the length. Excessive repetition of concepts and one or two odd ideas. “ growling “ at your child ? Seems a little weird to me……

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Life changing

This book is amazing!
The reading is good, clear and enjoyable.
The content is worth everything because it really does teach you how to raise a toddler with less stress.

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