Reviews

Any person expecting or having just had a child needs to start somewhere in their quest to understand which type of parent they want to be. Philippa Perry's book is as good as a start as any other.

On the plus side, this is a book grounded in research and science, rather than in the personal beliefs of the author. The author is not an Instagram influencer, she is a certified psychotherapist. On the minus side, Perry treats the current state of research as if it was an absolute truth, and often reduces important insights to the level of "rigid rules to follow". My experience with parenting is that it is very contextual instead, so any rigidity in the frame of mind risks to become disempowering.

By any mean: if you are the kind of person who feels reassured by being told what to do, this book may be perfect for you. I am not that kind of person though, and I struggled (a bit, the book is quite good) with the overall prescriptive, self-assured style of the author.

Philippa Perry also seems to be the kind of person who feels very proud of themselves and think of themselves as the custodians of some sort of truth. Nothing inherently wrong with it, but I prefer authors who leave their achievements and competence understated, and found the personal anecdotes showcasing her skills as a therapist and mother a bit on the cheesy/self aggrandising side.

bethanna_hobbs's review against another edition

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5.0

I loved this book, I found it really insightful, didn’t feel judged at all and some really helpful tips. It’s already changed the way I parent and for the better. It’s highlighted all over and I’m certain I will flick through it repeatedly over the years.

readingflower's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful informative inspiring lighthearted reflective medium-paced

4.25

kaydeeyaleni's review against another edition

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challenging informative reflective slow-paced

3.75

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