Book Review: The Wonder Weeks

Of the many parenting books out there, by far the most popular is What to Expect When You’re Expecting. Multiple editions, variations that include checklists and activities, its own website and app, it is a standard gift at most baby showers and a continuous best-seller in bookstores. Another very popular infant-advice book is The Wonder Weeks.

Written by Frans Plooij and Hetty van de Rijt and first published in 1992, the book discusses an infant’s mental development, following the authors’ philosophy that there are 10 mental leaps an infant goes through between five weeks old and their 20th month or just shortly before the age of two. The authors’ research has shown that during these mental leaps, children are more irritable–often due to frustration–and that if a parent is able to recognise the cause of their child’s irritability, they may be able to address and comfort their child better while also helping their mental development by assisting the child in their current endeavour.

Filled with cute cartoons, concrete recommendations for what parents can do with their babies during the different mental leaps, The Wonder Weeks is an easy read. It can help alleviate parents’ fears of inadequacy (i.e. It answers the question: Why is my baby crying?), and give parents the confidence and comfort to keep going. A best-seller, it also now comes with an app for easy reference to the child’s current stage of mental development.

A good read for any parent’s arsenal, the most important thing to remember when it comes to the book is not to worry if your baby is not exactly on schedule in terms of The Wonder Weeks. Remember that every baby is a little different, so treating this book–or any other parenting book–like gospel truth should not be done. Read the good advice in it, and apply what you can, and keep doing what works best for both you and your baby!