What to Expect the Second Year

Popular parenting guru Murkoff offers a sequel to her What to Expect in the First Year in this all-inclusive look at the toddler from 12 to 24 months. In 15 chapters the authors cover feeding, sleeping, learning, playing, health and safety, injuries and developmental disorders, discipline, and other issues with a meaty center section on behavior. The text opens with the stunning array of developmental milestones that characterize this action-packed period in a child's life, beginning at 12 to 13 months, when a toddler says two words and cruises from place to place while holding on to furniture, to 24 months when he or she can run, kick a ball, and use 50 words or more. While noting that there's a "wide range of normal," Murkoff also warns parents to "follow your gut" and check with your pediatrician if anything seems behind schedule. Murkoff covers practical matters like the importance of parents learning CPR, frequently citing professional guidelines (i.e., experts advise no TV for kids under two). She also addresses less critical topics, such as how to get a blob of oatmeal out of a toddler's hair or deal with a youngster's "wardrobe monotony." Just as expected, Murkoff offers sound advice and reassurance that will help parent and toddler stay grounded during this whirlwind period of growth and change. (May)