The Baby Whisperer Solves All Your Problems

January 17, 2005
Hogg, a British nurse (and author, with journalist Blau, of two previous Baby Whisperer titles) who died of melanoma at age 44 in late 2004, addresses the issues of eating, sleeping and behavior in infants and toddlers. Hogg's followers will no doubt be delighted with her tips on breast and bottle feeding, introducing solids and coping with colic and other problems (though the book probably won't please those seeking a less structured approach to parenting). A stickler for details, Hogg stresses the importance of establishing patterns and routines, and even includes meticulous feeding charts. Her chapter on sleep problems is especially useful, with troubleshooting tips to help determine whether a baby is overstimulated, in discomfort, hungry or lacks an adequate sleep ritual. Hogg espouses "PC" (patient and conscious) parenting, as opposed to "accidental" or quick-fix parenting. She uses acronyms and abbreviations freely, explaining, for example, the sequence of events known as E.A.S.Y (eat, activity, sleep, you) and the sleep strategy she calls P.U/ P.D. In spite of Hogg's easygoing tone and friendly propensity for calling her readers "luv," her approach to solving problems is quite methodical. The high-spirited Hogg is humorous yet relentless in her quest to help parents find out why their baby acts a certain way and how to manage and respond to various behaviors.