Raising Your Spirited Baby

October 5, 2020
Kurcinka (Sleepless in America), who teaches classes for people struggling with their children’s behavior and sleep issues, delivers a powerful guide to help anyone struggling to raise a baby who is “spirited,” or “genetically wired to be highly alert and intense.” Readers will find a checklist to determine whether their baby is spirited according to five traits (intensity, sensitivity, alertness, irregularity, and high activity levels), and assistance in gauging their own level of stress via a “Parent Self-Assessment” (“How often do you feel your baby is more difficult to manage than other babies?”). From there, Kurcinka introduces readers to the “Spirited Baby Method,” based on asking “what is my baby telling me” through behavior cues, as well as asking “what do I need to stay calm—so I can calm my baby?” Helpful summaries conclude each chapter, and Kurcinka intersperses charts throughout, with guides to picking up on sleepiness cues, reducing nighttime feeding, and transitioning to solid foods proving especially useful. Kurcinka’s helpful book offers abundant understanding and encouragement for parents, as well as plenty of “teeny, tiny steps” toward better managing baby’s behavior.

Starred review from November 1, 2020

Kurcinka (Raising Your Spirited Child) says "spirited infants" make up 20 to 25 percent of all full-term babies, all of whom are genetically wired with a naturally more reactive arousal system. Using the gentle NUDGE method, which includes noting what your baby can do, understanding figure goals, then determining small steps to reach the goal, gently practicing and then easing back support as the baby becomes more proficient on their own, the author also recommends focusing on listening to your baby, staying calm yourself so you can calm the baby, and meeting your own basic needs so you can better meet the baby's needs. VERDICT Sure to be a landmark book, Kurcinka's well-researched advice may just be a sanity and sleep saver for new parents.

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