The Tending Years: Understanding Your Child's Earliest Rituals

J.L. Shattuck's The Tending Years: Understanding Your Child's Earliest Rituals explains that toddlers' behaviors like drinking from a specific cup or eating only if turned into a game are rituals to reassure themselves they are safe and loved. She draws on child developmental theory and two decades of experience to explore the spiritual roots of these behaviors and how adults and young children instinctively work together to support each other's growth.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 144 pages
Publication date: 19 October 2023
Publisher: Skinner House Books

Have you ever pondered the reasons behind your toddler's preference for a specific cup or their enjoyment of mealtime games? Have you found yourself engaging in and even relishing your child's increasingly intricate bedtime routines? In his insightful book, The Tending Years: Understanding Your Child's Earliest Rituals, J.L. Shattuck contends that these behaviors, rather than being mere habits, are in fact rituals—patterns of behavior that young children naturally establish to provide themselves with a sense of security and love. Drawing upon child developmental theory and his extensive experience as a teacher, religious educator, and parent, Shattuck delves into the spiritual underpinnings of these actions. He showcases how adults and children intuitively collaborate to foster each other's growth during this distinctive developmental phase.

Unlike traditional parenting books that urge you to alter your interactions with your child, this accessible and comforting volume provides detailed insights into how you are already attending to your child's needs. It offers inspiration and support to guide you through the preschool years and beyond. By recognizing the significance of these early rituals, you can enhance your child's well-being and create a nurturing environment that promotes their growth and development.

Dimension: 177 x 127 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781558969063