Product Description

To a small child, the world is an exciting but sometimes frightening and unstable place. In The Magic Years, Selma Fraiberg takes the reader into the mind of the child, showing how he confronts the world and learns to cope with it. With great warmth and perception, she discusses the problems at each stage of development and reveals the qualities -- above all, the quality of understanding -- that can provide the right answer at critical moments.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #23548 in Books
• Published on: 1996-12-09
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 320 pages

Amazon.com Review
The Magic Years is almost 40 years old, yet this book still offers a wonderful way of looking at how kids think, and why they act the way they do based on their cognitive and emotional abilities. The Magic Years refers to the psychological sense of discovery and magical power a young child feels. This book is used in many child development courses, but is a good read for anybody wanting to understand the young child's mind as he grows, acquires knowledge, and moves into more logical thought patterns. Selma Fraiberg's respect for children radiates from the pages. Take a little bit of time with this book; as Fraiberg says, "It is the quality of our understanding ... that provides us with the right method at critical moments."

Review
Mental Health Bulletin The Magic Years is far and above the best description of this early developmental period. -- Review

Review
Parents' MagazineAn expert with a gift for writing describes how children mature from birth to six years old....[Fraiberg] discusses theories and facts about feeding, talking, sex education, fantasy, self-control, fear and other subjects in the practical terms of daily living.

Mental Health BulletinThe Magic Years is far and above the best description of this early developmental period.

Customer Reviews

Essential Parent Reading
What a fantastic read - hard to believe it was written over 40 years ago! It is still as relevant today as it was then. My son is almost 2 and it is interesting to see the way that she describes what he is experiencing as he starts to be more aware of everything around him. The book is broken into several chapters highlighting 0-18 months, 18 months-3 years old and 3-6 years old plus some additional topical subjects such as potty training. As I read it, I had several "ah-ha" moments as to why my son did certain things along with ideas to cope with some of the issues one may face with a toddler. This is a great addition to any parent's bookshelf.

A Bible for the First-Time Parent
Read this book not from cover to cover but by chapter as the child reaches the age described in the chapter. Parental instincts are important, but the information contained in this book goes beyond that, into the effects of the psychological and physical development of the child at each stage of life.

Well worth reading
Of the twenty or so books on parenting I read after our first daughter was born, I recommend this one to friends most often. Based on research, well written and with almost no redundant material, this book helped me understand psychological development of our child very much. Two more books I would readily recommend are Haim G Ginott's Between Parent and Child and Kathy Hirsh-Pasek's Einstein Never Used Flash Cards.