Baby Prep

I have found it is hard to try to prepare for such a wide age range.  Parents who are pregnant know when the baby will be coming, and that they will be a newborn.  I am trying to prepare for anything from birth to age 5.  How do you prepare for that? As part of the preparation, I came across two parenting DVD's: The Happiest Baby on the Block, and The Happiest Toddler on the Block.

      These DVD's are based on the books by the same names.  I was able to find them both on Netflix.  The Happiest Baby is basically how to soothe a crying baby.  The Happiest Toddler deals more with tantrums, and how to prevent them and de-escalate them.  I have met parents in real life who swear by the methods in the Baby DVD.  I found that movies to be helpful, because you can see the techniques in real life. You also get to see a lot of adorable babies. :)  Now the production quality? Let's just say that it won't be winning any Oscar's.  The Dr. is kind of goofy and cheesy, but gives practical advice without being condescending.
     I found some of the techniques in the toddler DVD to seem a little silly.  Some advice was similar to social work skills, such as reflection (restating what the person said). I haven't met anyone who tried these techniques, so I guess time will tell.  It may still be worth watching for other parents of toddlers, because they are so short.  Being in DVD form, there is also a better chance the my husband will watch them.
     I have also been reading What to Expect: The First Year and What to Expect: The Toddler Years. To be honest, I find them kind of overwhelming.   There is a lot of information. I feel like the author talks down to people without giving real advice.  Some of the information may be helpful as a reference when we actually have children in the home.