Anxious (expectant) parents are forever being bombarded with often conflicting advice about how to raise a child. Fortunately, John Medina’s book offers facts rather than just well-meaning advice. This is a point that’s worth noting, given that the research into child development must have been published in refereed literature and then successfully replicated before Medina deems it credible enough for mention in his own book. Brain Rules for Baby is full of information written in straight-forward prose; it’s meant to let you know what ‘science knows without having a PhD to understand’. The subtitle of the book is ‘How to Raise a Smart and Happy Child from Zero to Five’, with Medina taking the reader from preparing your relationship before conception, to pregnancy and toddlerhood. He suggests that to grow a smart, well-adjusted child, parents should forgo educational DVDs, and concentrate instead on a number of scientifically proven ideas like breastfeeding, talking to your child and praising effort rather than intelligence.

Then there’s the rather contentious rule of not allowing a child to watch any TV under the age of two because this adversely affects attention spans. This is all very well, but the electronic babysitter has saved many a frazzled parent from complete meltdown. At least Medina is gracious and realistic enough to acknowledge that if we can’t ban TV altogether, then to limit the exposure. After all, ‘an irritated overextended parent can be just as harmful to a child’s development as an annoying purple dinosaur’. Each chapter in Brain Rules for Baby concludes with a summary of the key points to help the time-poor quickly digest the information offered, for instance: ‘Don’t waste money on products claiming to improve a pre-born baby’s IQ, temperament or personality. None of them have been proven to work.’

There are good reminders for the hyper parents often seen ferrying their children from one extra-curriculum class to another: ‘kids are not proxies for adult success’ and ‘the brain follows a developmental timetable that is as individual as its owner’s personality’. In other words, parents should rein in their competitive streak and refrain from comparing their offspring’s milestones and capabilities with other children. Even with the rules set forth, there is however, only so much parents can do to help their child. Medina uses for seed/soil metaphor throughout his book and points out, ‘All the nurture in the world won’t change the fact that 50% of your child’s potential is genetic.’

Brain Rules for Baby is a thought-provoking book that explores how the early childhood brain works. It’s guided by questions parents tend to ask and hence a valuable present for those expecting a child, as well as those already grappling with the demands of a toddler.

Thuy On is a freelance reviewer and mother of her own under-five-year-old.