They say kids don't come with a manual, but in the 4th edition of Raising Your Spirited Child, I think Mary Sheedy Kurcinka may be the closest we'll get as parents! I absolutely devoured this book, as a parent to a spirited 6 and 7 year old. Sometimes I feel that there is a dearth of books for children beyond the baby, toddler and preschool phase, but when I was able to delve into this classic, I realized how important it is to look through the past stages to help understand the current and upcoming stages.

Narrated by the author, this book is read slowly, allowing readers to really sit with her recommendations for sleep schedules, chores, routines, behavior, and eating patterns. The book is written in such a way that chapters build upon others and readers are encouraged to move to a later chapter for a better picture of a topic, or to reflect back on a previous chapter.

I will purchase this book in physical form so that I can write notes in the margin and bookmark important parts that I need to relearn and review. I highly recommend this book for parents and caregivers.