By Ruth Schmidt Neven

Emotional Milestones from birth to adulthood is a thoughtful and fascinating book that offers a perspective on how children grow emotionally, what they need in order to thrive, and how their emotional nourishment from parents, family members and the wider community contributes to their mental health.

The psychodynamic approach sees all children’s behaviour as a communication to their parents. When looked at it in this way, all behaviour has meaning. Instead of seeing behaviour as a problem they should correct, parents can ask themselves: "Why this behaviour now?" Behaviour is a reflection of the child’s development and emotional integration. Parents then have a key for helping children with their emotional lives.

Emotional Milestones is a book for parents and professionals to enjoy. There are many insightful examples and case histories to engage the reader. As the author discusses infancy, toddlerhood, childcare, school readiness, siblings, friends, sexual identity, adolescence, divorce and many other concerns that absorb them, parents will discover that each development stage in their child calls forth corresponding development and adaptability in themselves as parents. The reader who is encountering the pyschodynamic approach for the first time will find that it becomes clear and familiar through the many examples that enlivens this riveting book.

Parents and professionals working either with children or with families will find this book helpful and illuminating. The author says: "Emotional milestones…are important developmental internal processes which require to be nurtured and supported because they are the prerequisites for the capacity for health and integration, and also creativity in human development.

Ruth Schmidt Neven is a child psychotherapist and the Director of the Centre for Child and Family Development in Melbourne. She is the author of "Exploring Parenthood: A psychodynamic approach for a changing society" (ACER, 1994).

Contents:

Introduction

Part One: A Pyschodyanic Approach

1. What is a Pyschodynamic Approach?
2. The Pyschodynamic Heritage.

Part Two: Devlopment

3. The Beginning of Life and Before: Birth and Infancy
4. Toddlerhood and Early Childhood
5. Children in Child care or Kindergarten
6. Early Childhood and the Transition to School
7. Sibling Relationships and Peer Relationships
8. The Middle Years of Childhood from Five to Twelve
9. The Developing Child and the Social World
10. The Development of Gender and Sexual Identity within the Family
11. Adolescence

Part Three: Bringing Up Children in a Changing World

12. The Impact of Separation and Divorce

Epilogue: Who is Responsible for the Development of Children and Parents?