Cribsheet：A Data-Driven Guide to Better, More Relaxed Parenting, from Birth to Preschool

WithExpectingBetter,award-winningeconomistEmilyOsterspottedaneedinthepregnancymarketforadvicethatgavewomentheinformationtheyneededtomakethebestdecisionfortheirownpregnancies.Bydiggingintothedata,Osterfoundthatmuchoftheconventionalpregnancywisdomwaswrong.InCribsheet,shenowtacklesanevengreaterchallenge:decision-makingintheearlyyearsofparenting.Asanynewparentknows,thereisanabundanceofoften-conflictingadvicehurledatyoufromdoctors,family,friends,andstrangersontheinternet.Fromtheearliestdays,parentsgetthemessagethattheymustmakecertainchoicesaroundfeeding,sleep,andscheduleorallwillbelost.There'sarule—orthree—foreverything.Butthebenefitsofthesechoicescanbeoverstated,andthetrade-offscanbeprofound.Howdoyoumakeyourownbestdecision?Armedwiththedata,Osterfindsthattheconventionalwisdomdoesn'talwaysholdup.Shedebunksmythsaroundbreastfeeding(notapanacea),sleeptraining(notsobad!),pottytraining(waituntilthey'rereadyorpossiblybribewithM&Ms),languageacquisition(earlytalkersaren'tnecessarilygeniuses),andmanyothertopics.Shealsoshowsparentshowtothinkthroughfreightedquestionslikeifandhowtogobacktowork,howtothinkabouttoddlerdiscipline,andhowtohavearelationshipandparentatthesametime.Economicsisthescienceofdecision-making,andCRIBSHEETisathinkingparent'sguidetothechaosandfrequentmisinformationoftheearlyyears.EmilyOsterisatrainedexpert—andmomoftwo—whocanempowerustomakebetter,lessfraughtdecisions—andstaysaneintheyearsbeforepreschool.