Customer Reviews
A new way to deal with toddlers 
2008-08-31
I had seen Dr. Harper's "The Happiest Baby on the Block" and found it extremely helpful in dealing with newborns to help them calm down when crying and to sleep better. All his suggestions and techniques I found to be very effective. With "The Happiest Toddler on the Block", Dr. Harper is also very good in giving ideas to deal with toddlers who are having problems communicating their feelings and desires and do so throwing tantrums. Dr. Harper offers very helpful techniques to understand the little ones and help them be happier by having the adults around them respond in manners that are more appropriate to their developmental level. I haven't yet tried the techniques but I sent a copy to my son who has a two year old daughter. I'm waiting to hear from him to see what he thinks. The parents who participated in both videos appeared to have learned the techniques and found them very helpful.
Common Sense 2008-06-19
I purchased this for my daughter. Her baby is one yr. old and already showing signs of temper tantrums. We watched it together and I was amazed that no one thought of this method before. It's just plain common sense. It's basically a baby version of the Faber/Mazlish "Talk/Listen" book that was our bible. Thanks for offering this.
Guess some people are lucky this works for them - updated! 
2008-06-02
My husband and I got the book first and decided to get the dvd to make sure we were doing the techniques right. All I can say is, the toddlerese just fuels our little one's fire and makes the tantrums even worse than they were to start with. We have what Dr. Karp calls a "spirited" toddler and these methods just plain didn't work. I really wish they would - the only thing we can get to work so far with our 2 1/4 year old is to ignore the tantrum and let her calm down before trying to communicate any further with her. Also, our daughter communicates with us much above the level that Dr. Karp indicates in his book - even when she is in a rage of tantrum, maybe that's why this doesn't work for her - who knows. Best wishes to all those that do try this though. I guess it must work for some people!
UPDATE: We have found that the underlying methods in this do work with our toddler, but we had to modify how we used it. For instance, our toddler doesn't appreciate the toddlerese, but the fast food method definitely works and with a little further guidance from Dr. Karp it has made some difference in our toddler's tantrums and behavior. Definitely try different approaches with the ideas from this method in mind if you don't find it working.
good 
2008-02-16
Not as good as the book b/c it doesn't explain the philosophy behind the method. But it is nice that they get right to the point. My husband who did not read the book, thought the tactic was silly and got angry that the dr. wants you to talk to your kids like cavemen. He understood after I explained that you don't talk to them like that all the time, just when they are upset. But at least he can get the information without picking up a book (that will be the day!).
Must have for Toddler Parents 2008-02-13
I bought the book and the DVD. You really should have both. Brilliant insights and supports for even the most educated of parents. I would say you can't live with DVD alone.
I cannot wait to use! 2008-01-25
In "The Happiest Toddler", Dr. Harvey Karp, noted pediatrician and child development expert, reveals a totally new and extraordinarily effective way to communicate with our "uncivilized" little toddlers. For the past 30 years, Dr. Karp has taught his remarkable techniques to thousands of parents from working moms to superstars like Madonna! And now, America's top doctors are lining up to praise this revolutionary new approach that will change parenting forever!
Learn how to
calm outbursts (often in seconds),
stop 60-90% of tantrums before they happen, and
build a loving and respectful relationship with your young child that will last a lifetime.
Helpful video companion to the book 2007-11-30
It doesn't make much sense at all that this video is sold separately from the book of the same name. I have read the book three times, and the book works well as a stand-alone reference; however, having the video alongside would have made the book much more valuable and understandable. Karp's demonstrations of toddlerese are laughter-inducing to us adults but provide the clearest example of what he sets forth in his book. Unfortunately, it seems that the majority of parents who read the book or watch this video can't move beyond the "embarrassing" toddlerese. Dr. Karp addresses this in the video by asking the parents bluntly if they would rather do something that works or care more about what others think in public. Too bad the video doesn't emphasize that more often!
I actually would have liked the video to be longer and to feature longer toddler meltdown sessions with Dr. Karp at the helm. The way the current video is edited only partially satisfies. The Q&A section of the video is a bit redundant in places, but it does a good job at *quickly answering* the most obvious questions that parents would have about implementing Karp's method.
Multiple viewings of this video are necessary, I believe, and I would recommend this video to anyone who has read the book. I would not recommend this video to parents who have not read the book.
The best gift...sleep 2007-11-25
A friend lent this DVD to us (thankfully since I didn't have enough sleep to read the book thoughtfully), and parenting became much easier. Our daughter had colic, I suppose. She cried a lot. This DVD easily taught us methods to sooth our baby. I then lent it to many friends who also found the methods invaluable. The DVD is essential as the practices suggested should really been seen, and not just read.
not for all toddlers 
2007-08-12
The DVD is a great product, but the techniques illustrated therein aren't for all toddlers. My son reacted by screaming back at me--he didn't think my "toddler-eze" was empathetic--he thought I was making fun of him!
OWN IT! GIVE IT AS A GIFT! MUST HAVE IT! 2007-08-12
This DVD has saved our lives. My husband and I had no idea what to do with a newborn and had no plan on how to care for it in terms of crying and soothing. We tried not to think about it and figured we would do what others did and wing it and learn by trial and error. This DVD made that unncessary as we were given a five step plan for each time he was fretful. Each time, we did the 5 step plan and IT WORKED. I have since bought this for each of my pregnant friends as their baby shower gift. They see how i can settle my infant in under a minute and they are shocked. This alone is testament to the power of the instruction in this DVD. I also could not live without the calming sounds CD you can purchase as well. I put in my CD player and then loaded it into my IPOD for in the car. When baby gets crabby in the car and there is little you can do, put on the sounds and instantly he is quiet all the way home.
A MUST HAVE!!
