You already have the "right" tools to support your baby

You just need to know how to use them.

Whether you’re a first time parent or a seasoned one…

The transition into the first year of your baby’s life is not easy.

We all want to succeed at parenting – but we question whether we’re doing all we “should” be doing to support our babies… while also managing the realities of sleep deprivation, physical care of an infant, and balancing other life responsibilities.

Having a baby makes us feel vulnerable – how do you feel connected – to yourself in your new role, to your baby, and to a caregiving partner – when you don’t feel like yourself?

There is no shortage of “experts…“ (not to mention well-intentioned family and friends) when it comes to child-rearing. How do you sift through the sea of information for trustworthy sources that speak to YOU?

YOU WANT…

To “do your research” about how to best support your baby’s development, but everything out there seems to be too wordy or overly simplistic.
To build the confidence to be the best parent you can be, but each time you feel like you’ve “figured it out,” everything changes.
To find simple, actionable ways to make use of the information you know about what’s “good” for your baby, so you can actually build a strong relationship with your child.

When you learn to recognize the tools you already have to boost your baby’s development,

You’re able to maximize the time you have with your baby…

You’re empowered to “get it right…”

And you’re able to unlock the power of everyday routines and everyday objects to figure out how to play with your baby.

“Put yourself in Marinovich’s hands and you can relax, knowing that you are building a natural, meaningful way of being with your baby.”

Tracy Cutchlow

Journalist, Author of "Zero to Five: 70 Essential Parenting Tips Based on Science"

MY NAME IS AYELET MARINOVICH

I’m the mother of two young children, as well as a pediatric speech-language pathologist. I’ve been working with families with infants and toddlers for over a decade, now.

Like every other new parent, I have struggled with those feelings of vulnerability, overwhelm, and exhaustion…

But I have a secret tool in my toolbox:

I have a natural ability to share what I know about early child development in a way that is both palatable and actionable for parents and caregivers. I know that the way to support the bond between caregiver and baby is through play. And I have a knack for seeing play opportunities everywhere. They’re hiding in plain view… and often, we’re already using the tools we need – we just need a little guidance about how to maximize their value.

When I had my first child, I started hosting play groups in my home, experimenting with ideas and with ways to share information. What resulted was a personal and professional deep dive into creating a high quality, evidence-based guide for understanding and playing with a baby.

“Ayelet’s resources have changed my perspective from ‘what do I need to get for my baby to aid in her development?’ to ‘how can I bond with my baby using real-life objects, music, and personal interaction as she develops?’ Ayelet has showed me how encouraging real-world experiences, like touching grains of rice, or singing about the process of getting ready for the day to the tune of a favorite song, aid in our children’s development and in the bonding process with the parents.”

Trey Lewis

Mother of an infant

Understanding Your Baby

THE STEP-BY-STEP GUIDE TO SUPPORTING YOUR BABY’S DEVELOPMENT…

You’ll Learn:

What your baby is likely learning

in the areas of cognitive, communicative, motor/sensory, and social/emotional development

Simple, practical ways to support

those areas of development, using nothing more than your own body and common household objects to engage with as play materials

How to maximize your time

with your infant – whether you work out of the house full-time or home is your work, so you can make your play “productive”

The developmental basis

of simple activities you may already be doing, reaffirming what you already do innately, boosting your likelihood to keep doing them!

Available in four formats

For your convenience, preference, and needs

Understanding Your Baby: Ebook multimedia package

Enjoy this multimedia package: download the book in PDF format, MOBI (for Kindle), and EPUB (for Nook, iBooks, Kobo etc.)

Buy directly from us, or find the Kindle-only version on Amazon

Understanding Your Baby: Audiobook

Enjoy the audiobook version of our bestseller – coming in November 2018!

Get on the waitlist now!

Understanding Your Baby: Paperback

Purchase the 6×9 book directly from us, and get a signed copy with a personal note! We are happy to ship all over the world.

Alternatively, buy direct from Amazon!

Understanding Your Baby: Recipes For Play handouts

Printable 1-page infant activity handouts, perfect for professionals working with families, or for caregivers to share with friends/family.

Buy directly from us.

FAQ’s

I don't know when I last showered... how am i going to read a book?

Each module in Understanding Your Baby is no more than a few paragraphs. There are bullet points. It’s clearly outlined: “here’s this thing about what your baby is learning around this time” followed by “what you can do about it.” That’s it.

Here’s what one of our reviewers said on Amazon: “This book offers bite-sized morsels of developmental information in a supportive and achievable framework. The content is broad enough and presented delicately so that families of all cultures and backgrounds can relate. This book is also specific enough that parents will actually feel like they are learning something useful, each week, for their own unique baby. While reading, I felt both disappointed that I didn’t have this book at my fingertips when I was raising my own tiny humans, and I also felt pleased that I had found the perfect baby shower gift for all of my soon-to-be mommy and daddy friends… This is unlike any other parenting book you’ve ever seen and it’s probably the only parenting book you will actually *want* to read from front to back.

Here’s an example of the content:

Do I have to choose just one format? Which is for me?

No, you don’t have to choose just one! We all process information differently, sometimes at different moments of the day – that’s why I’ve made it as easy as possible to help you actually make use of the information and ideas in Understanding Your Baby.

If you like reading on your phone in the dark, grab a copy of the ebook.

Can’t hold the phone and give your baby a bottle at the same time? Listen to the audiobook!

Just like the feel of holding a book in your hands (or want to give the perfect baby shower gift)? Grab the paperback!

Want to get organized before going back to work and like to have common ground with your baby’s caregiver? Do you work with infants or families with infants? Download and print our “Recipes For Play” and share a few ideas that seem appropriate!

Do you cover "hot button" topics?

I wrote this book to help parents and caregivers focus on the number one most important thing for any human’s development, no matter where you come from, what language(s) you speak: the relationship between you and your baby. This is not a “how-to-parent” step-by-step guide; rather, it’s a resource to help you feel like you know the road to travel to make your own decisions as an informed parent.

If you’re looking for a book that covers highly divisive (and personal) topics like breastfeeding, sleeping, or screen time, this is not the book for you.

This book does cover the ways tiny humans all over the world learn and develop, and provides simple ideas to help support that development using tools that are either already attached to you or easily accessible in your environment (e.g., a bowl of water, a leaf, a mirror).

What if my baby was born premature or is experiencing developmental delays?

You are always welcome to email me directly at ayelet@strengthinwords.com to discuss specific questions or concerns. Many of the activities discussed and suggested in the book are largely applicable to families with infants who are developing all along the spectrum of ability, because they are all about gentle encouragement of development.

I don’t focus on major milestones like sitting and crawling; instead, the book offers ideas for how you can play with a baby on different levels or in different positions.

As opposed to the kinds of milestone charts that are specific to rigid, typical development, the book tries to encourage parental education and awareness so that families can recognize when something may not be “quite right,” and can follow along regardless of what challenges their baby may be facing!

Should I buy directly from you or from amazon?

That’s up to you. Again, this is all about what’s easy for you.

Of course, when you purchase directly through Learn With Less, that allows us to invest more in being able to provide more high quality resources for you!

This book helped me feel more confident and as a result, I feel like I’m a better mom for my little girl. It’s is all about maximizing what we are ALREADY doing with our little ones. The book is super easy to digest and not overwhelming. Most books just tell you about your baby’s weekly development. But, with “Understanding Your Baby,” there is a ‘What can I do’ section under each week that gives me ideas for actually supporting that development! It’s one thing to read about my baby’s development, but another thing entirely to have actual steps to take to know I’m playing with my baby in a way that supports her development.

Brooke Henson

Mother of an infant