A new map of childhood. From first foods to restless nights, from the first "no" to the long road toward independence.

Children amaze us every day. Yet they also leave us with countless questions: Why won't my baby fall asleep? Why is my child so picky about vegetables? Why does my toddler have such explosive tantrums? ... and the questions keep coming. This book offers a surprising answer: children have good reasons for behaving the way they do. Many of the traits we find challenging today helped them survive and thrive throughout human evolution. Drawing on the latest findings from evolutionary biology, anthropology, and developmental science, Herbert Renz-Polster reveals the hidden logic behind children's behavior. The result is a fascinating new perspective on childhood—one that helps parents understand their children with greater confidence, patience, and trust.

"Kinder verstehen", the German original of this book, is one of Europe's bestselling parenting books and has helped hundreds of thousands of parents better understand their children.



HERBERT RENZ-POLSTER, MD, is a pediatrician trained in Germany and the United States specializing in infant development. His bestselling books have inspired countless families in Germany and established him as a leading voice in the parenting debate. He is the father of four children and grandfather of five grandchildren. He lives with his wife near Lake Constance.



Chapter 1

How Children Learn to Eat

Chapter 2

How Children Learn to Sleep

Chapter 3

Breastfeeding —the Most Natural Thing in the World?

Chapter 4

Supplementary Feeding—the View of Nature

Chapter 5

Why Toddlers Throw Tantrums

Chapter 6

Born to Cry?

Chapter 7

Mother Nature's View on Potty Training

Chapter 8

Of Sweet Talking and Stranger Anxiety

Chapter 9

Transporting Children. Getting From A to B, the Evolutionary Way

Chapter 10

How To Spoil a Child

Chapter 11

The New Scientific View of Attachment

Chapter 12

How Children Become Confident and Independent

Chapter 13

The Evolutionary View of Parents

Chapter 14

Day Care—Against Human Nature?

Chapter 15

Learning From Other Cultures?

Chapter 16

Natural Parenting?



Not just another guide book for parents — a new paradigm for understanding children