The Wonder Weeks

Leaps in the mental development of a baby

Dr. Hetty van de Rijt and Dr. Frans X. Plooij have spent 35 years researching parent-baby interaction and they have made perhaps one of the most important discoveries in the world of baby development. The research has shown that babies make 10 major age-related changes – leaps – during the first 20 months of life. With each leap comes a drastic change in a baby’s mental development. They learn so much at once that it all becomes too much for them.

During these leaps, a baby cries more, is more clingy and cranky, sleeps worse (or hardly at all) and eats less. But this fussy phase is actually very positive: your baby is learning!

  • The 10 mental leaps with tips, tricks and mindblowing insights from expert
  • A unique personalized leap chart shows when a leap starts and ends
  • An overview of your baby’s most important milestones per leap
  • An entire chapter on your baby’s sleep behavior during the leaps and what you can do to improve its sleep behavior