ABCs of Parenting

As I'm (gulp!) about to become a grandfather, I find myself paying more attention to parenting videos. It's important for me to stay informed, so that I can continue the time-honored tradition of meddling with my grandbaby's upbringing. Unfortunately, this series didn't offer me much to sink my not-quite-dentures into. The opening program, Becoming a Family, charts the parenting journey from pre-natal embryo to the 3-year-old that gets into everything that isn't hammered down. Bridging narration by a studio family, doing the modern equivalent of the Ozzie and Harriet routine, deliver some rote statistics about the modern family which then lead into discussions by real couples about pregnancy, caring for a newborn, finding a daycare, and dealing with the terrible twos. The clips with the families are basically sound bites that range across the board when it comes to helpfulness and/or pertaining to the subject. The problem is that there are far more in-depth programs on the market for each of the areas briefly covered on the video. For starters, It's Family Time (VL-7/94) is a better overview of the pre- and post-natal periods, and Finding Quality Childcare (VL-3/96) is a superior program on choosing daycare--both are priced at $19.95. The other two titles in the ABCs series are: Growing as a Family and School Days. A strictly optional purchase. Aud: P. (R. Pitman)