Do I really need to vaccinate my baby? When should I worry about a tummy ache? Do all teenagers act like this? And how can my son and daughter be so completely different? Raising children doesn't have to be such a puzzle. All you need are good instincts and a set of down-to-earth directions to help you on your way. Instructions not Included is the practical manual they forgot to send you home with when you checked out of the maternity ward and into the wondrous, baffling world of parenthood. Part medical memoir and part how-to guide, this warm, handy reference delivers down-to-earth parenting advice straight from the mouth of a seasoned pediatrician. Over the course of four decades, Dr. Irwin H. Berkowitz has cared for more than 30,000 children and their parents. Now, he invites readers to join him at the examination table for a tour through childhood - as seen through a pediatrician's lens. This tour begins with the story of Dr. Berkowitz's own journey through medical school, residency and private practice and then makes stop-offs at every major phase in a child's development, from birth all the way to adolescence. Dr. Berkowitz draws on colorful, illustrative anecdotes culled from his years in training, practice and parenting as he dispenses advice on everything from planning your family to assessing common illnesses to what to look for (and what to look out for) during each unique stage of childhood. Drawing on the commonsense tradition of beloved pediatrician and parenting guide author Dr. Benjamin Spock, Instructions not Included offers new (and newly flummoxed) parents the sound advice and heartfelt encouragement they need to bring up some of the best kids on the block.