When my children were born, I never read any books about parenting, I just learned how it happened. However, after this lesson, I wish I had read a book on parenting. I never realized how connected children were to their parents' emotions and facial expressions. I was not aware that children had the ability to imitate their parents' facial expressions when they are so young, nor to understand the meaning of their parents being sad and/or happy. I remember my wife getting stressed when she knew I had an imminent engagement coming up. When I left on my mission, when my son was a couple of months old, I remembered that he cried much more often. But now I understand why my son behaved during that time. The stages of childhood development are critical to every child's success. By understanding all the changes during this process you can ensure that your child will be healthy and minimize all the potential