Spirited infants are the exceptions to the "rules" : they are genetically wired to be alert and intense. Raising them takes special skills and patient perseverance. Kurcinka offers findings in the fields of neuroscience, sleep, temperament, self-regulation, attachment, and parent-child interactions, and shares what she has learned from hands-on experiences with families to bring this much-needed perspective to the parenting of babies under eighteen months of age. She provides practical advice for parents to help them make sure their needs are met.