A fine wine

I am currently re-reading Dr. Sears's book, The Baby Book. It never gets old and in fact just gets better with every read. I would give the man a hug if I could (and if he didn't look like the scary man from Poltergeist).

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Since I can't get enough of the book, I thought I would bore you all with my favorite quotes. I've also been the recipient of some, I'm sure well-meaning, unsolicited advice of late that made me defensive. I am becoming a broken record perhaps but I really do appreciate advice and knowing what has worked for others. I really don't appreciate lectures on how I'm ruining my kid. If I were to hypocritically lecture back, I would just quote Mr. Poltergiest.

The constant availability of the mother or an attached caregiver provides confidence and helps the child learn to trust himself, culminating in the child's developing independence.

The issue is that of parents' being responsive, not of baby's being in control. When a hungry or an upset baby cries, he cries to be fed or comforted, not to control. This concern is a carryover from the old spoiling and fear-of-manipulation mind-sets that didn't understand what babies are like.

A baby whose cries are not answered does not become a "good" baby (though he may become quiet); he does become a discouraged baby. He learns the one thing you don't want him to: that he can't communicate or trust his needs will be met.

With time you can gradually delay your response and gradually your baby will learn to accept waiting a little bit as she learns noncrying language and develops self-help mechanisms.

...the single most important influence on a child's intellectual development was the responsiveness of the mother to the cues of her baby.

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