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I looked at Babywise for about 5 minutes and chucked it. While I do believe giving a child a schedule is a good thing, if my second child had been on a rigid eating schedule, she would have died of starvation. She burned up (and still does) calories so fast that she needed to eat every two to three hours during the day for the first several years of her life. Even now, she eats full regular meals and "grazes" the rest of the day, and she stays slim and trim.
On the issue of naps...I had one child (after age on) who woke up regularly after only one 30-45 minute nap which she took in the afternoon, but she would sleep through the night. For a while, I tried making her go back to sleep only to discover that when she did go back to sleep, she was up all night long. I finally allowed the shorter naps so we could sleep at night.
The point is, every child is different, and you need to use some common sense with them.
I am troubled by so-called attachment parenting and other child-centered raising techniques. While the Bible does not portend to offer a child raising theory (no smart responses - I mean a comprehensive approach), I think anyone would be hard pressed to suggest that such methods of child-centeredness comport with general Biblical values of responsibility, discipline, and growth. We are born selfish...yes, there is a natural design even to that which cannot be ignored (particularly with the earliest newborns), but nurturing this value that so perfectly demonstrates our depravity is not good. No person is the center of the created order. We must not treat our children as a microcosm of this distortion.
am troubled by so-called attachment parenting and other child-centered raising techniques. While the Bible does not portend to offer a child raising theory (no smart responses - I mean a comprehensive approach), I think anyone would be hard pressed to suggest that such methods of child-centeredness comport with general Biblical values of responsibility, discipline, and growth. We are born selfish...yes, there is a natural design even to that which cannot be ignored (particularly with the earliest newborns), but nurturing this value that so perfectly demonstrates our depravity is not good. No person is the center of the created order. We must not treat our children as a microcosm of this dI istortion.
It appears that nursing a baby is not merely about getting milk. It appears to be comfort, too. And many baby-scheduling books seem to deny or downplay this, or treat parents as weak for using the mother's breast as a comfort item rather than merely a giver of nutrition.
It appears that nursing a baby is not merely about getting milk. It appears to be comfort, too. And many baby-scheduling books seem to deny or downplay this, or treat parents as weak for using the mother's breast as a comfort item rather than merely a giver of nutrition.
It appears that nursing a baby is not merely about getting milk. It appears to be comfort, too. And many baby-scheduling books seem to deny or downplay this, or treat parents as weak for using the mother's breast as a comfort item rather than merely a giver of nutrition.
I looked at Babywise for about 5 minutes and chucked it. While I do believe giving a child a schedule is a good thing, if my second child had been on a rigid eating schedule, she would have died of starvation. She burned up (and still does) calories so fast that she needed to eat every two to three hours during the day for the first several years of her life. Even now, she eats full regular meals and "grazes" the rest of the day, and she stays slim and trim.
On the issue of naps...I had one child (after age on) who woke up regularly after only one 30-45 minute nap which she took in the afternoon, but she would sleep through the night. For a while, I tried making her go back to sleep only to discover that when she did go back to sleep, she was up all night long. I finally allowed the shorter naps so we could sleep at night.
The point is, every child is different, and you need to use some common sense with them.
I would politely suggest you finish more than the five minutes, as your last point is exactly the main thesis of the author, within a general structure that is best for the child.
It appears that nursing a baby is not merely about getting milk. It appears to be comfort, too. And many baby-scheduling books seem to deny or downplay this, or treat parents as weak for using the mother's breast as a comfort item rather than merely a giver of nutrition.
There are lot more benefits to nursing children than just the breast milk. My argument for breast feeding has a lot to do with the fact that God gave women breasts for that purpose, and unless there's a physical problem for not nursing, a woman should nurse her baby. British studies done in 1991 and 1992 and again more recently show that babies who are breastfed have an IQ of 3-5 points higher and that this intelligence level stays with the children through secondary school. The department of health in GB recommends women breastfeet exclusively for 6 months.
Another thing to take into consideration is the child's needs and how they respond to touch. Some children give and receive love by touch while others respond better to words and sounds. If a parent withholds affection from some of these needy "touchy" children, it can be devastating, even in their health. My mother a pedeactric nurse for years says that children who do not receive enough physical attention when they are infants can and do die. She tells of working in one facility where some of the babies came in who had been physically neglected and had stopped eating. The nurses were required to pick up the babies and hold them for a number of hours each shift, and it would not be long before they would begin eating again and were brought back to health.
---------- Post added at 11:39 AM ---------- Previous post was at 11:31 AM ----------
I looked at Babywise for about 5 minutes and chucked it. While I do believe giving a child a schedule is a good thing, if my second child had been on a rigid eating schedule, she would have died of starvation. She burned up (and still does) calories so fast that she needed to eat every two to three hours during the day for the first several years of her life. Even now, she eats full regular meals and "grazes" the rest of the day, and she stays slim and trim.
On the issue of naps...I had one child (after age on) who woke up regularly after only one 30-45 minute nap which she took in the afternoon, but she would sleep through the night. For a while, I tried making her go back to sleep only to discover that when she did go back to sleep, she was up all night long. I finally allowed the shorter naps so we could sleep at night.
The point is, every child is different, and you need to use some common sense with them.
I would politely suggest you finish more than the five minutes, as your last point is exactly the main thesis of the author, within a general structure that is best for the child.
What I didn't point out when I made the comment about the "five minutes" is that I knew several families in my church who were taking the "Babywise" approach to raising their children, and frankly, I wasn't impressed. I picked up a copy of the book in the church library and perused it and decided it wasn't for me. My christian parents gave me an excellent biblical example for raising children, and I didn't see the need to look elsewhere for guidance.
It appears that nursing a baby is not merely about getting milk. It appears to be comfort, too. And many baby-scheduling books seem to deny or downplay this, or treat parents as weak for using the mother's breast as a comfort item rather than merely a giver of nutrition.
Sucking is a means babies use to comfort themselves. I had two babies that were very needy. I gave them pacifiers. What about moms who can't nurse? Do they really feed their children everytime they cry? I think that would be setting them up for some very bad habits when they are older. What does that say about them? I for one wasn't able to nurse for long periods. My milk dried up when my second and third child were five months old. Attachment parenting would say it's because I had my babies on a schedule, but that is not true. I was able to nurse baby number four for the first year, and she was on scheduled feedings.
A mother's breast is not the only place a child can find comfort. Holding them, rocking them, placing them in a swing, playing music, and lots of other things can be options. I used all of those. After my milk dried up I would have been very uncomfortable letting my child have my breast as a means of comfort.
If the baby did not yet have teeth, what would have been the cause of the discomfort?