>  We turned to another colleague with four children (also a
> neonatologist) who told us that the big mistake we have made was
> holding our
> children to sleep and feeding them at night after a month of age.  He was
> very emphatic that babies need to learn how to console themselves
> instead of
> being picked up by their parents after one month of age (yes a devotee of
> Ezzo).  I was able to slip in a bit about attachment parenting before she
> left.

It's everywhere.  Last night I was in class (thesis writing) and the
professor wanted to make a point about reinforcement schedules and how you
use intermittent reinforcement to increase behavior.  The example he gave
was parents training a baby to sleep by letting it cry in the crib, the
crying gets "better" and then grandma comes and picks up the crying baby
which reinforces the crying behavior.  I just could not keep my mouth shut.
The professor said "oh no, you make sure the baby is dry and warm and has a
bottle." To which I replied "ROTTEN TEETH!!"  I was soundly dismissed as the
whole class chorused their approval of this method.

I suggested that all that does is teach a baby that his mama won't come when
he needs her.  I was told: "That's the point!!"   I dropped it at that
point, especially as the class had nothing to do with babies and crying.
The sad part is that this is a class of special educators, the majority
without young children.  Even though I knew I wasn't going to change any
minds I couldn't leave my disgust and outrage unspoken, at least on some
level.

Almost makes me wish I had a nursing baby in a sling to take to class...

Kathy in Maryland

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