In a message dated 98-01-11 17:25:35 EST, you write:

<< Dr Jack wrote:  "Ease of separation from the mother at 8 months of age?  It
 depends on what considers independence, and how one defines our terms.  Let's
 recognize the limitations of studies."  Absolutely! For instance I would
 consider ease of separation from mother at 8 months to be a sign of poor
 mother-baby attachment whereas others may not.  Sleeping through the night
 is another biggie.  And what about co-sleeping, whether it should occur at
 all, and if so, when it should end?  How we would define what is "healthy"
 from what is not would probably largely depend on which "discipline" was
 asking the questions.

 Pamela Morrison IBCLC, Zimbabwe >>

how about what has been normal for the human species for as long as we have
been (let's say at least 1 million yrs), instead of the ideas of normal based
on about 10 generations (200 yrs) of industrialized mother-baby separation?
We must begin to realize that the parenting styles used for necessity through
that long period not only allowed us to survive but SHAPED our species
specific expectations?  And that, ergo, *not* following that evolutionary
blueprint (what I have termed "normative parenting") results in many many
deficiencies, or rather stressors that prevent human individuals from
achieving their developmental potential?  Ahhhh.  My vent for the day--school
starts tomorrow and I can "rage against the dying of the light" (detachment
parenting) to all new folks in my anthro classes.  Luckily research trundles
along consistently backing all this up-- but, oh, the wait!

Joy Berry-Parks
Attachment Parenting Group of Arkansas
LLLL, Little Rock
Anthropologist in training