And it is not just psychologists that remain ignorant - what about all
the rest of the mental health professionals - the psychiatrists, social
workers, marital therapists, etc. - or the health professionals - the
physicians, nurses, etc -  - as well as the legal professionals - the
judges, lawyers, guardians, case workers and evaluators. They are often
filled with the same misinformation about nurturing children. Breastfeeding
has skipped several generations, and we have encouraged parents for several
decades to not be responsive to their children. I believe that so many
professionals justify their positions based on a 'compulsion' to repeat
what was done to them - I think that Alice Miller in her book For Your Own
Good - the Hidden Cruelty in Child-Rearing... says it all - we have known
for decades that the style of parenting that has been passed down through
the generations flies in the face of research and knowledge in the field -
yet we seem compelled to repeat it, to do what was done to us. I doubt any
psychologist or other expert would disagree with the concept that parents
need to be emotionally and physically responsive to their child's needs -
yet most of the parenting that has been passed down is so unresponsive it
is shocking - especially if you consider that we would never advocate
treating an elderly person the cold and unfeeling way we advocate treating
a newborn baby or young child. Would we tell an elderly parent that it was
too bad if they were hungry, that it was not time to eat? Would we leave an
incapacitated parent alone in a room to cry? Refuse to hold them because
they had been held enough?
Elizabeth N. Baldwin                    Baldwin & Friedman, P.A.
Phone: 954-966-7110                     Office: 305-944-9100  x233
Fax: 954-966-9796                       Office fax: 305-940-8544

Breastfeeding and the Law:  http://www.lalecheleague.org/LawMain.html
Website: http://www.compromisesolutions.com

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