Answering Little Ones’ Questions about Tragedies
12/14/2012 Unfortunate update: It’s time to talk about this again. My heart is broken, as is yours. Feel free to connect with me here or on Twitter to ask about how you can approach this in your family.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The Colorado shooting has come and gone — and now the Connecticut school shootings, and we’re left trying to explain things to The Littles. One well-meaning mom criticized me on Twitter for even suggesting we talk to young children about violence. “Why even bring it up?” she wondered.
Her life is much more insular than many of ours — I have a 2 year old. But I also have a 6 year old. And a 9 year old. And an 11 year old. And those kids have completely different levels of awareness and understanding of these situations — and they talk. In front of The Littles. So parents like us need talking points for those tricky situations.
So here are my thoughts about how to navigate these unavoidable conversations. Let’s be ready, because unfortunately, it won’t be the last time.
I was also quoted in Newsweek/The Daily Beast about the issue. I hope I made the point that parents taking their young children to movie theaters aren’t the problem. Untreated mental illness and widespread availability of guns ARE.
Aloha,
Dr. Heather
The BabyShrink
Mom of Four, Parenting Expert
“Crying It Out”: Acceptable — or Abuse?
Sometimes I need a good cry before a nap, too.
One of the most primitive, innate reactions any mom has is to comfort her crying child. But as we’ve talked about here before, many babies can tolerate — and thrive — with some crying, when their parents thoughtfully decide why and when that might be necessary.
That’s why articles like this leave me mystified — especially when they come from one of my shrink colleagues. Her bottom line is that CIO is dangerous. She trots out all the old arguments, hailing the Dr. Sears “science” behind her claims, and providing one of the most common misinterpretations of infant research. She makes the mistake that clinical research findings about abused and maltreated babies — babies who were pervasively denied their needs over the long-term — should be applied to NORMAL babies in NORMAL families.
The fact is, there is no evidence whatsoever that occasional CIO in typically developing babies causes any damage. PERIOD.
More importantly, there IS evidence that severely sleep-deprived mothers are at much higher risk of developing an already common –and dangerous — condition: postpartum depression. And PPD certainly CAN lead to long-term damage to both baby — and the entire family. CIO is a method that, when implemented thoughtfully, can often lead to improved sleep (and health and happiness) for everyone.
Firebombs like those thrown in the Psychology Today article only make the burden heavier on moms. What a shame.
Aloha as always,
Dr. Heather
The BabyShrink
Mom of Four, Parenting Expert
PS: Wow, what a response! After commenting here, please also see the comments developing over at the Fussy Baby Site.
Sudden Fears in 12 to 15-Month-Old Babies
Not The Dreaded Bath!
Let me tell you about a cool conversation I had the other day with my Infant Research/Rock Star Guru, Professor Joseph Campos (at UC Berkeley). He helped me understand more about a funky phenomenon I’ve written about here before: The Weird, Wacky, Sudden Fears of the 12 — 15-month old. You know: Crazy fears of the bath, bizarre fears of mustached men, and other kooky things like Fear of Flowers (I kid you not — I’ve heard ‘em all — many from my own kids). As I’ve said before, these sudden fears are NORMAL — but now I understand a little more about WHY.
It’s a combination of what I’ve already written about here — adjusting to the exciting (and scary) new world of mobility, as well as an inborn fear of sudden, unexpected unfamiliarity. Babies this age tend to freak when they see something that looks out of place – a man with facial hair (if they’re used to clean-shaven guys), dogs that suddenly bark loudly, or things that move in unexpected, uncontrollable directions (like flowers in the breeze). Turns out that adult chimpanzees also have similar fears. Interestingly, our toddlers grow out of these fears — chimps do not. Rapidly developing baby brains are starting to compare “familiar” to “unfamiliar”. It’s likely protective — which is especially needed now that the baby is toddling around, away from parents.
Sudden baby fears are also related to a similar parent frustration at this age: Resistance to car seats, strollers, changing tables, high chairs, or any similar baby-jail. Why? Because they remove the element of control from your little one — and CONTROL is what helps to decrease baby’s fears.
So here’s how to cope with those intense and sometimes inexplicable fears in your young toddler: Give her as much control as possible (given safety factors, and of course your need to do other stuff, too.) Fear of the unknown and unexpected is always best soothed with CONTROL. Let baby approach (or avoid) fascinating/scary things (or people) at her own pace. Explain to her when it’s time to get into the car seat — and let her try to negotiate herself into it, if possible. (She just might do it, if you give her a minute to think it through.) Take the pressure off if she’s feeling shy or fearful. And most of all: DON’T WORRY. Weird toddler fears mean nothing about future psychological adjustment (and the more YOU freak out about her fears, the more SHE’LL freak out about them.)
But on the flip side: If baby needs to get into the car seat NOW, or if she MUST have a bath tonight — that’s OK, too. Explain it to her. “I know you don’t want a bath, but you have enchiladas in your hair, honey. I promise to make this as fast as possible, then we’ll be all done.” Be supportive and understanding — but shampoo away. You won’t do any psychological harm. The trick is to give her the general message that, WHEN POSSIBLE, you’ll give her as much control as you can. But sometimes the grown-ups have to be in charge (and that’s a good lesson, too).
The good news is this: These fears almost always dissipate by 18 months of age. (Then you’ll be on to bigger and better things — like Full On Temper Tantrums.) Whee!
Aloha,
Dr. Heather
The BabyShrink
Mom of Four and Parenting Expert
1st and 2nd Graders — When It’s NOT Bullying
Recently, a parent stopped me, worried about a 6-year-old “bully”. The child in question — in my opinion — wasn’t a bully, but rather a fairly typical little girl, testing out her pretty advanced verbal skills in more complex ways. Did she hurt her friends’ feelings? Probably. And did the friend reciprocate by saying something mean right back? She sure did. The parent was very upset about the impact of this “bully” in the classroom — and wanted to know what could be done to stop her. But was this truly “bullying?”
No, it wasn’t. And I worry about the little girl being labeled “bully”, because the word has such negative connotations. So, what IS the definition of bullying? There are many definitions, but all involve the bully being intentionally, repeatedly cruel and belittling to smaller or otherwise less powerful kids. 6-year-old girls telling each other “you can’t come to my birthday party”, or saying “you don’t get to talk!” don’t qualify as bullying. And defining normal social “sparring” as “bullying” does everyone a disservice.
Bullying has been getting some much-deserved attention in the media, and as a shrink I can attest to the terrible damage that TRUE bullying does to kids. But as an Early Childhood specialist, I know that little kids — especially girls — “practice” their social skills quite a lot with their classmates, and those skills need quite a bit of refining — in 1st and 2nd grades. Teachers in those grades know that this is pretty common behavior, and gives the kids the opportunity to do some social “sparring” in a fairly safe situation. Do they need limits, structure, and guidance in the process? You bet. But labeling them “bullies” is a major overreaction.
If you have a kid in these grades (as I do — with 4 kids, it seems someone is always going through this) — here’s what to keep in mind:
- Kids this age need to “try out” their peer-to-peer social skills. Like lion cubs, they need to practice — but they don’t really mean any harm.
- “Victims” at this age tend to shrug off the insults with no problem. Don’t jump in to protect your cub until you see she’s truly struggling.
- Talk early — and often — about the little social struggles among your kids’ friends. Make it a point to ask about all the details, not to get anyone into trouble — but to help your cub think through the next incarnation of the battle. We’re building “social muscle” here.
- Role-play regular situations that crop up. Cutting in line, saying “mean” things, and “who is best friends with whom” are typical arguments. Walk through these issues with your child frequently to try out new approaches and solutions. Ask, “What might you say instead next time?”
- Be interested, open, and empathic — and try to hold back your parental protectiveness, unless there’s something more serious going on.
- And of course, if your child is truly being bullied — or is, in fact, the bully — please step in immediately to involve the teachers and other parents. This is an age where this kind of behavior can — and should be — nipped in the bud.
With some practice (and a little luck), you’re setting the stage for your child to come to you with social problems in adolescence and beyond — for help and support in solving ever-more complex social dramas and situations.
Aloha,
Dr. Heather
The BabyShrink
Mom of Four, Parenting Expert
Why Your 6-Year-Old Is So Awesome — Psychological Development
I recently wrote about 4-year-olds, and why they’re so awesome. No longer toddlers, but not yet “big kids”, they still snuggle like the baby you miss, but have enough independence that they’re fun to hang out with.
Not to dis on the 5-year-olds, but SIX is an amazing age. I learned this when our oldest child’s first grade teacher turned me on to a classic, fabulous book about early childhood development — with an educational focus. It’s a little technical and geeky, but if you like this stuff you’ll LOVE this book. The upshot is this: Something magical happens in first grade. At some point during the year, each kid will go through an amazing transformation. She’ll start out like a kindergartener — still a little clingy and whiny, and living in the magic world of imagination — ponies, princesses, and fairies. But she’ll end up the year like a KID — an honest-to-goodness Grade School Kid — who can be swayed by logic, her peers, and the rules of the world.
Schools in many European countries understand this developmental fact, and that’s why they don’t do serious academic work until age 7. But their outcomes are much better than ours — because they’re working WITH development, not AGAINST it. You can use this to your advantage by not falling for the ubiquitous pressure to force younger and younger children to do “academics”. Having realistic expectations for the behavior and learning of your preschooler and kindergartener will potentially save you a lot of worry when you’re told they’re not performing up to “standards”. The “standards” of most school systems weren’t created with normal development in mind. But that’s another big topic for another day.
Read this lovely description of the 6-year-old mind here, and promise me you’ll come back to read another article I’ve written about first graders — and why yours probably doesn’t have ADD, too.
Aloha,
Dr. Heather
The BabyShrink
Mom of Four, Parenting Expert
More Thinking Points on Parenting
Each Kid is Different
One of the reasons I produce BabyShrink is that I’ve had to learn the hard way with my own 4 kids — what works, what doesn’t — and why. Those of you who know me know that my doctorate in Psychology, and a license to practice in two states, didn’t get me much closer to answers. Doing a ton of research — practical and applied — has gotten me to this point. Why should YOU have to go through all that effort to reinvent the parenting wheel? Believe me, people — it CAN be easier — and a lot more fun. Keep these things in mind as you confront the seventy bazillion or so parenting challenges you face each day:
TEMPERAMENT makes a big difference. Your child’s inborn nature: whether he’s irritable, easy, shy, or bold (among other things), will shape the way he deals with your guidance — especially when he’s young. Pay close attention and figure out his temperament — it will help you decide what’s best for him. For instance, an “easy” baby might be pressed to give up his Binky at 6 months. An irritable, easily overstimulated little guy might be given a pass until age 2 or even 3.
AGE makes a big difference. Sleep issues (among other things) change dramatically over even a few weeks. A newborn isn’t a 3-month-old, who isn’t a 9-month-old, who certainly isn’t a 3-year-old. You shouldn’t expect your newborn to put himself to sleep — nor should you try. But it’s very reasonable to work on it with your 12 or 15-month-old. Vary your approach based on age.
FAMILY NEEDS make a big difference. Culture, style, the state of the parents’ relationship, and personal preference matter. If you don’t mind co-sleeping — if it works well for your family — great. But if the baby keeps you awake, interferes with your relationship, or you just don’t wanna — then DON’T. Your baby takes his cues from you, and he’ll be fine either way. It’s the “trickle down” theory of family happiness.
And now I hope you browse around for specific tips on your questions — potty training, bath time fears, sleep issues, behavior, sibling stuff and more.
Here’s another Thinking Points article, if you’re interested.
(And I hope you like some of the new changes here at BabyShrink!)
Aloha,
Dr. Heather
The BabyShrink
Mom of Four, Parenting Expert
Why Your 9-Month-Old Baby Is So Difficult All Of A Sudden
I had an amazing conversation with one of the world’s foremost infant researchers last week, Dr. Joseph Campos. He’s at Berkeley, where he’s churned out tons of scientifically rigorous studies about the developmental changes in infancy. He’s come up with some transformative ideas about babies, the upshot of one being that crawling causes your baby to become your little social partner, for the first time. No longer just a passive lump in the social world, now she’s able to start to understand some of what’s going on inside your mind. She understands how important you are to her, and seeks your emotional support, presence and encouragement as she starts to scoot out into the world under her own power. She now gets reassurance from your presence and your emotions — your facial expressions and body language — not just from physically holding her.
Super Cute, and Super Challenging
So to you fellow parents of 9 to 12-month-old babies out there: I know it can be a challenging, difficult stage. Your little bug seems content to scramble around the house one minute, then wails in panic the next. What used to be stable sleep habits are now in a shambles. Feeding –and nursing — has become an unpredictable struggle — and separations are exceptionally difficult. And forget diaper changes! What a wrestling match! Immmobility is the enemy to her now — being restrained in any way is bound to be a fight. High chairs, strollers and car seats are demon baby torture devices. They keep her from exploring her brave new world.
What to do? Re-think your daily tasks with this knowledge in mind. Everything will take a little longer, as your baby goes through this unpredictable (but temporary) stage. Some days she may need you constantly. But don’t worry — when you’ve finally reached the end of your rope with your little Clingon, she’ll start to feel “refueled”, and venture out again — allowing you to catch up on that laundry and email. And make sure you get some help with nighttime wakenings — you’ll need extra rest too, since you’re up again with a fussy baby — but don’t forget to reinforce the sleep routines that have worked well in the past. She’ll eventually remember what her job is, at night — and now that her memory is better, she can hold on to her internal image of you a bit longer, giving her some comfort, despite being away from you to sleep. Feel some reassurance knowing that the earlier — and stronger — your baby shows separation anxiety, the sooner it resolves. Lots of parental support and understanding help her get through this challenging — but remarkable — stage.
Dr. Campos was generous and encouraging in my BabyShrink book-writing project, and I had a blast geeking out with him, picking his brain about the amazing new developmental capacities in normal 9-month-old babies. What a great experience! Now, please excuse me — I’ve got a 9-month-old baby clinging to my leg.
Aloha,
Dr. Heather
The BabyShrink
Mom of Four, Parenting Expert
Baby walking but never crawling — any learning disability worry?
Dear Dr. Heather,
Our 8 month old son seems to be skipping the crawling phase altogether and learning to cruise and walk straightaway. Today someone told me that this means he’ll have learning disabilities later; is this true?
Thanks!
A Concerned Dad
Dear “Concerned”,
That’s an old wives tale, but one that many people still believe. Here’s the deal: if he’s not working on locomotion — in some form or another — at this age, it could be reflective of some underlying issue. But ANY of the goofy forms of locomotion exhibited by babies at this age counts as “normal locomotion” — the “Commando Crawl”, the “Tushie-Scoot”, the “One-Kneed Creep”, and of course regular cruising and walking. Apparently the Back-To-Sleep campaign has resulted in an increase in babies who skip crawling, as they don’t get as much practice on their tummies. But getting mobile is the important thing.
Look at it this way: crawling is a drag. Walking is a lot more fun –and a lot less gross — for parents (Think: less opportunity to find and eat yucky stuff off the floor!). Plus you’ll save tons on Spray ‘n Wash since his knees won’t be dragging through the dirt all the time. And for you parents of girls — rejoice! You can finally bust out the pretty dresses! (There’s nothing more frustrating to a crawling baby than having a dress get caught up underneath her over and over!)
We look for some form of mobility — attempts to crawl, scoot or walk — by about 10 months, but this isn’t a hard and fast rule. Your pediatrician can do a quick review of your baby’s developmental progress if you’re worried.
Enjoy — and double-check your baby-proofing. This phase begins the wild time of The Mobile Baby With No Self-Protection Mechanisms! You’ll be running around after him very closely for the next year or so!
Aloha,
Dr. Heather
The BabyShrink
Mom of Four, Parenting Expert
Is Your Young Baby Showing Signs of Autism?
Hi Dr. Heather,
I came across your website when doing a search for signs of autism in infants. Our 3-month-old doesn’t look at us very much, doesn’t track objects across the midline well, and doesn’t often respond to our voice. He stares at the wall or just beyond us pretty much anytime we hold him in our lap looking up at us. He is very calm and mellow, and only cries when he is tired or hungry. He would sit in his bouncer or swing all day if we let him. We also have a 3-year-old very active boy with sensory processing problems so I know our baby doesn’t get as much attention as i would like to give him. We know he is way too young for any of these signs to be a definitive answer, but I am having a hard time finding information on what we can do preventatively as we observe him over time. There is a program in our city, but other than that, everything I find is geared towards 18 months to 2 years, since that is the time that it is easier to see more clear signs. Can you help?
Jennifer
Dear Jennifer,
I’m so glad you are aware of this crucial aspect of your baby’s cognitive development. I think most parents would be happy to have a “mellow and easy” baby who would happily sit in his bouncer all day. But you recognize that he might not be reaching out to you for the important “give and take” and communication that he needs to trigger important aspects of his development. He needs to engage with you and play “Baby Games” in order to solidify his relationship with you, which forms the foundation of his cognitive growth. What to do?
I understand that you want to be as proactive as possible, given your experience with your older son. And while there is a possibility that your baby may suffer some similar developmental issues, it’s also quite possible that everything you describe is well within the norm for typical development. First of all, try not to over-worry, but maintain the watchful engagement that led you to research your concerns. Your baby can pick up your fears and anxieties, and this can push him to be even more distant. There is some interesting psychological discussion and observation going on about this very basic “give and take” in the parent/infant interaction, and in the ability of a baby to pick up on his parents’ feelings. When a very anxious parent reaches out to a baby in a way that seems desperate or demanding, the infant can sometimes seem to feel pressured, and retreat even more. So, as with many aspects of parenting, containing and managing your own feelings is Job One.
That said, there are many things that ALL parents can — and should — be doing to maximize this incredibly important time in a baby’s development:
Carefully watch your baby’s sleep/wake/activity schedule for clues as to when he is most likely to be responsive to parent interaction. Sometimes he’ll be fussy, or seem overstimulated by your efforts. Other times he may be more receptive. Often, these receptive times are shortly after waking from a nap and having a feed. But you are your baby’s best expert; try to figure out when he’s most approachable.
Then, make a conscious effort to play “Baby Games” during these times of approachability. Try to match his energy level and catch his gaze. Follow his lead; if he coos and looks away, try to respond in kind. You want to reinforce any efforts on his part, even brief eye contact that might be just 1 or 2 seconds long. Each baby is different; perhaps your baby is more auditory and responds well to your cooing back, other babies might be better reinforced by a brief touch to the face or hand, or from a big returned smile. Experiment, and see which response generates another round of interaction from your baby.
Don’t give up if your baby continues to avert his gaze. Take a deep breath if you start to worry, and try to be as available as you can for “Baby Games”. Give him time and keep trying.
Jennifer, I have a 3-month old too. Although she does engage in periodic eye contact, coos and smiles, she is much more reserved than her siblings were at this stage. At first I also worried about her relative lack of eye contact and her willingness to hang out in her crib for long periods of time. I can’t help but think that the noise and chaos of our busy household causes her to be a bit more protective in her interactions; there’s a lot for a little baby to absorb in this household! But her Daddy and I have been engaged in the exactly these exercises with our little one, and I can see the difference in just a couple of weeks of consciously trying to engage with her.
Dr. T. Berry Brazelton has some excellent suggestions for engaging a baby who might have sensory issues or sensitivities. Use your parents’ detective skills to determine WHICH senses your baby tolerates — and DOESN’T tolerate — very easily. Use this information to “fine tune” your interactions with him. For instance, our baby seems to respond longer to us, and with more smiles, when I’m quiet. Responding both with my facial expressions AND my voice seems to be too much for her, and she turns away. But if I keep focused on giving her a big returned smile, maintain eye contact, and maybe even stroke her hand or her cheek, she’s much more likely to stay engaged in our “Baby Game” than if I coo or talk back to her. Eventually, she’ll develop the ability to tolerate my voice as well. But until then, I’ll hold back a bit. Experiment with using different modes of communication with your baby and maximize what works.
I also double-checked on the expected timeframe of infant response to parents’ voices, and most authorities agree that this isn’t regularly observed in most infants until 4 months. Our baby is 14 weeks, and only in the past few days has she started responding to our voices on a somewhat-regular basis.
Now, I’m not able to evaluate your little one, but there are many things you can do to maximize this important aspect to your son’s development. Over time, you can judge his progress and if you’re not satisfied, have him evaluated by the program you mentioned in your city. If they’re not yet able to enroll him due to his young age, perhaps their specialists can take a quick look at your son and make some further suggestions to you. I’m a firm believer in erring on the side of having a child evaluated early, not only for reassurance of an expert opinion, but for the often very helpful recommendations that the specialists can give you, even if there’s nothing really atypical with your child.
And I can’t stress this enough: At 3 months of age, you should be aiming for interactions measured in SECONDS, not minutes. Feel good if you generate a few “rounds” of interaction between you and your baby at this age. Over time, you’ll both want to stretch these interactions to last longer and become more complex. But at 3 months of age, your baby is still very young and new to the world of interaction. A 3-month-old is only recently “hatched” — our psychological term for the opening of awareness that marks the end of the “squirrelly newborn” phase. So manage your expectations accordingly.
Jennifer, thanks for the opportunity to write about this extremely important topic. I hope you’ll write back to update us on your progress!
Aloha,
Dr. Heather
The BabyShrink
Mom of Four, Parenting Expert
Is “Attachment Parenting” Bad for the Child?
Dear Dr. Heather,
Does breastfeeding past 2 years of age encourage dependency? I know a child who is still breastfeeding and has become very whiny and attached to her mother. The mother is making no effort to wean the child. Is this type of emotional attachment healthy for the child? She still wakes up to nurse during the night and sleeps in the parent’s bed.
Thanks,
Concerned about a child
Dear “Concerned”,
This is a polarizing issue that tends to bring out strong opinions. There is a community that promotes an approach called “Attachment Parenting“, based on the work of well-known pediatrician and author William Sears, MD, and one of they key tenets of this approach says that “extended breastfeeding” (past the age of two years) is recommended and important to the development of a child to promote a solid sense of safety and security. However, their key tenets are only based loosely on well-known child development research, and Attachment Parenting certainly has it’s critics.
One of the things I do like about Attachment Parenting (AP) is it’s understanding of the cultural differences that exist in families around the world, and the promotion of various ways of raising a family that can resonate more fully with various non-Western cultures. For instance, many Asians traditionally — and happily — share a family bed, or a family bedroom, as is suggested by AP. I also like the fact that AP promotes the reliance on the family’s own resources to know what is best for their children; we don’t have to rely on outside “experts” for everything. AP is also well-known for it’s insistence that the attachment between infant and mother is essential to the development of a healthy baby, both physically and emotionally. That message sometimes gets lost, or diluted, in Western cultures.
The problem I have with AP is that it’s adherents often tend to be quite orthodox in their beliefs. I myself have been sternly lectured for simply using a stroller (as opposed to “baby-wearing”, another AP belief), as well as for using a bottle to feed my baby in public. Of course, this is the opposite of the intolerant demagogues who criticize breastfeeding in public — it’s their shared judgmental strictness that bothers me most.
The other concern I have is that it takes a blanket, “one-size-fits-all” approach to all children. Some babies don’t want to be held all the time. Some babies need time without physical contact to “decompress” from all that physical stimulation. Some babies don’t do well breastfeeding either, and many babies sleep better when they’re not disturbed by the direct physical contact of their parents. And your approach to raising your babies has to be dependent, at least partially, on the unique constitution of those babies. You’ve seen me write about sensory differences here at BabyShrink, and I know far too many babies who have these quirks and preferences to be comfortable giving a blanket statement about “baby-wearing”, breastfeeding, or co-sleeping. In our family, only 1 of our 3 children enjoyed being held all the time; the other two needed “time-outs” from direct physical contact in order to look around and “process” all of that physical contact. They (and I) both felt better for a little break now and again, and I used bouncy seats, strollers and cribs regularly for these breaks. It simply isn’t fair to criticize parents who accurately judge the needs of their babies to include a little “down time”, or to make them afraid that they risk their child’s optimal development if they use a stroller or have their crib in their own room.
If you’ve read other BabyShrink posts, you won’t be surprised to hear me say that I strongly support the uniqueness of each individual family to best decide the individual needs of each of their unique babies. And to that end, I say that if it works for a family to have a family bed, or for mom to breastfeed for over two years, I’m not going to criticize that. However, I have met many families who suffer negative consequences of making those decisions, but stick with them in the false belief that it’s what’s best for their children. Often, an AP family will come to see me for a problem related to the development of their toddler. When I start to gather more information, guess what? Mom is exhausted, usually because she has been unable to sleep through the night since the day her baby was born; she’s often still nursing several times a night. And her husband is grumpy because he can’t get any “alone time” with his wife, and he’s sick of being kicked through the night by a toddler who gets bigger by the day. So mom is beyond exhausted, dad is frustrated and distant, and the toddler becomes the focus of the problem. Everyone suffers in this scenario. In this situation, my advice often includes the suggestion to transition the toddler into his own bed, in his own room, to restore some balance in the lives of the couple. The relationship needs attention, too! If the parents don’t have a strong relationship, the development of the child will surely suffer. And if the child needs to sleep in his own bed, and be weaned from breastfeeding, that is a small price to pay if it serves the purpose of bringing the parents back into a more harmonious relationship.
So, “Concerned” reader, I can’t say that “extended breastfeeding” will hurt the development of the child, without knowing all the other factors in the family. It remains the responsibility of the family to determine what’s best for them — and for their child. But I certainly don’t promote Attachment Parenting as the “be-all, end-all” guide to what’s best for your child. Only you can decide that!
Aloha,
Dr. Heather
The BabyShrink
Mom of Four, Parenting Expert
AND MAKE SURE YOU CHECK OUT THE COMMENTS TO THIS POST FOR AN EXTENDED, INTERESTING DISCUSSION AMONG READERS!
AND DON’T MISS ANOTHER ONE OF MY ATTACHMENT PARENTING POSTS HERE
PLUS THIS POST AS WELL — IT’S BECOME A POPULAR TOPIC!!
Aloha, I’m Dr. Heather
Follow Me!