Parenting and family news, picked by parents

With a baby due in six weeks, I’m hurriedly reading various ”solutions” in the hope that one will feel right for us, though I’m, as Mostly Yummy suggests, that parental instinct will kick in, and we’ll be able to work out a way that works well for both the baby and us without having to resort to extreme measures.

The most sensible ”expert” I’ve looked at so far seems to be Tracy Hogg, AKA The Baby Whisperer. Would love to know if anyone has followed her plan. Will check out Naomi Stadlen too, though I fear may well be overcomplicating issues by reading too much!

I am completely against such techniques and have never used ’controlled’ crying with my four children. I wouldn’t be able to leave them to cry. It goes against your parenting instincts to leave a baby to cry so surely it can’t be right? A baby cries because it is showing that it needs or wants attention and a parents instinct is to instantly comfort and soothe that child – not leave it! I’m a big believer in trusting your own instincts.
There are many so called parenting experts – one in particular who I’m sure doesn’t need to be named – who may well look after children, but are not parents. There is a definite difference between a child carer and a parent. And I have to say that especially when it comes to ’crying it out’ techniques – these so called gurus could not be more wrong.

It’s incredible to me that this is such a hot topic in the UK, with seemingly no middle ground. We kept the little princess with us as much as she wanted/needed for 10 months. She was in a moses basket beside us for 4 months and then in her cot in her room when that was what made her happy, and when she was unhappy or needed a cuddle, she slept with us. When it was increasingly clear that she was no longer sleeping comfortably in our bed, we encouraged her to sleep permanently in her own cot, letting her fuss it out for only about 2-3 min at a time and never leaving her in full blown crying. Two days later we had the same happy, active baby but one who was sleeping 11 hours at night and having longer naps. We feel that was ”middle ground” sleep training, and as a psychologist, I really don’t think we did her any damage.