Babyhood by Penelope Leach

Author:Penelope Leach [Leach, Penelope]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group
Published: 2016-03-16T00:00:00+00:00

20

MORE PHYSICAL FUNDAMENTALS

FEEDING, SLEEP, AND TOILETING are the three main areas within which the physiological needs of infants are met. As such they are obviously important. A child who is not reasonably cared for in physical terms cannot develop fully in other areas. Yet in Western societies the importance of these physical-care issues tends to be over-stressed, especially once the newborn period, during which they are vital, is over. Eavesdropping on mothers chatting together at a welfare clinic, a baby’s meals, his sleeping habits, his “progress” in toilet training are continual subjects for riveting discussion. But a mother’s attempt to discuss her baby’s motor progress, his language development, or his social understanding tends to receive only cursory attention. Hospitals, even those which pride themselves on their forward-looking arrangements for play and emotional care for sick children, put these a long way down the list of budget priorities. Excellent physical care always comes first. Even day nurseries—with some honorable exceptions—tend to show off their tiny toilets, their airy cribs, and their attractive menus. The visitor must ask if he wants to know how the children’s other needs are catered for.

There is no doubt that any infant who can be persuaded to follow his mother’s wishes in these areas makes her daily life comparatively easy. If he will eat what she puts before him, sleep when she puts him to bed, and accept her toileting program, her child care will be smooth. This is probably why success in any of these areas is such a subject for congratulation between mothers. A baby who will do these things is a “good” baby. His mother is, by definition, a “good” mother: she has not spoiled him or let him get away with anything. If such a good baby is also happy, active, alert, and intelligent, well and good. But if he is not, he is still a good baby. On the other hand if he is alert, active, and happy, but a fussy feeder who sleeps little and soils much, he is definitely not good. He will be fortunate if he is allowed to remain happy.

A concern with issues which make the job of rearing an infant easier is obviously fair enough. But it is important that all those who are even marginally concerned with infant care should realize to whom these things are important. They matter to the mother, her convenience and her pride, far more than they matter to the baby. Just because eating and sleeping and eliminating are basic physiological functions, the infant, given normal care, will look after them for himself. If he is offered a reasonable diet, he will eat enough to keep himself well; he does not care whether his dinner constitutes a “balanced meal”—it is his mother who cares. As long as he is not subject to acute physical or emotional stress, he will sleep as much as he needs to. He does not care if it is 5 A.M. when he finishes his night, but his mother does.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.