"The first real choice a human baby must make is whether to
trust or mistrust other humans. This basic trust-versus-mistrust
stage is the first building block upon which all later love
relationships are formed."
- Dr. Ken Magid
1. Fall in love with your baby through a
positive birthing experience for baby, mother, and father. Then
strengthen that love by breastfeeding your child until he or she no
longer needs it.1
2. Keep your baby with you as much as
possible. Separations and changing caretakers make it harder for your
child to learn trust and to grow into a loving and trusting adult.2
3. Breastfeed your baby until he or she
no longer needs it.3 Breastmilk
contains immune mechanisms which help keep your baby healthy. Any
other food, even sugar water, permanently destroys many of these
important substances. A healthy baby is a joy!
4. Share sleep with your baby. This makes
nighttime parenting easier and can help prevent Sudden Infant Death
Syndrome. Your child's need for your presence does not magically
disappear at bedtime.
5. Respond quickly and compassionately to
your baby's cries, both day and night, -- reassures him that he is
important to you. Picking up your baby will not "spoil" him.
Carrying him increases brain cell connections. You can't love a baby
too much!
6. Breastfeeding has many benefits for
babies, and it's also good for mothers. A nursing mother produces
hormones which help her to be patient and loving, making parenting
easier.
7. Remember that punishment teaches
violence, destroys self-esteem, creates anger, interferes with
learning, and damages the relationship between parent and child.
"People are not for hitting, and kids are people too!"4
8. Allow your child's sense of trust
plenty of time to grow strong before having a new baby to claim your
attention. A three or four year spacing between children reaps
enormous emotional benefits for each child.5
9. A breastfeeding mother and her infant
share sleep cycles and dream in unison, so the mother is less likely
to be awakened by her baby during dreams or deep sleep. A refreshed
mother is a patient mother!
10. "Bad behavior" is a sign
that a child's basic needs have not been met. Remember to give your
children undivided attention, eye contact, and touching, and try to
see things from their point of view.
11. A close bond between mother and
child, naturally achieved through breastfeeding, holding, and shared
sleep, is the best prevention of child abuse.
12. The best gifts you can give your
child are your time, patience, and understanding.
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