Generations of parents have taken advice from parenting guru T. Berry Brazelton, who's, how old, 89 now, and still going strong. How about that! Brazelton has concentrated on early childhood development, from birth
to age three, and maintains that as a society we're not paying enough
attention to these early and crucial years. He did an interview recently for NPR
and talked about how his thoughts, views, and practices have changed
through the years, taking into account, for instance, the upswing in
the number of moms who work outside the home (as compared to the June
Cleaverish 1950's).
Essentially, however, his advice has remained much the same:
"Watch your baby and trust that baby to tell you when you're on the right track and when you're not."
And also:
"I think the biggest thing a parent can give a child today is
resilience — helping them see they have the inner resources to overcome
whatever they have to."
Pretty sage advice for an old guy, don't you think?