A few days ago you could watch a video in which Claire Verity, a nurse (supposed) expert in childcare, applied the Truby King method to two babies, generating controversy among readers and readers over the use of too strict methods.
Some of us came to think that what could be seen in that video was a joke in bad taste and that it was impossible for Mrs. Verity to believe everything she was verbalizing and even for parents to believe (and more those who already had a daughter) , that this method was the most acceptable for a baby.
After viewing I wanted to inquire a little about the Truby King method and the conclusion I drew is that it is one of many ways to try to get that Babies grow up unhappy and parents stop having empathy for their children's feelings.
Who was Truby King
Frederick Truby King was a pediatrician (I have also read that he was a surgeon, and even that he was the director of an asylum, so his profession is not very clear) New Zealander who in 1907 started an educational movement in babies to which he put his own name , speaking of the babies who followed him as "Truby King babies." King He recommended imposing very clear and concise routines on the mothers, assuring them that they should not pay attention to the maternal instinct, since they would be happier if they had little contact with their babies.
His words were, for example:
As a whole, the baby is a constant joy from morning to night, for himself and for the house. The mother of such a baby is not overly concerned or has too much work, simply because she knows that following the laws of nature, combined with common sense, will make the baby progress safely.
We do not know what he meant by common sense, but it is interesting to analyze these words for this reason. Many current parents reject any comments or advice that may come from the literature giving an almost stratospheric value to common sense. However, my common sense is not the same as that of my neighbor and what may seem logical to me seems crazy. Without going any further, notice that little more than 100 years ago common sense said that babies should have, the less contact with the mother, the better.
By the way, speaking of common sense, the daughter of one of the couples tells them in the video: "But who has said that she can't take the babies?"
On the other hand, we also don't know what you mean by “The baby is a constant joy from morning to night”, because if the idea is that they eat and sleep, as you will see later, there is not much contact with the parents to know if they are constantly happy.
The children were a potential problem
One of the biggest criticisms that can be made of these types of methods is that they act in an almost preventive way, trying to avoid something that would probably not arise if education were different.
The children they are treated as a potential problem. In the video we could see how Claire Verity told parents that “Such a small thing cannot handle his parents”, granting babies a kind of Machiavellian aura and power of submission that parents must handle and repress as soon as possible to prevent them from appearing.
This makes the perception of some parents towards their child change from "tiny baby, innocent and in need of love" to "tremendously intelligent little baby who at the minimum that can try to control our lives at will." This makes the demands of the baby become belittled and not at all to avoid dominating the situation, getting not to give a baby what he needs: love, warmth and love (which on the other hand is precisely what they are looking for).
The food, every 4 hours
Truby King was a supporter of breastfeeding (you have read before that he was in favor of following the laws of nature), however many children were very hungry, since food could only be offered every four hours and never at night. After feeding, one had to try to have little contact with the baby, since any unnecessary manipulation caused indigestion in the baby and nervous disorders in adult life.
Many women, unconsciously or almost mechanically, pat the baby to relieve him whenever he feels uncomfortable or irritable, and in this way they can surreptitiously cause severe indigestion accompanied by an inability to retain enough food.
To be continue…
Tomorrow we continue to analyze the King method, which as you can see has no waste.
Photos | Bid D2112, Loveiswritten on Flickr
In Babies and more | Emotional abuse or parenting method ?, What Dr. Estivill should explain (if he were sincere), The UN against the Supernanny program
