Should You Let Your Baby Cry It Out?
By Dr. Lisa Kaplin. Posted on .
But why don't we trust ourselves? First, it seems that there are too many experts telling us what to do, and that what we are doing is a mistake. Suddenly, we become gripped with terror that if we make one wrong move our children will grow up to be the Unabomber. I've observed many parents over the years (including my own) and parenting mistakes of the garden variety will only add some wonderful spice and quirkiness to your child's development.
We need to give our children — and ourselves — a break. There are no perfect parents or perfect children, nor should there be. Functional dysfunction or a six out of ten is the perfect goal for all families. Some days will be better than others, and that is how life goes.
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The second reason that I believe leads to parental hand-wringing is the absolutely soul crushing practice of judging and criticizing each other for choosing a different parenting style than ours. Here's my advice to you: Mind your own business! Take care of your family, take care of yourself, grow, learn, laugh, have fun and stop judging others!
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Variety in parenting and families is what leads to a wonderful, diverse mix of human beings who all have something to learn from each other. When you are absolutely positive and can prove that your method of parenting is the best, then let us know. Until that time, let's support each other; lend a hand, a kind word and an open mind. Our children will model what we teach them, so let's start with kindness and confidence in our ability to know what's right for our own family.
