Ferber and Sears stepping off?
Could the Ferber-Sears debate be losing steam? What will parents fight about now?
This article talks about how new books from both authors show slightly modified, softened versions of their former adamant positions: Ferber concedes that crying isn't always the solution, Sears offers that sometimes it is. It's a good politcal move for these best selling authors to show some veneer of acceptance. It's become too nasty and damning for parents and we're all beyond sick of it (even if the debates are slightly fun.)
But are they really making us feel better? In Sears' new book there's still a huge push for super attention (co-sleeping, all night breastfeeding) even if he eventually *allows* parents to let the kid cry but only if it's just gotten so bad you feel like throwing the kid out the window. Also, sounds like--we haven't yet read this one--Ferber isn't exactly making the parents of demanding sleepers feel all that good when he says, "some children such as those suffering from anxiety will not be helped by the crying method." Now he's saying my baby has an anxiety disorder? Harsh toke.
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