11.01.2010
Nick Clegg and Gina Ford - the debate !
Clegg's mother of all rows with Gina Ford
I read with great interest this article and have been asked to comment on it tomorow morning on BBC Radio Sheffield - at 7.30 am. For me it's ALL about trusting your intuition , building your own confidence and having someone to bounce ideas off, as nowadays families no longer live "just round the corner" to offer down to earth common sense advice or support.
Kids don't come with a handbook and what works well for one child doesn't always work with another - that's why my role as a Parent Coach is not to point fingers at you, judge or criticise you but to ask the questions that help you to find your own answers.
Children need you as a parent to be confident, positive and relaxed as they will pick up on your energy and tension and it's never about "gurus" or "experts" telling you exactly how you should or shouldn't bring up your children. But sometimes we all lose our way, hit a challenge or find ourselves at a loss what to do next - whether it's bringing up a toddler , teen or tearaway.
So read a book, go on a course or buy my CDs but always trust your own instinct and judgement as I believe most parents love their children, want to do the best they can for their children and know what's best for them deep down.
Here's the article from today's Independent newspaper
"The Liberal Democrat leader, who has three children, described Gina Ford's methods, which encourage parents to have strict bath, bed and feeding routines for their newborns, as "absolute nonsense". Her regime even recommends that parents do not look their baby in the eye during night-time feeds in case they "excite" the child. Speaking about trying to follow the advice in Ford's book, The Contented Little Baby Book ? the bestselling childcare guide in the last 10 years ? Mr Clegg said: "It was like following a sort of Ikea assembly instruction manual. It made us feel strangely passive as parents."
Asked about the sleeping patterns of his 10-month-old son Miguel, he said: "Don't get me on to Gina Ford. With our first one, we religiously followed Gina Ford. Instructions like, stick him in a broom cupboard at 7.46am. At 7.48am, take him out, do not look at him ... Absolute nonsense."
Ford immediately hit back, suggesting Mr Clegg had insulted millions of parents who use her methods. The former maternity nurse suggested his party should think about finding a different leader. "What is sad about this statement is that it comes from a supposedly intelligent man who would have us believe he is capable of running Britain," she said.
Ford was involved in a libel action against the owners of the Mumsnet website in 2006 over remarks about her techniques. The case was settled out of court.
View full article here
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