Long before the days of Google Facebook mother’s groups, mums around the world relied on different channels to figure out if they were raising their kids properly.
Everything changed in 1946 when Dr Benjamin Spock released his first book, Baby and Child Care. Revolutionary for its time, the book sold millions of copies and remains one of the world’s best-sellers, even after all these years. It was translated into 42 different languages. In fact, reports claim that the only book to have sold more copies is the Bible.
Dr Spock quickly cemented himself as a guru of babies. Chances are you were raised based on some of his teachings, or perhaps you brought up your own children on some of his techniques. He told mothers they knew more than they thought they did – something they weren’t told before his book was released. As a result, his views caused a massive shift in parenting techniques around the world.
At the time, many new parents relied on information from doctors and GPs, yet Dr Spock advised mothers and fathers to take things into their own hands. He said that parents, more often than not, would know what’s best for their own children.
Controversially at the time, he also wrote about babies not needing strict routines. While many believed it was important for a baby to feed at a certain time or rest at another, Dr Spock thought it was more important to give a baby attention when they demanded it – particularly if they were hungry.
His views didn’t come without backlash. Many disagreed with Dr Spock’s techniques and thought the idea of pandering to a child’s every cry was ludicrous. It only got worse when the 1960s when kids started rebelling. Dr Spock was under the impression that kids shouldn’t be punished with violence, yet many blamed him when kids become reckless, rebellious and disobedient. It wasn’t helped by the fact that Dr Spock himself was against Vietnam War and the US government.
He was also one of the first to acknowledge that parenting styles and techniques can evolve and change over time and, just like his views about baby routines, caused mass confusion when he said that babies need love. While it seems quite obvious now, mothers and fathers didn’t always know how or when to show affection to their kids.
He let parents know that babies really are just little humans who will one day grow up and have their own personalities and desires. Dr Spock encouraged parents to cherish their kids and to let them be kids for as long as possible. He passed away in 1998 at the age of 94, but continues to have an influence on parenting around the world.