You Might Be a Weird Parent (or Caregiver)

07/12/2023

You Might Be a Weird Parent (or Caregiver)

Encounters between children and adults are characterized by the joy of the time spent together. And each of them does their best to contribute to that in their own way!
Agnes Szanto-Feder, psychologist and 'Pikler baby'

Recently, early childhood advocate Janet Lansbury pondered some "weird" caregiving qualities that she wishes weren't so weird after all:

If you have the nagging sense that babies deserve the same respect we would offer to any other person, you might be a weird parent.?
If you don’t see the humor in photos of upset toddlers because you empathize with them as people, you might be a weird parent.?
If you marvel at your baby’s innate abilities, you might be a weird parent.?
If you believe that your child’s perspective is interesting and always worth considering, you might be a weird parent. ?
If you hope to develop a mutually respectful and enjoyable person-to-person relationship with your baby, you might be a weird parent.
And you’ll know you’re definitely a weird parent if, like me, you look forward to the day when 'weird' is the new 'normal.'?

So, are you a weird parent too?

And what would you put on a list of weird caregiving qualities you wish were the new 'normal?'

On another note, in response to our quote on July 10, Melani Ladygo pointed out this much older quote by Confucian philosopher Xun Kuang, 312-230 BC:

"Not having heard something is not as good as having heard it; having heard it is not as good as having seen it; having seen it is not as good as knowing it; knowing it is not as good as putting it into practice."

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