The Unresponsive Child
From a very early age some children stiffen their bodies and cry when you hold them. These usually grow up to be children who avoid physical contact – who turn away if you try to kiss them, for example, and make no physical advances themselves. [...]
Clingy Children
Older children will still occasionally want to sit on your lap. When they feel ill at ease in strange circumstances, they may even want to eat sitting on your knee, particularly if strangers are present and they feel that they are being watched. [...]
Holding and Handling Preschool
Never refuse your toddler a hug; although she needs less holding now than when she was a young baby, she will often ask to be carried like she used to be when she’s been out for a long walk or when she’s generally tired and cranky. She [...]
How We Handle Boys
Experiments show that we handle baby boys quite differently from baby girls, and that we persist in this stereotyping even if we are merely fooled by, say, their wearing pink or blue clothes. When handling boys, we
Speak, laugh, even [...]
How We Handle Girls
According to research, we start preparing our girl babies from the day they are born to conform to a feminine sexual stereotype. When handling girls, we
• Coo, whisper, and smile gently, and cradle them softly
• Don’t handle them excitingly [...]
Swinging and Bouncing games
All babies love to be bounced and swung, but just how much they enjoy it will depend on how they’re feeling. Being swung up in the air is exciting for your baby, as he can look at his surroundings – and see your face – from a whole new [...]