Do you wonder how women in the fifties gave birth to up to 12 children and were still healthy and balanced enough while on the other hand we seem to go crazy with only one child to care for? If you find out how they raised children in those days, you will say “no wonder they gave birth to a newborn every year.”
Undoubtedly, raising children has become much more difficult than it was in those days. The old methods are widely criticized today for their harshness. It sounds cruel to treat babies like this, but in the end it can be good for both children and parents.
The main idea in the fifties, in the Truby King method, is that ‘children should be seen, not heard’. This was a very popular idea at the time, and children were brought up as sophisticated, elegant, and well-mannered.
In this method, you do things according to a routine, which is established according to normal eating and sleeping patterns. You don’t do the things your baby tells you to do, but she does the things her routine says. This is based on the concept that in the first year, a baby just needs to rest, grow and develop. Her needs don’t include snuggling and playing with him. You feed him according to the normal routine of every 2 hours or 4 hours. If she cries between takes, she should let herself cry. Although parents can get stressed if the baby cries too much, but after a few days, she too will fall into the routine and everything will be easier. There will be no more sleepless nights as the baby will sleep through the night. The method also includes a short period of play time where the baby should be allowed to play alone and a short period of fresh air where the baby should be taken outside even if it is very cold outside. According to this method, the baby must have her own room from the day she is born.
Many people are following this method and are very successful in raising children without stress. This does not mean that they never play with their children, since the above routine is only for the initial and difficult months.
If you are lucky enough to have twins or triplets, this method might be the best for you as it means you will be able to deal with your babies easily instead of making your life hell.
