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From: rej@cornell.UUCP (Ralph Johnson)
Newsgroups: net.kids
Subject: Re: Demand versus scheduled feeding of infants
Message-ID: <5710@cornell.UUCP>
Date: Mon, 5-Dec-83 00:34:09 EST
Article-I.D.: cornell.5710
Posted: Mon Dec  5 00:34:09 1983
Date-Received: Mon, 5-Dec-83 23:14:42 EST
References: <492@linus.UUCP>, <1332@burdvax.UUCP>
Organization: Cornell Computer Science
Lines: 16

My favorite child psychologist (Dr. James Dobson) says that it is impossible
to spoil a child under 6 months old, so always give them what they want if it
is safe, practical, etc.  This advice implies that demand feeding will not
teach a baby to cry.

My daughter likes to eat, and, until recently, woke several times a night
for a snack.  While it was not hard for my wife to feed her (since she
kept the food in bed with her) this procedure kept my wife from getting
the sleep she needed.  We decided to let our daughter learn that night
time was for sleeping, so the next night we let her cry instead of feeding
her.  After that she has only been getting up once a night, and we are all
much happier.

Moral: demand feeding is OK, but children are pretty adaptable.

(P.S.  My daughter is 6 months old.)