Photo credit: Caroline, Flickr
The other day, a mother of a 15-month-old walked into Andrew Garner’s office, oozing frustration.
“Is it normal for them to never sit still?” she asked.
Garner, a pediatrician in Westlake, Ohio, leapt on the remark as a teachable moment.
“He doesn’t sit still?!” he said, “That’s a compliment to you! You want him to do that.”
At 15 months, he explained, children are itching to explore, and then toddle back, and then wander off again. It’s a sign the baby is developing apace.
The goal is to make the woman feel confident in her mothering abilities. If he builds up her self-esteem, Garner hopes, she’ll be more invested and engaged as a mom, and the child will grow up smarter and healthier as a result. Garner bases this chain of events on a spate of recent studies that have shown that supportive parents breed better-off children.
So, now, on top of taking measurements, asking about sleep and food habits, and giving vaccinations, Garner devotes part of the visit to checking up on mom. Particularly if the family comes from a harsh environment or if the mother shows signs of depression, he tells her to make sure “you're smiling at your baby, you're being aware of your emotions, and using positive discipline techniques.”
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