There are a few “golden rules” that the young mother, especially, may find of help to her when she
is incline to worry over baby: –
Take it for granted, until it has been proved otherwise, that your baby is a perfectly normal baby,
and take a pride in his normality.
Remember that the human race loves sensation, and that your neighbours, however well meaning,
are more apt to look for signs of trouble in your baby or his mother than to look for signs of well-
being; good health is never so interesting as ill health.
Allow for the individuality of your baby. Learn what is the ideal in mothercraft, and follow it as
closely as you can, but do not theorize blindly, and do not break your heart if, for some good reason,
another method of management has to be resorted to in the case of your own baby.
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About this Extract
Extract from Preface to A Handbook for Mothers. Practical Advice on Pregnancy and Motherhood (John Bale, Sons & Danielsson Ltd: 1929)
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