Saturday, May 18, 2013

Child Development in Babywise and GKGW

Child Development in Babywise and GKGW

BabyDoh3Critics who have evaluated Growing Kids God's Way, Childwise, Babywise, Reflections of Moral Innocence (the Ezzos' sex ed curriculum) and other Ezzo books and curricula have shared several concerns about the expectations of child behavior these books promote.

Summary of Concerns

  • Lack of age appropriateness. Requirements of child behavior do not consider age appropriateness or basic principles of child development.

  • May support parental failings and selfishness. Warnings against being "child-centered" are insufficiently balanced by acknowledgment of the extent to which parenthood involves self-giving and self-sacrifice.

  • Lack of proportion. Big issues and small are treated as equally urgent matters over which parents must have control. Insisting on tight control over all matters can lead to power struggles.

  • Limited interpretation of behavior. Behavior is viewed through the lens of obedience/disobedience without adequate consideration of factors such as teething, illness, developmental stages, and emotions such as fear, loneliness, etc, that might cause or influence the behavior.

  • Undermines the developing relationship between parent and child. The level of control required by the program tends to create an adversarial relationship between parents and child, which may interfere with attachment.  Experts regard attachment as the foundation of mental health and say it develops as parents respond to the baby's cues, rather than in the context of parental control.

Essential Reading:

"An Evaluation of the Ezzo Parenting Programs"
by Dr. Kent McClain, Christian school educator

"A Critique of Growing Families International"
by Dr. Barbara Francis, Christian psychologist

"Designed for Relationship: Infants' Brain Structure and Chemistry Responds to Nurture and Stress"
by Nancy Williams, MA, MFT, CCE, IBCLC

"What's Wrong with Growing Kids God's Way?"
by Ken McDuff, Group Magazine

"Growing Kids the Ezzo Way"
by Dr. Philip Ryken, 10th Presbyterian Church, Philadelphia

"Reflections of Moral Innocence: A Review"
by Ed Coates, Ed.D.

"The Anti-Spock: Confronting the Horrors Wrought by 'Child-Centered' Parenting"
by Polly Morrice, writer, this review of Childwise is published by beliefnet

"A Critique of Childwise"
by Laurie Moody, educator and mother of 4

For Further Information:

More Critiques, Reviews and Analyses

  • Health Care Professionals on Babywise +

    Rosemary Shy, MD , FAAP
    Director, Children's Choice of Michigan Ambulatory Pediatrics
    Assistant Professor of Pediatrics, Wayne State University, Children's Hospital of Michigan, Detroit, Mich

    "It is dangerous to do it the way he describes," Pediatrician Dr. Rosemary Shy says of Ezzo's technique. "It puts these babies at risk for jaundice, at risk for dehydration, and at risk for failing to thrive, all of which we’ve seen."

    Wilson, Steve, "Baby Care Controversy," WXYZ-Detroit, November 14, 2004

    Arnold Tanis, MD, FAAP
    1999 recipient, John H. Whitcomb Outstanding Pediatrician Award, presented by the

    … Read More

  • Ezzo.info Notes With Sorrow... +

    Ezzo.info notes with sorrow the passing of Michael Mahurin, aka "Metochoi," a pastor who became concerned about the Ezzos' teachings on parenting when he encountered parents, even in his own flock, who believed that following the Ezzos' teachings was the only faithful approach to Christian parenting. Pastor Mike responded by vigorously teaching biblical hermeneutics, logic, and core Christian doctrines like grace and law, both in his congregation and in online discussions. A gifted teacher with an irrepressible sense of humor, Metochoi equipped many Christian parents to use basic biblical hermeneutics

    … Read More

  • An Open Letter about the EzzoTruth Site +

    Summary of This Open Letter

    A site called Ezzotruth.com portrays authors Gary and Anne Marie Ezzo as victims of attacks on their parenting programs and personal character by unprincipled people. Because many of the accusations at the site have been discussed in the past, Ezzo.info simply suggests two things to consider: whether the Ezzos’ claims of victimhood at the hands of numerous reputable Christian leaders are believable and whether the results in the Ezzos’ own family support their teaching. The debate is wearying, but it is crucial to the Christian

    … Read More
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