With ready access to Benjamin Spock and all of his private papers, Mr. Maier explained how Spock's training in Freudian psychoanalysis was weaved throughout his famous book and helped popularize many of Freud's fundamental theories on child development. Somewhat ironically, Spock did not acknowledge Freud in his book. Spock felt that Americans considered Freud to be somewhat “dirty-minded” and “perverse.” However, later he admitted that his book was pure Freud. Moreover, Spock's “nurturing” views set the stage for the progressive liberalism of the late 20th Century in America, epitomized by the Great Society programs of the 1960's. His break with President Johnson over the Vietnam War illustrates the trauma of that era, and also the lost opportunity that Spock saw for the government in improving the lives of children, particular among the poor.
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FReepmail me if you want on or off my health and science ping list. Anyone can post any unrelated link as they see fit. The toilet training story is on the front page of The Denver Post.
Post-World War II Americans begot the baby boomers. Their parents wanted to make them the healthiest, smartest and best-adjusted generation in history. To accomplish this awesome task, millions of parents turned to experts for advice, information and reassurance.
Many of the experts were sour souls, advising mothers to avoid displays of affection, to discourage thumb sucking, and to impose strict feeding and potty training schedules.
Spock saw these issues in a different light. He advised and encouraged mothers and fathers to hug and kiss their children and to indulge in thumb sucking (within limits), to adopt flexible feeding schedules and to lighten up on rigid toilet training.
Now I understand the permissiveness of the baby boomer generation!
He set the stage for progressive liberalism....and to lighten up on rigid toilet training...
LOL If Spock was also a Freudian, he must have known that trying to potty train a kid too early results in "anal-retentive" tendencies. LOL My pediatrian wasn't worried about toilet training, like someone else said. He was more interested in treating physical ailments. When I told him I was worried about it, he laughed and said, if a kid isn't potty trained by the time he starts school, he'll learn really fast because of peer pressure. A bit cavilier, but on the right track for a doctor, imo.
I thought I also heard that Spock was busted for LSD in his later years. Don't know if that is true or not? LOL