Posted on 10/29/2017 7:28:25 AM PDT by Pontiac
The premise of Ms. Komisars bookbacked by research in psychology, neuroscience and epigeneticsis that mothers are biologically necessary for babies, and not only for the obvious reasons of pregnancy and birth. Babies are much more neurologically fragile than weve ever understood, Ms. Komisar says. She cites the view of one neuroscientist, Nim Tottenham of Columbia University, that babies are born without a central nervous system and mothers are the central nervous system to babies, especially for the first nine months after birth.
What does that mean? Every time a mother comforts a baby in distress, shes actually regulating that babys emotions from the outside in. After three years, the baby internalizes that ability to regulate their emotions, but not until then. For that reason, mothers need to be there as much as possible, both physically and emotionally, for children in the first 1,000 days.
Ms. Komisar tells of hosting a charity gathering for millennials at her apartment. One young woman asked me what my book was about. I told her, and she got so angry. She almost had fire coming out of her eyes, she was so angry at my message. She said, You are going to set women back 50 years. I said, Gosh, I wouldnt want to do that.
Christian radio stations interviewed me and loved me, she says. She went on Fox & Friends, and the host was like, your book is the best thing since the invention of the refrigerator. But I couldnt get on NPR, and I was rejected wholesaleparticularly in New Yorkby the liberal press. She did appear on ABCs Good Morning America, but seconds before the camera went live, she says, the interviewer told her: I dont believe in the premise of your book at all. I dont like your book.
(Excerpt) Read more at wsj.com ...
What? Born with no central nervous system? NO! Babies have their very own central nervous system. The mother and the baby are separate beings, one dependent on the other, yes. But they are separate.
This neuroscientist really should not use hyperbole. If a baby was born without a central nervous system, that baby would be considered very ill and would die soon after birth.
Make as much money and still do twice the housework, from what I've seen.
I have a subscription.
See post number 5 for an interview with the author that does not go in to the political ramifications of the book.
What does that mean? Every time a mother comforts a baby in distress, shes actually regulating that babys emotions from the outside in. After three years, the baby internalizes that ability to regulate their emotions, but not until then.
Not the most adroit way to make the point I grant you.
Perhaps a better way to say it is that a newborns nervous system is not fully developed and it is in need of a mothers constant attention in order for that system to develop properly.
To anyone who has observed a newborn this should make perfect sense.
Read some stories about Russian orphanages and their treatment of orphaned newborns and the consequences to those children and this article and the book take on a new meaning.
The Russian orphanages is an extreme example but the concept is clear mothers are critical to the development of newborns and children as a whole.
She must have had blood coming out of her wherever.
No argument
Not fully developed and dependent on the mother for its natural growth is quite different than saying there is no central nervous system at all.
I think the neuroscientist may be relapsing into his pro-abort speak (my guess) because if he mainly thinks that a baby is nothing but a blob of cells then I can see where he may jump to the conclusion that just born babies have no central nervous systems.
However, if he flipped through his own neurobiology research journals he have to come to a correct conclusion.
I found the full article without a paywall here:
http://www.cetusnews.com/life/The-Politicization-of-Motherhood.rk-asBGzCb.html
Near the end it is revealed that this author thinks employers should be forced to offer a full year of maternity leave. That’s problematic. Otherwise, I agree that science is now proving what centuries of commonsense already knew: newborns and infants need their mother’s constant attention for several years.
Since science is now validating common sense, that means liberals with their superior intellects will be able to grasp this concept around 50 to 70 years from now.
Thanks!
see post 28
Albion Wilde found the full article posted elsewhere.
They will grasp the concept only when it is to their advantage to do so politically.
And not before.
As any good communist will tell you science serves the party or it is not science. Hence you have Global Warming as settled science.
You nailed it. I resign from my full time job when our oldest was 13 months. It took many months to convince my husband to forgo my income, despite him having had a stay at home mom (who was constantly pushing for me to not work). His profession was one in which earnings were based on a schedule, not performance.
Tv
I think it was a fear of bearing all the responsibility himself. It was a very rare thing in our sphere at that time. He is now a full believer in living on one income, hes forgotten how he was against it in the beginning;-). His coworkers at the time thought he was insane for letting me not contribute anything. Other young moms often told me their husbands just refused to go without her income even though the women wanted to be home with their babies.
Two years ago I pushed him to let me work part time (2-3 evenings/week waiting tables) and I sort of regret it! Moms are needed at home and I see issues with our younger kids that I didnt see with the older kids at that age. Not sure its really worth it, but it helps pay for things we went without for a long time-like paper towels (luxury item that I adore) and classical dance lessons for the girls.
Hard choices I agree.
I wish my wife and I had made different choices. Teenagers need mothers at home every bit as much as infants I believe.
A watchful I and a firm hand keeps the devil at bay.
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