One of the many interesting aspects of my job is the chance to listen to mothers in groups at a nearby children's centre.
Over the past couple of years a recurring topic has been how upset many mothers have become when they have tried to follow advice that babies should be left to cry until they stop. (This is different from the controlled crying, based on regular but boring contact, which health visitors suggest for night waking.) Many have been in tears when they spoke of this, leading always to a discussion of the wisdom of the technique, generally known as 'crying it out', which assumes that unwanted crying will be suppressed if it is not rewarded by parental attention.
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