Ezzo Week(end) 2008: Through the Years
Posted by TulipGirl | Under GFI / Ezzo / Babywise Sunday Jul 20, 2008The contents of parenting materials by Gary Ezzo have changed significantly through the years. This article gives a glimpse of that, as well as explains why there are many who are still concerned about these teachings.
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This post is part of the Ezzo Week(end) 2008 series, raising awareness about the concerns with the parenting “philosophy” promoted by Gary Ezzo.
I think that as with anything, you have to take their books with a grain of salt. God gives you an internal instinct that hopefully will override what a book says. I did Ezzo with both kids, the first I was much more rigid, this time, not as much. I have never done more than 8 feedings in a day, even as newborns, and my son is 2 months old and weighs 14 pounds, the size of a 4 month old. But, like I said, I take it with a grain of salt and read his cues.
Hey TG, I just found this post: http://manymanyblessings.blogspot.com/2008/07/perfect-love.html – thought you might be interested.
I fully agree. I have seen so many moms burn out because they were stuck in these types of schedules.
Hi there. I just found your blog archives through a search on the Ezzo’s. My husband and I are in our mid to late 30’s and are going to have our first baby in just six weeks (if he decides to come on time). My family and closest friends are over 2,000 miles from me, so my support system is not quite in place. My husband’s best friends live just five minutes from us, and they are Ezzo fans. I am NOT, having seen the damage done to one too many families. This couple keeps pressuring me (though they say they are just dialoguing and trying to help) to do the Babywise stuff. I have told them we are more apt to choose things like Dr. Sears and Dr. Dobson, as well as a host of other resources. I have also asked them to stop promoting the Ezzo material with me. They basically refuse. (And they’ve been touting the Ezzo junk since we got married almost 3 years ago, though they have known how I feel about the Ezzos for that same period of time.)
I feel very stressed over this, and don’t know how to respond. My husband is beginning to see things about the Ezzos from what I’ve shared, though he had in the past wholeheartedly embraced his friends’ methods. He and I are trying to figure out what to do to maintain good boundaries, get these friends to stop pressuring me, while at the same time not harming that friendship.
Do you have any advice? I am all ears.
How awkward for you! You want to be polite and enjoy the friendship, but they’re not respecting your boundaries.
Parenting differences in the early years can feel big and important, especially if people feel defined by them. To maintain friendships it’s important to be able to respect each other’s choices and/or agree to disagree and not foreground the differences between you. People who maintain friendships in spite of political and religious differences do this all the time.
I guess you’ll just have to keep repeating “we’ll have to agree to disagree” then change the subject. “How ’bout them Dodgers….”
If they keep it up, they’re being very impolite and boorish. You’ll have to decide if you want to be around impolite, boorish people. Hopefully they’ll dial down their behavior, though.
I hope it works out.