October 20, 2007

Childrearing the Yequana way

Bringing up babyPublished in 1975, The Continuum Concept was inspired by the child-rearing techniques of the Yequana, a tribe of Amazonian Indians. The book's author, Jean Liedloff, noticed while staying with the Yequana that their way of caring for babies was profoundly different towestern notions of child rearing. She believed Yequana children seemed happier than their peers in the developed world.

The book focuses on the practises of Yequana mothers, including maintaining constant physical contact with babies by carrying them in slings during the day and sleeping with them at night and breastfeeding on demand. The mother is encouraged to get on with her day, ensuring that babies are not at the centre of their mother's attention.

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