How did dr. spock change family life during the 1950s

Benjamin Spock has had a great impact on our lives without us even knowing it. In 1946 he published the revolutionary book “Baby and Child Care”, which turned the art of parenting upside down. Before the book was released, parents were advised to teach their children discipline and respect for authority. Everything from bedtime to dinner was on a tight schedule. Children were to be seen, but not heard. However, Spock wanted to change this conservative way of parenting. According to him parents should nurture their baby or child based on demand and not on a schedule. They should basically “trust their common sense” as he said. Dr Spock believed that a child would be better prepared for the future if its childhood was full of affection and love from its parents.

Over decades Spock kept changing his book, and one of the larger alterations was in the fourth edition from 1976. In this edition he acknowledged that the father’s role in parenting should be as great as the mother’s. Radical and unconservative thoughts like this mark his books. This is also the reason why, in spite of many followers, many others resented Dr Spock’s books. However, when the book was released in the beginning of the post-war baby boom, it was an instant hit. The success continued in the 50s and 60s, and Dr Spock therefore had a huge influence on parenting in this period. Since its release in 1946 the book has sold over 50 million copies in 49 languages.

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