Gary Ezzo ~ Preparation for Parenting? ~*~ NO! a DANGEROUS man-made crusade!!
Written: May 14 '01 (Updated May 15 '01)
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Pros: Perhaps will work for robotic children.
Cons: Buyer beware – the wolf is present waiting to lure!
The Bottom Line: Gary Ezzo has a tactless method of implying his methods are Christian and necessary to have a successful marriage after childbirth.
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| Lisa_J's Full Review: Gary Ezzo - Preparation for Parenting: A Biblical ... |
One of the profound premise for my review of this horrid book is the fact that Gary Ezzo has a tactless method of implying his methods are Christian and necessary to have a successful marriage after childbirth. As a strong Christian, mom of two, day care / preschool teacher, educator, children’s ministry volunteer, public school volunteer, and child advocate … I feel a need to share my strong opinion with regard to:
Preparation for Parenting: A Biblical Perspective A Study in the Philosophy, Psychology & Practice of Nurturing a Newborn
Author: Gary Ezzo and Anne M. Ezzo
Initially designed primarily as a workbook for the Christian class series implementing the theories of Babywise within some Christian churches, Preparation for Parenting: A Biblical Perspective A Study in the Philosophy, Psychology & Practice of Nurturing a Newborn this publication is not one that I recommend! This book and possible accommodating cassette tapes (with Authors: Gary Ezzo and Anne M. Ezzo teaching “their” method) is a fabulous way for Growing Families International to obtain more financial manifestation by engaging innocent/ignorant parents into a possibly dangerous regimen of falsehood.
The basic premise presented in this book is one that leads the parent to believing that he/she shall control the newborn baby’s routine. Actually ignoring crying and so forth. Gary Ezzo makes it sound so simple: Feed your baby. Allow for some awake time. Make them nap (the crying is good for them). Repeat.
Oh, the premise sounds good doesn’t it?! Have your baby on a routine… sleeping through the night… sleeping in his/her crib…. Eating on *your designed & convenient* schedule…. While I don’t deny that for some this might work, many need to heed the warning that this is wrong for many! As parents we need to provide unconditional love and consistent support for our precious blessings from above!
With regard to the Ezzo clan's regard to any other way being wrong ~ I hardly think, in fact I know that God wouldn't correct HIS people for picking up a crying baby, for allowing them to sleep next to their Mother (or Father), for nursing on demand, or for carrying them in a sling! Shame on you Mr. Ezzo for even suggesting such misbelief!!!! And as far as your outlandish claims to knowing how to correct western civilization... I seriously doubt that putting a wedge between mom and child will accomplish an overall moral rise! And, as far as your basis of evolving these methods from receiving compliments on how well your children were behaved in public.... Hello - they were perhaps too scared to do anything other than imitate a stepford child!
Gary Ezzo states that "God is a God of order" and this man goes onto boast that God created marriage and intended for it to be as good after baby as before children. God did create marriage to be good Gary, that is undeniable. But, he didn’t create children that are robotic, identical in nature and in need of routining so that marriage can exist as it was before childbirth. Hello! Children will change marriage, and rightfully should. Trust me on this one…. You can have a wonderfully rewarding marriage and parenthood without implementing this control freaks philosophies! Gary Ezzo states that children shouldn't run your household, priorities, or your marriage. Well, * duh * neither should some control hungry man (or woman)!
First off, God is a God of love, and the mere implication this author makes that without the stated methods there isn't order in marriage is so untrue!!!! I don’t deny the techniques will work for SOME babies, and for SOME not all families. If you want, give this a read and try the portions that sound appealing. Please realize that not every baby will succumb to the methods discussed. Further, remember that Gary Ezzo’s methods aren’t symbolic of Christianity. Lastly, trust your parental instincts and never let anyone superimpose judgement onto your chosen method.
What is Wrong?
There is no way that these methods would work for my youngest. We are strong CHRISTIANS and do not fall to superimposed judgement by authors like this! That is where this book gets abusive. By implying that precious little blessings from above should be routined like a car would be scheduled for maintenance by mileage.
Further, this author divulges into danger ground by abusing scripture in an attempt to support his methods. The very fact that Gary Ezzo quotes scripture as a basis for supporting his cold methods appalls me! What a corrupt way of using Gods miraculous word! Please! I am all for Christian child rearing. However, the God I know is one of love, not CONTROL!
I firmly believe in scripture. For example: “Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex! Your workmanship is marvelous – and how well I know it!” Psalm 139:14 Hmmm… children are wonderfully complex, not meant to be controlled by a judgmental form of routining that even Gary Ezzo’s home church didn’t support him with regard too.
Children are innately different from each other, and deserve to be raised in a manner that allows them to be who God wants. I pity the society that succumbs to rubberstamping children! Artist Sandi Patty sings a remarkable song Masterpiece. The lyrics let us reflect on the beauty of our newborn children. “You are a masterpiece. A new creation He has formed. …. He breathed in you a song …. Because I see in you a reflection of me… What else is there to say. Just be the masterpiece He created you to be.” Amen! God created, our children are meant to be loved and guided into adulthood.
Pointed out by the board of elders of Grace Community Church
1. Confusion between biblical standards and matters of personal preference.
2. A lack of clarity on certain fundamental doctrinal issues.
3. Insufficient attention to the child's need for regeneration.
4. A tendency to isolationism.
1. Confusion between biblical standards and matters of personal preference. The best-known example of this is the GFI emphasis on infant feeding schedules, combined with GFI's zealous opposition to demand feeding by nursing mothers. Portraying scheduled feeding as the true biblical practice, GFI strongly implies that demand feeding should be regarded as an unbiblical, humanistic -- even sinful -- approach to caring for infants. As elders, we see no biblical basis whatsoever for GFI's dogmatism on this issue.
http://www.rapidnet.com/~jbeard/bdm/exposes/macarthur/gccstmt.htm
2.Other examples where matters of personal preference are presented as if they had biblical authority: GFI parents are taught that sling-type baby carriers are too child-centered and therefore incompatible with biblical parenting. GFI curriculum also teaches that mothers should not rock their babies to sleep; that they should not comfort or feed crying infants in the parents' bed -- and especially that moms should never sleep next to their babies. Portions of the material seem to place an undue stress on stifling the mother's desire to comfort her children. For example, Matthew 27:46 is used to justify the teaching that mothers should refuse to attend to crying infants who have already been fed, changed, and had their basic needs met.
“At an elders' meeting in the Spring of 1993, the elders of Grace Church asked Gary Ezzo to be more accountable to them” “We have received a flood of inquiries about our stance with regard to Gary Ezzo and Growing Families International (GFI). What follows is a brief summary of why Grace Community Church is no longer affiliated in any way with that ministry. We as elders cannot endorse GFI until these matters are resolved, and we wish to make our position clear. We have delayed making a public statement as long as we held out hope that these concerns might be resolved privately. Unfortunately, that no longer appears possible. We fully realize that many people worldwide have assumed GFI enjoys our full support. Literally dozens of people each week ask for clarification of our position relative to GFI. Therefore we believe this public statement of our concerns is warranted -- and even somewhat overdue.”
http://www.rapidnet.com/~jbeard/bdm/exposes/macarthur/gccstmt.htm
Quote from Preparation for Parenting: A Biblical Perspective A Study in the Philosophy, Psychology & Practice of Nurturing a Newborn: "The routine is to serve you and your baby. You are not to be a slave to the routine." The mere fact that he would write such a statement tells me the condition of this mans heart toward the young child. A slave? I think not!
This book may present itself by premise as a sheep, but buyer beware – the wolf is present waiting to lure!
Preparation for Parenting: A Biblical Perspective A Study in the Philosophy, Psychology & Practice of Nurturing a Newborn
Author: Gary Ezzo and Anne M. Ezzo
ISBN: 1883035090
© 2001 Lisa_J
Recommended:
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Lisa_J
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Location: Pacific Northwest - Washington State
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Mom of two wonderfully spirited daughters. Childcare Director. Spectator fan of dance.
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