Blog From A Broad

Claire Verity - "Bringing up Baby" must be stopped

If you were horrified and saddened by the atrocious programme on channel 4 called "Bringing up Baby" (in particular, the Draconian and abusive baby rearing methods* advocated by Claire Verity), please make your voice heard.

You can sign a petition here: http://petitions.pm.gov.uk/parentingshows/

and complain to Ofcom here: http://www.ofcom.org.uk/complain/progs/specific/?itemid=286480

It's shows like this that have made respectable and admirable people like Dr. Tanya Byron vow never to make television programmes again.

"But coming from a clinical background," she points out, "and being a clinician, I'm bound by a code of ethics and code of conduct. And I think in the end that's why I said I didn't want to do any more - because ethically, and in terms of my profession, what was being asked of me working on television I didn't feel I wanted to do any more." [source]

So far, over 300 complaints have been lodged with Ofcom. Please add yours.

*Verity's methods include: no eye contact with baby during feeds, putting it out in the pram in the garden for 4 hours a day (i.e. you put the pram outside, close the door and leave the baby there), never pick up a baby when it cries, a strict routine that "allows" mothers 10 minutes of "cuddle time" per day, no visitors for the first few weeks, and baby sleeps in its own room from day 1. Verity claims that leaving the baby to cry shows it "who's the boss" and that babies only cry to manipulate you.

There is an excellent summary/commentary about this series on Social Baby.