When a couple is getting ready to have a first child they are about to take on the most important role there is. It is very important to start learning about how to parent, before the child is born. Our first response was quite naturally to defend how we had raised our children. The earliest moments in life, the first minutes and hours, are the most impressionable for both child and adults. This is the time when the basic instincts of parenting are awakened, and the bonding and trust of the infant is developed.
Nothing is more valuable in preparing for a happy life.
The single most important element in an infant's environment is the loving wisdom of the adult. Nothing material can substitute for time and attention during these early months and years. During the Assistants to Infancy training, little silk undershirts are hand made, the edges hand-rolled and the seams turned to the side away from the baby's skin. Every consideration is given to the sensitivity of the newborn, whenever possible using fine natural fibers for clothing. Some babies explore their faces with their hands even before birth and certainly as soon as possible after birth.