And by the age of four, children were contributing more to the work force in their family than they were costing others. Babes in arms almost never cried and, fascinatingly, did not wave their arms, kick, arch their backs, or flex their hands and feet. They also did not throw up unless extremely ill and did not suffer from colic. When startled during the first months of crawling and walking, they did not expect anyone to go to them but rather went on their own to their mother or other caretakers for the measure of reassurance needed before resuming their explorations. Without supervision, even the smallest tots rarely hurt themselves.
Some people actually imagine that it is, but there is, of course, only one human species.
Our Innate Expectations Primarily, we can try to grasp fully the formative power of what I call the in-arms phase. It begins at birth and ends with the commencement of creeping, when the infant can depart and return at will to the caretaker's knee. It consists, simply, of the infant having 24-hour contact with an adult or older child. I do not mean to recommend this position, but the fact that it is possible demonstrates the scope of what constitutes comfort for a baby. From childhood on, we are taught not to believe in our instinctive knowledge.