Baby mentor

A baby mentor is a very new term and refers to a person who mentors, (supports and guides), a parent, or parents with a baby, often a new baby. Often, but not always, a baby mentor subscribes to a 'method' of baby management. Methods of baby management have been around since the early part of the 19th century. These early authors on baby management were Trubi King and Dr. Spock. Since then books about baby management have proliferated and in some cases caused considerable controversy. Gina Ford's old fashioned, back-to-routines method in particular. Following the proliferation in baby management literature, a new personal service of babymentoring is developing. Some mentors earn up to £1000 per day, coaching new parents in their particular method of baby management.

Arguably the need, or market for baby mentors is a product of a mobile and consumerist society. In previous generations children grew up looking after younger siblings or cousins or neighbour's children which prepared them for eventual parenthood. In addition when these generations became parents they had the support of experienced grandparents, aunts and neighbours themselves. In the nuclear, post-industrial and mobile family units in which Western individuals now mature, there is little or no opportunity to apprentice parenting skills with the result that new parents can be isolated and uncertain about their parenting. It could also be said that this need (or insecurity) has fostered a very lucrative market, in whose interests it is to promote the idea that there is such a thing as 'the best way to bring up baby'.

Responsible baby mentors seek to genuinely support parents in finding the confidence to bring up their children according to their own values and their family's needs, with realistic expectations of the ups and downs of family life. Currently, baby management is a sensitive and contentious issue such that proponents of different 'baby methods' can be evangelical in their zeal!, as a brief look at some websites will reveal.

First published use of the specific term 'baby mentor' on the web is www.babymentoring.com

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