Dr. Mersch received his Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of California, San Diego, and prior to entering the University Of Southern California School Of Medicine, was a graduate student (attaining PhD candidate status) in Experimental Pathology at USC. He attended internship and residency at Children's Hospital Los Angeles.
Dr. Perlstein received his Medical Degree from the University of Cincinnati and then completed his internship and residency in pediatrics at The New York Hospital, Cornell medical Center in New York City. After serving an additional year as Chief Pediatric Resident, he worked as a private practitioner and then was appointed Director of Ambulatory Pediatrics at St. Barnabas Hospital in the Bronx.
Perhaps no other undertaking is as intimidating and as rewarding as raising
children. From their first wail as they enter the world until they assume the
total responsibility of adulthood, never a day goes by without some self-doubt
about "how will they turn out?" The purpose of this article is to provide a
perspective and a bit of guidance to consider as you do the hardest and best job
you'll ever have.
Different Styles of Parenting
By definition, parenting is on-the-job training with a very steep learning
curve. There is a fortune to be spent (or sometimes gained) on "new school"
classes, books, DVDs, Internet sites, etc. Many of these sources can provide
solid information and support. Historically much of parenting was handed down
one on one by the extended family -- grandparents, aunts, uncles, and close family
members. This "old school" approach was often a double-edged sword -- broad
concrete advice for particular children and particular situations. The
unintended consequence, of course, was often unsolicited advice and value
judgments. While today's society often has a seemingly overwhelming set of
choices for how "to do the right thing," the best advice often is "if it seems
right, it probably is." There are often multiple ways to manage a situation or
problem. It is very important for parents to remember that children are
tremendously resilient and will often thrive in spite of their parents -- after
all, we did!
Discipline should be thought of as the teaching of good and appropriate behavior. Effective parenting techniques use discipline proactively. They encourage your child's sense of responsibility, nurture self-esteem, and strengthen your parent–child relationship.
It is important to continually learn and practice good parenting techniques, using different discipline strategies as your child grows and develops. All discipline techniques must be age-appropriate so that the child understands the difference between appropriate and inappropriate behavior. Babies less than 18 months old cannot understand these concepts.
