Dr. Barry Brazelton

The final speaker for the 32nd NAPNAP annual conference was Dr. Barry Brazelton. He is 92 years old and his wisdom and insights are as sharp and pertinent as ever! It was a joy to see him in person again. Being originally from Boston and having worked at Children's, I have had the enormous pleasure of seeing and hearing him in the 70's, and more importantly, having him influence the way I approached my pediatric practice with the young child and his/her family.

Relationships! That is the theme I came away with from Brazelton. We need to nurture, support and advocate for strong child - parent relationships. It is all about creating healthy families by having parents vision the potential of their child during those earliest moments, days and months of life. Not only do parents need to catch the vision, but they need to see that they have such a significant role to play in how that child is able to develop.

My niece, Lauren just gave birth this morning to a new baby girl! As I glanced at pictures her mother (my sister) placed on Facebook, I was touched by Lauren's huge smile - radiant, after having given birth to a 10.7# baby girl. Amazing! Pure love, pure joy!

I have three grandchildren, all girls. It is gratifying to see that as you nurture and support your children they grow into parents that nurture and support their young. They value playing with the children - taking them outside, a lot! They value imaginative play! They do not over-plan their day. They spend quality and quantity time with their children. They have structure but can be flexible. They plan nutritious meals and occasional treats.

I loved being a parent, and now I am fortunate to be healthy and able to be a more attentive and available grandparent. Skype, phone, occasional visits and letters, and care packages have had to suffice as distance has kept us so far apart. Soon we will live closer, and even it is only for a short time, I am looking forward to being more of an extended support in their lives.