VALERIE ANNE SMITH: Today, research shows babies cry for connection, comfort & regulation, that is crucial to their development, trust, & so much more

For 1,000s of years, babies slept with their mothers. They were never left alone. They were held, rocked & fed when hungry.

Did you know the 'cry-it-out' method didn’t even exist before the early 1900s?

Until two men came along...Psychologist John Watson & Dr. Luther Holt… pic.twitter.com/e1Wdtd3pBu

— Valerie Anne Smith (@ValerieAnne1970) December 10, 2025

For 1,000s of years, babies slept with their mothers. They were never left alone. They were held, rocked & fed when hungry.

Did you know the 'cry-it-out' method didn’t even exist before the early 1900s? Until two men came along...Psychologist John Watson & Dr. Luther Holt pushed the idea that babies should be left to cry. Before that, families co-slept, rocked, or responded to babies’ needs without the concept of strict training. These doctors believed responding too much to infants would 'spoil' them, an idea that shaped decades of parenting advice. They said babies should be trained, isolated & controlled. That babies had to fit the assembly line & office schedules of their parents. Dr Watson had 4 children, 3 attempted suicide & 1 succeeded [. . .]. His remaining 3 children blamed him for their psychological pain & damage. Watson died alone, isolated & estranged from his family...the same painful way in which he brainwashed millions of parents to treat their babies. Dr Watson's granddaughter is quoted as stating, "my grandfather's ideas were a legacy of psychological damage." These methods became parenting norms...not because they were right, but because they worked for the system. A system that demanded efficiency. Not connection. You're not being manipulated by your baby by attending their needs. You're resisting rules built for factories, not families. Your instincts aren't outdated. They're what kept our species alive & emotionally healthy. Without abandonment issues & the ability to have emotional connection with others. Today, research shows babies cry for connection, comfort & regulation, that is crucial to their development, trust, & so much more.