I think few would disagree that one of the essentials of baby care comes in the form of love. Apart from the obvious need of sustenance to survive, love comes at the top of a babys needs, and that continues right through childhood into the teenage years. Most teenagers would not admit it; most young children struggle to express it; and babies cannot express it. But, children of any age need love.
Something else that is needed throughout a childs upbringing is discipline; a sensible level of discipline from which the child will benefit throughout their adult lives. The application of discipline can seem to become more difficult as a child gets older, in direct proportion to the childs ability to express themselves assertively. In reality, though, applying discipline to a baby can be every bit as difficult, because it is a much more subtle and less obvious process.
A teenager ignoring your 10pm curfew is a blatant discipline problem. To some, a one year old baby crying because they are being taken from their toys to have a bath and go to bed, is not even about discipline, and they may not think of it as such. They love the baby, want it to be happy and, despite...