Nanny = Adultery

So, there's a theory being flaunted by some poor misinformed and misguided individual that hiring a nanny to care for your male child will result in your precious son growing up to be a cheating bastard. Some British know-it-all has written a book about this theory, although I'm unsure if he actually has some stats to back up his claims. In essence, he suggests that when one farms out childcare, the baby learns that needs can be met by more than one source. If comfort can be found in the arms of another woman ( I guess his theory only works if the alternate caregiver is a female), then the child soon learns that there are alternate sources of comfort to be had later in life. So, if a spouse is not freely giving, then an alternate mate can be located. Whatever. What if the alternate caregiver is a grandmother? Do boys raised by grannies also turn out to be cheaters - perhaps into older women? What if the child goes to a day care center where it's staffed by a number of women? Does the boy become a serial adulterer? I don't know how that explains Tiger Woods, whose mother was a constant presence.
Oh yeah, if the daughter is left with an alternate caregiver, this British doofus has the nerve to suggest that these female children will be more susceptible to fill their emotional voids with substance abuse. See here for another review of the same stupid theory. I suppose Amy Winehouse, Britney Spears and Lindsay Lohan were raised by an army of nannies.
Obviously, there are opposing, more sane views about early bonding with caregivers - mom, dad, grandparents, nannies, baby-sitters. We all agree that early attachment is essential for the child's overall health. Caregiving is more than simply providing for the child's basic biological needs. It's about nurturing the soul, and comforting the cries with coos and cuddles. Remember the experiment in our pysch 101 textbooks where the baby monkeys preferred to cuddle up to the soft mannequin that provided no milk, compared to the mechanical, metallic robot that was equipped with milk bottles? So long as a child is raised in a caring, loving, stable environment, who cares how many people cuddle that child? In fact, in many primitive cultures, it was a whole community that raised the youngsters, with wet nurses to divvy up the task of nourishing the babies.
If there's one thing this Dr. Friedman got right, it was this - the baby's rights. He says "a mother's absence in early childhood is a denial of the child's human rights." Okay. I agree. Every child, and every mother, should have the opportunity to be together, without the worries of having to pay for food and other necessities. So, let's call on the powers-to-be to extend funded maternity leave to a full year down in the States. Canada has a year, and some European countries have two years of maternity leave! Let's increase the EI payments here in Canada so staying home and bonding with baby is a feasible option. Let's alter the managment's view of "working moms" so that women can feel supported in their decision to take a longer maternity leave. And while we're at it, let's put in daddy's rights too. The term "maternity leave" should be dropped in favour of "parental leave". I think everyone can agree the need to bond to dad is just as important as the need to attach to mom. Any comments?