Guideposts for Growing Up Author:Elizabeth B. Hurlock, Ph.D. Sometimes I feel a bit envious of the people who write books with such titles as "How to Raise Turkeys" and "The Care and Feeding of Horses". These writers, it seems to me, have an easy job. They can give long lists of rules and instructions, and very few will argue over their advice. — What a different story when we deal with laughing, crying, g... more »rowing boys and girls! First of all, it's so much easier to learn all about a chicken or a cow than it is to learn about a child. And who would dare write a list of rules and regulations and say they fit all children everywhere? Who would honestly claim to know all there is to know about the rearing of children?
As a matter of fact, a good deal of progress has been made in the field of child guidance. Today, much is known about children that our own fathers and mothers did not know ~ and even more that their parents did not know. Through careful observation of many children, painstaking research, checking and cross-checking facts gathered on normal as well as handicapped children, there has been built up a growing body of reliable information on childhood and parenthood.
As mother, teacher, and researcher, it has been my good fortune to keep in closest touch with this scientific study of childhood. Now, in this book, I am happy to share with you the important information and useful ideas that can help make your job as parents even more rewarding and joyful.