I hid a copy of 'Babywise' - Page 4

[minkajane]

I spoke with the manager at a B&N today about Babywise. They had about 10 copies. I told her what it advocated and about the AAP warning against its methods. She seemed very interested, reiterated the store's policy that they don't refuse to carry certain books, and said she'd speak to her manager. So even though she doesn't have the power to pull the book, maybe her manager does.

[aphreal]

Originally Posted by OnTheBrink

I like to move books like that to the FICTION or HORROR sections!

That IS where they belong! I never go to the book store I always order my books from half.com but if I DID go, I'm going to go hunt out these abonimations and hide them too.

[aphreal]

Another note, do people actually, honest to goodness still even consider using these methods? Im shocked, I would think with all the education out there about how babies express their needs, they would know better and stay far far away from any method that promotes leaving your babies to fend for themselves.

[Shirelle]

Another note, do people actually, honest to goodness still even consider using these methods?

Most definitely. My sweet, well intentioned cousin had a baby two months ago, and was using *some* of the Babywise methods. In particular, Ezzo's methods seem to have infiltrated some Protestant Fundamentalist groups.....it is repeatedly insinuated that you are a "good Godly" parent if you follow strict schedules and don't let your baby rule your life. My cousin is truly, truly a loving and caring mother....I'm more AP than she is, but she often has more patience than I do. I was so pleased when she called me recently and said that she's throwing the schedule out and is going to feed her baby when he is hungry!!!

As far as "relocating" books....I think it's a little over the top. I've read Babywise. I don't think every sentence in it is evil. I don't personally use his methods, and my Mommy instinct said that it wasn't for me. I'm glad that I had the choice to read it, though! People have to use common sense.

[mystic~mama]

Originally Posted by Dragonfly

Perhaps the act of someone hiding the book that teaches you to deny your impulses so that you, instead, pick up the book that tells you it's okay to honor them is part of the path.

thats why I like putting the "word to the wise" papers inside, it gives the person a litte more info and they can make the choice.

i agree w/keymamas that we all have to make the choice in our own time, none of us can "save" someone else but we can share information.

[bjorker]

Wow, I can see already I'm going to be flamed for this...
I've only read the first few pages of this thread, and I have to say AS A BOOKSTORE EMPLOYEE this really depresses me. We have enough crap to deal with as it is. I am very NFL/AP, and yes, I can't stand Babywise, but that's no need to take it out on the overworked, underpaid employees, which is exactly what you are doing. What are you really hoping to accomplish by hiding, defacing, or stealing property that is not your own? If people want the book for whatever boned-brained reason, they're going to find it. If you really want to try and force change through a bookstore, go to corporate, though there are undoubtedly much more productive things you can do if you feel you need to "spread the word". The employees can't do anything about it. These stores, at least the big box stores, are required to have a certain amount of copies of the book based purely on sales. Talking to any employee, even store manager, isn't going to change that. Regardless of any bias I might have towards the issue, it's still an issue of free press, censorship (even if your own personal idea of what people should be reading, or not reading), and personal opinion (even if out of laziness/"my sister told me I should get this book"/etc)... and I would really hope that fellow MDC'ers could understand that on some level. Stealing and defacing books is just immature, IMO of course. I don't understand that one bit.

As for hiding them... you are creating more work for people that already have way too much expected out of them for crappy pay. It is not their fault that these books have to be there. I find that selfish.

Really, I am quite shocked at this thread.
Nothing much more I can say about that.

[Dido]

Originally Posted by bjorker

Wow, I can see already I'm going to be flamed for this...
I've only read the first few pages of this thread, and I have to say AS A BOOKSTORE EMPLOYEE this really depresses me....As for hiding them... you are creating more work for people that already have way too much expected out of them for crappy pay. It is not their fault that these books have to be there..

I worked at Borders for a year and I can tell you that neither I nor most of the people I worked with would have cared whether customers hid copies of Babywise or not. In fact, many of us were prone to do a little "creative" shelving ourselves.

If customers are hiding copies of Babywise, here's a couple of things that could happen. Usually, each bookseller is responsible for their own little section of the store. If you find books in your section that don't belong, you put them on a cart for reshelving. At the beginning of each workday, someone is responsible for shelving books on that cart. But there are ALWAYS tons of books for reshelving because customers take books all over the store. So a few copies of Babywise here and there is not going to make a difference. Another way this could create work for the bookseller is if a customer comes up, is looking for Babywise, and you take them to the shelf to find the book. Oops - it's not there. So you go to the stock room to check for extra copies. Either there is more there or oops - not there either. You tell the customer sorry, you can't find them, and they either go away or special order the book. If you are super-conscientious, you report the missing books to the person in charge of tracking stock and reordering, but most likely you just shrug your shoulders and go about your day (ESPECIALLY if you're pleased that the book is missing).

Extra work? Maybe, but if you weren't hunting for Babywise, you'd be helping a customer find some other book. The bottom line is, you'll be working either way, and you get paid your crappy salary by the hour. It doesn't much matter what books you're shelving or hunting for during that hour. At least that's how it worked in my day (a few years ago). Maybe booksellers have gotten a lot more anal since then.

[wendy1221]

Originally Posted by deleria

I was perusing pregnancy and parenting books at a local bookstore this evening. While checking out their less-than-impressive collection (only one Sears book, for example!) a copy of 'Babywise' stared me right in the face. Gag.

I realized it might stare frustrated, sleep-deprived parents in the face as well, so I waited until the coast was clear and stashed it behind some Barbara Coloroso books :

I'd like to think that I might have saved a baby from a terrible and traumatic experience - at least until the staff finds the book. I think I'll go back in a few days and do it again

I didn't read this whole thread, but the only time I found Babywise at a bookstore was about 6 years ago when my oldest was a baby. I didn't hide it, I took all 3 copies they had on the shelf and went to the manager of the store. I explained to her that the AAP had recently come out w/ a statement about the book (which they had) because it was KILLING BABIES. She was horrified and said she would get rid of the copies I'd brought up and would make sure there weren't any more in the store ever again. She was genuine, too, I'm sure she did it.

I think that makes a much bigger difference than hiding the book every once in a while. That's just annoying the employees.

[zksgreen]

When I was pregnant with my first, a good friend, who at the time had an 18mo. old, gave me Babywise and told me very emphatically "You have to schedule your baby! It will save your life! Memorize this book!!!" I read it, I read Baby Whisperer, and I read Sears. Sears sat the best with me, Ezzo seemed cruel.

Sooooo, now she is preganant with her 2nd. When she was over, and just about to leave last time, I handed her the Sears book and said "Thanks for loaning this to me, you were right! It did save my life! Your book had so much compassionate advice! I know DS is happier because I used your advice!!" :

She looked confused, but didn't correct me. Last time I was at her house I could tell she had been reading Sears. That made me really happy.

[Joannarachel]

Originally Posted by zksgreen

When I was pregnant with my first, a good friend, who at the time had an 18mo. old, gave me Babywise and told me very emphatically "You have to schedule your baby! It will save your life! Memorize this book!!!" I read it, I read Baby Whisperer, and I read Sears. Sears sat the best with me, Ezzo seemed cruel.

Sooooo, now she is preganant with her 2nd. When she was over, and just about to leave last time, I handed her the Sears book and said "Thanks for loaning this to me, you were right! It did save my life! Your book had so much compassionate advice! I know DS is happier because I used your advice!!" :

She looked confused, but didn't correct me. Last time I was at her house I could tell she had been reading Sears. That made me really happy.

What a brilliant idea!

[flyingspaghettimama]

Originally Posted by zksgreen

Sooooo, now she is preganant with her 2nd. When she was over, and just about to leave last time, I handed her the Sears book and said "Thanks for loaning this to me, you were right! It did save my life! Your book had so much compassionate advice! I know DS is happier because I used your advice!!" :

Dude! You are like an AP ninja! Very cool.

[Thalia]

I've been tempted for years to hide Babywise books at bookstores, but I haven't put it into practice (I think I have turned them to face the back of the shelf, though). I've thought about putting a piece of paper with a warning in them, too.

After reading this entire thread, though, and hearing points from all the responders, I think the approach I am going to take is to talk to the store staff. That way, I can educate at least one person and perhaps even get the book removed permanently.

I'll do this at Borders/Barnes & Noble, but I think the place where I could have the most impact would be at the privately-owned Christian bookstore I go to most often. I will talk to the owner about how bad Babywise is for babies and parents, and the recommendation from the AAP against Ezzo. But I will also talk about the fact that Ezzo has been excommunicated from two different fellowships, and why. And if they seem intested, I would offer to make a donation to the store to cover the cost of returning the books to the publisher, if possible. Or to cover the lost cost of sales, if that's not possible. That way Ezzo doesn't get the money, and the bookstore owner wouldn't have to suffer either.

And I think from now on, everytime I go to a baby shower, I'm going to give a Dr. Sears book and a Diaper-Free book in addition to whatever else I'm giving the mama-to-be. I consider those books a innoculation against Ezzo, one of the few "vaccinations" that I can feel comfortable about!

[Momtwice]

Originally Posted by Shirelle

As far as "relocating" books....I think it's a little over the top. I've read Babywise. I don't think every sentence in it is evil. I don't personally use his methods, and my Mommy instinct said that it wasn't for me. I'm glad that I had the choice to read it, though! People have to use common sense.

The American Academy of Pediatrics disagrees. They put out a media warning saying that methods like Babywise ("Parent Directed Schedules") put babies at risk for dehydration and failure to thrive. Babies who are "Babywised" even tend to show symptoms of depression, and how sad is that?

[ananas]

Lol, I do that all the time!

[ananas]

Originally Posted by swebster

http://www.ezzo.info/trifoldbrochure.pdf

here's a brochure to print out and slide in between pages :

Thank you so much for sharing this! I've been trying to think of something I could stick in the pages at the local library, that warned against Ezzo and recommended some other books to read instead...thanks again!

[Sharlla]

I hide those books every time I'm at the library, it makes me sick just thinking about someone checking out that garbage.