Has nobody mentioned this yet? ((WARNING: Contains graphic images of SHE WHO MUST NOT BE NAMED))

[Picante]

HERE.

Her appearance and weight are irrelevant, and if she was a popular, loveable and famously nurturing person like say Claire Rayner, that same appearance would be seen as warm and embracing.

But, apart from that, I think the article makes some valid points. I remember well reading that thing about being unable to hug her mother on her deathbed and thought it was not only very sad, but really telling and hugely relevant to the kind of thing she puts in her books. And I think it's important if her methods, which I do regard as cruel, actually arise from her own psychological difficulties rather than from any scientific basis - I think people should know that.

"In the pictures Ford is noticeably chubby ? one wonders just how chubby. Yet, none of the interviews I?ve read mentions anything about her appearance."

Is this man for real? What a ridiculous thing to say.

"I actually find some of her devotees far more repugnant than her." That's v true EmilyStrange - some of them are horrific. One once told me I was "too in love" with my newborn pfb. Feck off! That was the last time I went to her house for coffee!

gushing zealots of any doctrine are annoying be it gf,extreme nappy changing,skateboarding feeding mums,cloth bums devotees

Yes of course her looks are irrelevant but her lack of profile in the public arrena is utterly ASTONISHING. Imagine if Mirianm Stoppard refused to be photographed?! (No chance of that of course - and a LOVELY lady she looks too) But in this day and age, when Ford represents such a huge part of the parenting market, her lack of profile is extraordinary. Name me another 2 million selling author that you can't find a recent photo of...

I think it's fair to analyse her past because (a) she turned the parenting world on its head with her theories and (b) she has written an autobiographical book. It would be quite normal to wonder if (a) comes from (b)

In the pictures Andrew M Brown is noticeably bald ? one wonders just how bald.

Hmmm Andrew?

so let me get this straight - she doesn't have kids? She doesn't have any childcare training? She's the uk's leading childcare expert?

I think whoever gave this woman a platform in the first place has some serious questions to answer. The world is full of misguided/ deluded people who think they're perfectly capable of taking on extremely important professions/vocations and 'improving' them, luckily most employers/publishers are sensible enough to give them pretty short shrift and the rest of us don't ever have to hear about them.

it is irrelevant that she has no children.being a mother doesn't bestow one with automatic knowledge or abilities

i've never owned a horse.
would anyone like some advice on how to look after one?

GF ,doesnt have kids? or any childcare training? .... oh well, i think i should mention that im the worlds authority on nuuclear physics - hell im that good i cant even spell it .oh and i dont have a physics degree either . , .

not all midwife/Dr's/HV have children they still give advice.this notion that motherhood can only be commented on by mums is risible

worklifebalance , can you answer the following please ?
what do you do when a horse is hungry?
what can you do about a crying neighing horse?
Can you ruin a horse by "being too in love with it " ?
actually , forget about the last question , sounds too dodgy !

midwifes/drs/hvs are trained to deal with children . Medicaly trained at least.

The cover of my book (unused) describes her as being 'Britain's leading parenting expert. I find this particularly offensive. I know that's probably down to her publisher and marketing people and not her, but come on!
Routine expert, sleep expert or childcare expert are all terms that could be applied to people in her field. IMO to be a parenting expert you would need to be a parent. I imagine it's much easier to use controlled crying on someone else's child than your own.
[calmed down emoticon]

give me £60 and i'll tell you.

"not all midwife/Dr's/HV have children they still give advice" they have degrees in their chosen profession and their professional bodies set them very high standards.

Gina Ford was a nanny/maternity nurse and anybody can set themselves up as one.

If she had called herself a "nannying expert" I wouldn't have a problem with it. But she hasn't so I do.

i knew i would find a use for this! So,

but expert is self appointed term.i dont think to write about parenting you need to be a parent

tracy hogg
jo frost
wrote parenting books - no children

I'm thinking more this....

Crackfox - think that might be a teeny tiny bit libelous actually

I don't like Gina Ford's methods and I don't agree you need to have a crap childhood to be obsessed with control - though it helps somewhat in some cases.

I just always feel this overwhelming sense of sadness when I think of GF followers mentally over-riding their natural instincts to comfort their babies because they have to learn

Her attitude gives me the heebie jeebies, not to mention makes me , but that article is just piss-poor journalism.
She may be a big fat fatty, Mr Brown, but what, pray, does that have to do with the fact that she advocates leaving babies to scream their little lungs out.

Her pic does bring this to mind though!

MP!

apologies got it wrong about tracy hogg.but i dont think motherhood necessarily bestows knowledge,empathy,and ability to opine to other parent accurately

i also think majority of books opining there is only one way are rubbish.one size doesn't fit all.slavish adherence to any doctrine is foolish.

"i also think majority of books opining there is only one way are rubbish.one size doesn't fit all.slavish adherence to any doctrine is foolish."

I completely agree with you.