William Sears (physician)
William Sears | |
---|---|
Born | William Penton Sears December 9, 1939 |
Nationality | American |
Other names | Dr. Bill |
Alma mater | Saint Louis University |
Occupation(s) | Pediatrician and author |
Known for | Promoting attachment parenting |
Notable work | The Baby Book |
Spouse | Martha |
Children | 8, including Robert Sears |
William Penton Sears (born December 9, 1939), also referred to as Dr. Bill, is an American pediatrician and the author or co-author of parenting books. Sears is a celebrity doctor and has been a guest on various television talk shows. Sears is a proponent of the attachment parenting philosophy and is most well known for authoring The Baby Book, which popularized that style of parenting.[1]
Early life
William Sears was born in
After graduating from Saint Louis University in 1962, he enrolled in medical school and began teaching biology at a Catholic school. While studying medicine, he met his wife Martha, who at the time was a nurse at the university. The couple had a total of eight children, one of whom has Down syndrome. Sears cited his experience as a father as inspiration for many of his theories regarding parenting and infant development.[1]
Career
Sears began writing while working as a small town pediatrician.
After the success of the Baby Book, Sears was compared to pediatrician Benjamin Spock. Sears' advocacy of co-sleeping[3] put him at odds with Richard Ferber who advised parents to their children self soothe by crying themselves to sleep. Both authors ended up taking more moderate stances in a 2006 Day to Day episode revisiting the dispute, where they conceded that different approaches worked for different parents.[6]
Sears completed
He is a medical and parenting consultant for BabyTalk and
Sears and his family members are distributors and spokespersons for
Sears operates a "health coach" certification website, The Dr. Sears Wellness Institute.[11]
In 2012, Time ran a cover story about the life and legacy of Sears titled "The Man Who Remade Motherhood", which examined Sears' life and career.[1]
Personal life
In 1997, Sears was diagnosed with Stage III colon cancer, which went into remission after treatment. Sears and his wife Martha, a
As of 2009, Sears lives in
Reception
As of 2012, Sears had published over 40 works,[13] which were translated into 18 languages.[14] Sears' works promote the practice of attachment parenting, which emphasizes the importance of emotional availability and accessibility.[15][16]
Sears has been criticized for recommending parenting techniques which are "burdensome" or demanding of parents, particularly mothers whom he recommends stay at home with their infants.[5][17][18][4] Attachment parenting has also been described as a fad by some.[19]
Selected works
- Nighttime Parenting (1985)
- The Baby Book (1993)
- The Discipline Book (1995)
- SIDS: A Parent's Guide to Understanding and Preventing Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (1996)
- The Complete Book of Christian Parenting and Child Care: A Medical and Moral Guide to Raising Happy Healthy Children (1997)
- The Attachment Parenting Book (2001)
- The Successful Child: What Parents Can Do to Help Kids Turn Out Well (2002)
- The Premature Baby Book: Everything You Need to Know About Your Premature Baby from Birth to Age One (2004)
- The Healthiest Kid In The Neighborhood (2006)
- The Pregnancy Book
- The Birth Book
- Parenting the Fussy Baby
- The A.D.D. Book
- The Breastfeeding Book
- The Family Nutrition Book
References
- ^ a b c d e f "The Man Who Remade Motherhood". Time. Retrieved November 30, 2021.
- ISBN 978-0-7876-6715-3.
- ^ a b "William Sears proposes a kinder, gentler parental model; Caring: The physician believes in forming a strong parent-child attachment". Baltimore Sun. June 20, 1999. Retrieved December 1, 2021.
- ^ a b "Why I Hate Dr. Sears". Brain, Child. Retrieved December 9, 2021.
- ^ a b Abel, Heather (January 31, 2018). "The Baby, the Book, and the Bathwater". The Paris Review. Retrieved December 1, 2021.
- ^ "Dr. Ferber Revisits His 'Crying Baby' Theory". NPR.org. Retrieved December 1, 2021.
- ^ FOXNews.com – Asthma Out of Control in America's Kids – Health News
- ^ AskDrSears.com – Dr. Bill
- ^ Sears, Dr Bill (August 8, 2013). "Juice Plus+". Ask Dr Sears. Retrieved November 30, 2021.
- ^ "How product testimonials bend the rules". Archived from the original on July 21, 2006. Retrieved October 15, 2006.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link), Consumer Reports, January 2006 - ^ "About Us | Dr. Sears Wellness Institute". Dr. Sears Wellness Institute. Retrieved November 1, 2018.
- ^ Meet the Doctors – Dr. James Sears
- ISSN 0040-781X. Retrieved November 30, 2021.
- ISSN 0040-781X. Retrieved November 30, 2021.
- ^ Farhi, Paul (May 10, 2012). "Time cover milks shocking image (photo)". Washington Post. Retrieved November 30, 2021.
- ^ "The Seven B's of Attachment Parenting, Um, with Some Commentary". HuffPost. April 4, 2014. Retrieved November 30, 2021.
- ^ Singal, Jesse (April 4, 2016). "Is Attachment Parenting a Plot to Force Women Back Into the Home?". The Cut. Retrieved December 1, 2021.
- ^ Strauss, Elissa (July 8, 2016). "Attachment Theory Is Far More Forgiving Than Dr. Sears Makes It Seem". Slate Magazine. Retrieved November 30, 2021.
- ISSN 0027-8378. Retrieved December 9, 2021.
External links
- Official website
- Interview with Dr. William Sears about The Discipline Book, All About Kids! TV Series #201 (1995)