In this book, the author comes to the defense of children and argues against many well-known specialists in child-rearing who give parents advice on how to get children to behave well. The author shows that our main goal as parents is not to teach children discipline and instill a set of useful skills, but to satisfy their natural need for attachment—in emotional and physical contact. The book examines in detail questions that often worry young parents: why toddlers ask to be held; why they don’t like sleeping alone; when the child becomes independent; when it’s possible to stop using diapers; whether children should be praised and punished; whether it’s worth sending them to kindergarten; what socialization is, and many other things.