ABSTRACT

This volume is to help parents understand what their baby is likely to be feeling in the first year. It describes how the baby's sense of self develops, with intentionality, empathy and recognition of the self. It focuses on the baby's subjective experience of the world, viewing the baby as a subject in his or her own right, and in this way makes a unique contribution in the area of understanding the early non-verbal experiences of infants. Each of the authors featured has published papers and books for the academic and clinical communities; the present volumes, however, are specifically aimed at parents. The intent is not to convince but to inform the reader. Rather than offering solutions, we are describing, explaining and discussing the problems that parents meet while bringing up their children, from infancy through to adulthood.

chapter 1|10 pages

setting the scene

part I|56 pages

A Baby's Developing Self

chapter 3|13 pages

a baby's intentional self

chapter 4|18 pages

a baby's self-recognition

chapter 5|12 pages

a baby's empathic self

part II|39 pages

The Tasks Facing the Developing Self

chapter 7|12 pages

attachment and separation

chapter 8|6 pages

thinking

chapter 10|8 pages

concern and oedipal wishes

part III|15 pages

The Self in Difficulty

chapter 11|12 pages

physical and emotional difficulties

chapter |1 pages

afterword