Dear Reader,

Today,unlike what l did to my former interviewees, l’ll not want to introduce our guest interviewee because she’s a great woman and l’ve given her he liberty to do the introduction herself. l feel you’ll find her as interesting as l did .Please let me know your feeling about this interview

Happy reading.

Dr Gayle:I am Dr Gayle Peterson, founder of www.makinghealthyfamilies.com .I am a family

therapist and specialize in pregnancy, childbirth and parenting. I am also the creator of The Peterson Method of Prenatal Counseling and Birth Hypnosis and direct the training programs-

Facebook | Prenatal and Birth Hypnosis Training and Certification. I have offices in Berkeley and

Nevada City , California. I am the mother of two adult children and my husband and I are grandparents to 3 lively boys and one sparkly granddaughter!

Dr Gayle:Parenthood represents a rite of passage that inevitably requires growth and development of the parent along with the child. There are other ways to learn, but becoming a parent, and being responsible for the well-being and development of a child is definitely one of the best crucibles for maturation. Don’t do it, unless you are serious about growing yourself!

Dr.Gayle: The most natural, healthy food for a newborn, which also assists in bonding between mother and child.

Dr.Gayle: Many of my clients do balance work and family. It is one of the tasks of this generation in becoming a family. Prioritizing, having support in parenting, addressing gender role issues between partners and streamlining everyday tasks is crucial to establishing a healthy balance. See my book, Making Healthy Families , chapter 4 on Love and Work, or visit my

website to read the article.

Dr.Gayle: The ability to attach with some knowledge of child development is a start, but for a list of qualities to look for in a caretaker go to my article: Working moms: get rid of the guilt .

Dr.Gayle: My child was 3 years old and very much into helping with the baby. I prepared her for a sibling, which I think helped. For more on sibling preparation, see my article, Preparing your child for a new baby

Dr.Gayle:  In our culture, the firm, established transition to adulthood is by far the most important foundation to begin parenting. Becoming a parent as a teenager is fraught with difficulties based on the developmental needs of the teen being at odds with the developing needs of a newborn.

Dr.Gayle: Preventative help is the best! Talk to your preteen about drugs. See my article for tips and research on this subject: Talking to your preteen about drugs The key is secure attachment in families and community. Research shows that children who have even one person caring for them are less likely to get involved in drugs.

Dr.Gayle: Family processes that promote respect over disrespect, connection over disconnection and have a balance of discipline and love are at the heart of prevention. See my articles and free online workshop for parents: How to help a disrespectful teenager who “doesn’t care” and Promoting Healthy Family Relationships , a family seminar.

Dr,Gayle: Discuss with one another what kind of parenting you experienced and the kind of parent you want to be. For couples’ exercise on this subject see my free online seminar: What to Expect Before you are Expecting: Questions every parent should ask before having a baby

Dr.Gayle: Books, seminars and workshops that are experiential in nature and grounded in research on what makes healthy families is a great way to go!

Dr.Gayle: They may be helpful adjuncts, however parents should always be the leaders of their families. Coaches, like midwives, need good training in their subject area.  Coaches and family therapists that are well trained in child development and know the research on the characteristics of what makes healthy families can be helpful. See my book, Making Healthy Families for more on this subject.

Dr.Gayle: Statistics show that more than half of families today do not have the luxury of NOT having two working parents. Research on children’s self-esteem shows that having mothers who balance work and career is not only possible, but can be in the best interests of all family members. It takes work and getting the right work and daycare situations. Our attention is best

focused upon continuing to obtain greater flexibility for parents in the workplace, and instituting family/work policies in our government that support families, rather than overly stress them. These policies* of support are already in place in many European countries. For more articles on this very important subject, go to: Work & Parenthood *for more on European support to families see: http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/2005-07-26-maternity-leave_x.htm

Sikaz: Thank you so much Dr. Gayle.I appreciate the time you’ve spent on this interview.I hope when next l call on you l’ll be accorded the same reception.