Ezzo, the Early Years. . . .
 

Can you all fill me in? What motivated it all? When did it start? I'm talking a history lesson here. :popcorn Some of you were "there," weren't you? I know it was Cali. I know it was at Grace Community, right? Is there an article on all this?

I think I remember reading in your blog, TulipMama, that *someone* interpreted those early years as a necessary counterbalance to the over-crunchiness of Cali at the time. :shrug How do YOU all remember it?

:popcorn

C

Re: Ezzo, the Early Years. . . .
 

:popcorn

Re: Ezzo, the Early Years. . . .
 

I believe there is a timeline on the Ezzo.info site put together by Taketime from the PP board. If you don't find it there, I have a copy in word and can send it to you.

Re: Ezzo, the Early Years. . . .
 

I've heard that explaination before.

But quite frankly, I find it hard to believe. And its not just Ezzo that uses it...its just about every punative parenting author. "The world is going to he** in a handbasket, parents are permissive, kids are terrible. Crime is up, and it is massively impacting on our kids." Dobson even has a truly incredible "quote" (he doesn't footnote it, so you can't check his source) in "The New Dare to Discipline" about how one advanced placement highschool class in Baltimore was surveyed, and 75% of the students had WITNESSED a murder. Not just known of someone personally that was murdered, but WITNESSED a murder. Come on! I did live a sheltered childhood, but not *that* sheltered, and I don't even know someone personally that was murdered (though I have done extensive research on the murder of a librarian from the college I went to--which did lead to a grand jury re-convening to look at the case nearly 20 years after the event, but she was killed 5 years before I even so much as set foot on the campus for a tour.)

So seriously, I find it hard to believe. Growing up in public schools there were kids who had more permissive parents than others. But permissive parenting was an oddity enough that EVERYONE knew who it was that "got away with everything." Even when I look at TV programs, for the most part parents who are authoritative are depicted as good parents, not permissive parents.

Yes, there is sin in the world. Yes, there are problems in parenting. But I just don't see an overwhelmingly permissive culture that someone existed in the 70's & 80's, and now we have to react against it. But hey, maybe I've got my head in the sand.

BTW, I'm looking for an old copy of Dr. Spock to read to find out what it is that he actually taught--since he is the "poster child" for all things negative in parenting from the punative Christian mindset. If you have one that you would loan out, I'd love to get it. I want to see if he really was all that bad...or is he just the "Dr. Brazelton" of the 1950's?

Jenn

Re: Ezzo, the Early Years. . . .
 

I don't know if this is what you are looking for or not. This was put together by Taketime who posts under a different name on this board - I'll let her claim her work if she wants :lol

Re: Ezzo, the Early Years. . . .
 

My *impression* is that Gary and Anne Marie Ezzo had two wonderful daughters and were very involved with ministry. They knew another couple and together they were reaching out to other families, encouraging them, and teaching them some things that *may* have been overlooked in their cultural context (forming a strong family identity, importance of active involvement in children's lives, importance of a strong marriage, etc.) My *impression* is that it grew from there, and the Ezzos became more dogmatic and expanded their teachings. Their influence grew and so they began to focus on this new "ministry" and grew it into a business. At some point, people came to them with weaknesses in what they were teaching, but it was harder for them to acknowledge those weaknesses or admit mistakes because of all that they had published, proclaimed and promoted.

Later, the Ezzos were confronted by the elders of their church(es) and did not respond with repentence. Hence, the unresolved church discipline issues.



cklewis, I believe you remember reading a discussion that was over at Hubby's blog, probably this one:
http://www.postmodernclog.com/archives/001121.html


But it may have been another one:
http://www.google.com/search?q=ezzo+...&start=10&sa=N


Or at my blog:
http://www.tulipgirl.com/mt/archives..._babywise.html

Re: Ezzo, the Early Years. . . .
 

Oh, and here is the link to the full timeline of the Ezzo controversy:

http://ezzo.info/Timeline/timeline1.htm


It is a MUST read for anyone at all connected with Ezzo or interested in how his materials have impacted parenting.

Re: Ezzo, the Early Years. . . .
 

CKL,
In one of my conversations with her, Ann Marie Ezzo told me personally that the beginning was about other people asking them for help/input. BUT I remember Gary saying that the baby stuff was exactly intended as a counterbalance--a fresh breath of common sense to all the rampant AP stuff in CA.

Re: Ezzo, the Early Years. . . .
 

:hunh

Wow, I didn't realize that children were powerful enough to limit God.

Re: Ezzo, the Early Years. . . .
 

:rolleyes Yeah -- that sound about right. From what *I* remember, Dobson started to go national in the early 80s. I mean, we'd look in the paper to find where those movies were being shown after church so we could go there. So I guess I'm wondering if Ezzo saw a cash-cow in all the parenting what-not. :scratch Just a suspicious, cynical thought. . . .

Oh, I got one! My mom gave it to me. :grin Good ol' mom. Then again -- maybe I found it at a used book store. :think Anyway, I read it several years back, but tbh, it was pretty Ezzo-ish. :shifty By that I mean, it was pretty scheduled and formula-feeding-focused. I'll go get it in a sec and look at it. I would most certainly describe him as the Brazelton of the 50s. Mainstream, skimming the surface of the parenting culture, and writing it all down. :shrug I found nothing that would make him sound permissive. My mom said she liked him back then. :shrug

Yes, Elizabeth, I did re-read that timeline. :scratch It seems that Ezzo is just behind Dobson in getting rolling. I still wonder if he fancied himself THAT influential. I mean, I'm looking for an external motivation to understand Evangelical trends. The 80s were our bliss, you all remember? Reagan was prez. . . . Ah, Reagan. . . .

Thanks for the blog links, TM. Yes, it was your hubby's blog. I remember now. I will go re-read those too. . . .

:think You kinda get that there's something specifically stuck in his craw about it, yk? It's not a thorough presentation of AP, it's not accurate, and it's very superficial. Like they had a neighbor who bugged him or something. . . .

Off to read. Be back. . . .

C

Re: Ezzo, the Early Years. . . .
 

Yeah, TM, this was the one (http://www.postmodernclog.com/archives/001121.html). What do you think of Greg's take? What do the rest of you think? Anybody there at the time? Is that how YOU'D describe it? I mean, I'm not in SoCal, but I know life's different on the left coast. . . .

Jenn? I'm going to start a new thread about Spock. I have my Mom's hardback copy from 1957. :grin Third printing. First one in 1945.

C

Re: Ezzo, the Early Years. . . .
 

Camille, I have definitely thought at times, "I bet Ezzo knew some body or somebodies who identified themselves as AP/La Leche League parents who bugged him." I don't really know what the impetus was. I first encountered him circa 1990-1991 on his Southern California call-in radio program.

The Spock my mother used when I was born in 1958 was very Ezzo-like. When I told her about Ezzo and his teachings she confessed she had handled me much the same way. My mother is not a person who cries, but she cried a bit as she told me about it, and how she regrets it.

Re: Ezzo, the Early Years. . . .
 

:popcorn

(I need to come back to this later. . . ) :grin