By the Bel: Interview with Andrew Whitehouse

Belinda Hamilton interviews Professor Andrew Whitehouse about his book “Will Mozart Make My Baby Smart”.

 Bel~ Most mothers-to-be in the pre 2000’s would have picked up a copy of What to expect when you’re expecting (book, not movie) and followed the progress of their bundle of joy with each new chapter… Now there is a wealth of information and an even greater wealth of misinformation online. How should parents-to-be best sift through what is fact and what is pure fiction?

Andrew~ The Internet has been such a double-edged sword for new parents. It’s great to have all of the information at your finger-tips, but which information is correct? One of the greatest problems with the Internet is that if people have an opinion, then they could search online and there is bound to be someone who is showing ‘evidence’ to support that opinion, whether it is indeed correct or not!

I always feel that the best advice to give parents is: ‘you know more than you think you do’. Try as best you can to take the fear away from the upcoming years. It is indeed a bit scary, but it is also such a wonderful time full of so manyt unexpected joys. Rely also on the advice of trained health and early childhood professionals. In the vast majority of cases, they won’t have a vested interest, and will be keen just to dispense the best advice.

Bel~ I’m a big believer in kids learning how to be a gracious loser when it comes to sports, games and life in general. What harm do you think we are causing by putting a Freddo Frog in every layer of the pass the parcel and giving every kid a ribbon for running the race, effectively making the win null and void?

Andrew~ Someone far cleverer than me once wrote that education is not about filling a bucket, but about lighting a fire. What a beautiful idea! It means that education is not about piling on top of children each and every piece of knowledge they will need to navigate a life’s journey. No. It means that education is about igniting a passion for a life full of learning.

Emotional education is critical for child development. Teaching children about the highs and lows of the human condition ignites a lifelong relationship with resilience, persistence and humility. Few achieve a happy and content life without a healthy dose of these three attributes.

The mistakes children make are on a far smaller scale than those they will make in their adult years. Teaching children that not everything they do will be rewarded, allowing them to make mistakes, giving them the opportunity absorb feedback – all of this is part of nudging children towards a relationship with their own emotions.

Limiting praise does not mean increasing punishment. It’s quite the opposite. It is about providing children with a safe environment to learn that their self-esteem must be based on their own appraisal of their worth, rather than that of anyone else.

To impart that knowledge, is to truly light a fire.

Saying that, a Freddo Frog for everyone at a party seems like a fun way to spend an afternoon!

Bel~ If a parent has concerns that their child might be suffering Autism Spectrum Disorder, what should their first step be?

Andrew~ Don’t wait. Talk to your GP about getting child assessed for ASD. New research shows that children as young as one may exhibit signs of autism, so recognizing early signs and knowing developmental milestones is important. Early intervention is key.

Bel~ Would you mind sharing with us what you hope to achieve personally in the field of ASD?

Andrew~ My research team has two goals:

(1) trying to identify the causes of ASD

(2) how to help people with ASD and their families live the most fulfilling life possible. It is this second goal that I really want to focus on next. There are so many different therapies that are available for people with ASD, but there is very little hard scientific evidence that they are effective. I’m very keen to find out not only which therapies work, but also which therapies work for which children.

I want to devise a roadmap for families from the moment of diagnosis, to give them every opportunity to life a wonderful, happy life.

Professor Andrew Whitehouse of the Telethon Institute for Child Health Research poses those questions that make you gasp, snigger and ponder; the questions that you’ve thrown around over a coffee with friends, without ever reaching a conclusion.

In a wonderful combination of stories from modern parenting, tales from history, and scientific research, Andrew Whitehouse busts open thirteen of the best myths around, and provides reassurance and light relief from the challenges of parenthood.