It's Only Natural
Title
It's Only Natural
Creator
Description
Many so called "Baby Boomers," born after World War II, were raised by parents who subscribed to the child rearing philosophy of Dr. Benjamin Spock. In his book "Baby and child Care," written in 1946, he advises parents to rely on their natural loving instincts as the guiding principle in bringing up their children.
When their children came of age to be parents, the "natural" approach was applied to many aspects of life, including child birth and breast feeding, and the purchase of toys that promoted creativity and not violence.
In his series, "It's Only Natural," WIVB-TV reporter Rich Newberg, a new father whose wife gave up a teaching career to become a "stay-at-home mom," explores the norms of the 1980's. Dr. Spock is featured in his reports.
In the final segment, Spock defends himself against conservative critics who blame him for being overly permissive in his advice to parents. Some of his detractors advocate spanking as a form of discipline. Spock says was never a "permissivist." He says he was singled out by critics because of his opposition to the Vietnam War.
When their children came of age to be parents, the "natural" approach was applied to many aspects of life, including child birth and breast feeding, and the purchase of toys that promoted creativity and not violence.
In his series, "It's Only Natural," WIVB-TV reporter Rich Newberg, a new father whose wife gave up a teaching career to become a "stay-at-home mom," explores the norms of the 1980's. Dr. Spock is featured in his reports.
In the final segment, Spock defends himself against conservative critics who blame him for being overly permissive in his advice to parents. Some of his detractors advocate spanking as a form of discipline. Spock says was never a "permissivist." He says he was singled out by critics because of his opposition to the Vietnam War.
Date
1987-02
Publisher
Buffalo & Erie County Public Library (publisher of digital)
WIVB (Television Station : Buffalo, N.Y.)
Rights
Copyright held by WIVB-TV. Access to this digital version provided by the Buffalo & Erie County Public Library. Videos or images in this collection are not to be used for any commercial purposes without the expressed written permission of WIVB-TV and the Buffalo & Erie County Public Library. Users of this website are free to utilize material from this collection for non-commercial and educational purposes.
Type
Moving Image
Format
video/mp4
Language
Collection
Citation
Newberg, Rich, “It's Only Natural,” B&ECPL Digital Collections, accessed December 5, 2025, https://digital.buffalolib.org/document/17426.