Observing recently the lack of facial affect on the part of young parents with their infant children, a friend told of reading that psychologists have noted that small children are showing poor facial recognition these days.
Take the face away. Hide it behind a screen whose glare blasts out a detached "presence" for all to see.
When taking your infant for a walk in the neighborhood keep your face disengaged from your surroundings by talking on your cell phone or listening to your iPod so that insulated isolation becomes familiar and will not disappoint the child when he or she is old enough to feel it.
A young family recently moved in across the hall from me. The three little children are both very active and very noisy. I commented to the mother how much I loved having them there. "Really?" She seemed incredulous. Let's hear it for noise, including crying.
