Ah yes, that's the sort of thing I was getting at JL. So building independence? (Now I could argue that forcing separation would have the opposite effect, but anyway )

Kaz, I'd noted the same time before too re feeding versus settling. Babies can't feed themselves, but they have to sleep by themselves

I'm just interested from a historical cultural/anthropological/whateverdoosiwhatsit view. I read someone that the rigid parenting 'methodologies' (?) of the early 20th century were intended to create emotionally detatched soldiers etc. (I could have that totally wrong.)