"Most games, in one way or another, but always in an easily understood way, model life itself. Naturally, each era is reflected in its most popular games and toys." - Boris Nikitin

Nikitin was a "professional father" who wrote a book on how he raised his seven children; this was disliked by the USSR and his family was prosecuted, although his books sold well in Japan and Germany.

I came across an article about him today in Inward Path, a "Russian Magazine for Human Development", from February 1992.

Some of his advice to parents are: never give bedtimes or regular meal times, let children eat and sleep whenever they want. Begin teaching children to walk early (studies have shown that if taught to walk systematically children, can learn to walk by 6 to 7 months, otherwise they may take until 12 months or more if not specifically taught). This also goes for teaching them to sit up and to crawl. Give them lots of sports and games and toys, but be selective and careful about which you choose, because those things are powerful. But let them choose when or if they play with those things, don't force them to (that also goes for teaching them to walk -- do it in a playful way that makes them want to learn, and don't force it when they don't want to). Have your children sleep with you in the same bed until they are around five years old.

Don't treat them as delicate, but realize that they are hardy and can handle minor injuries and extremes of cold and heat just as well as adults can, if not better. Their 3-year-old (note: 3-year-old) could run 2 miles as exercise, and jump down to the floor from on top of a table. At five years old they could join their parents in hiking 12-15 miles, carrying backpacks. Their five-year-old daughter could lift a weight 1.5 times heavier than herself off the floor. Before they were three, they could read, name most of the countries on the world map, and solve mathematical problems. This is likely not through any special genetics, but just through teaching and training, because some of their methods were adopted in preschools in Japan to similar results.

Unfortunately his work is unknown today and it's virtually impossible to get a copy of his books, as I don't believe it was ever translated into English, and the only thing I could find on eBay is this, and I don't know Russian (although I could always give it to my father to translate or something). One is a book on games he invented to help his children's intellectual development, although some of those games are described here too (.RTF file).

Anyway, I'll be sure to read them before I have children if I ever do, because these methods appeal to me.