Top child psychologist Dr. Fran Walfish has congratulated Elton and David on their Christmas baby, insisting they'll make great parents.

Walfish, the author of new book "The Self-Aware Parent: Resolving Conflict and Building A Better Bond with Your Child", salutes the couple on its decision to keep the pregnancy and the identity of the surrogate top secret - and she hopes the media will respect Elton's privacy as he tackles fatherhood for the first time.

Little Zachary Jackson Levon Furnish-John was born on Christmas Day 2010 and Elton and David waited until December 27, 2010 to announce the happy news. Dr. Walfish says, "They are already positioning their family with a surrounding wall of privacy and protection. They have laid the first layer of bricks and mortar as foundation for shielding for their son. These parents have taken their first steps to normalise the childhood of little Zachary. It's hard enough parenting a child. The challenge of parenting under the scrutiny of public judgmental opinion increase complications for both child and parents. Good job, Elton and David!"

And she warns bigots who may question whether two gay men can give a child everything he or she needs to keep their thoughts to themselves - because in her experience more and more kids are being brought up by gay or lesbian parents. She adds, "Each classroom where I have expert consulted in private schools has at least one family where the constellation consists of a gay couple, male or female, and their child or children. Research suggests that they turn out about the same, no better, no worse and no more likely to be gay than other kids. My professional clinical experience is that gay parents have the same challenges that heterosexual parents do. They must balance loving and nurturing their child with setting and following-through on clear boundaries."

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