Do You Hold Your Toddler?
Almost along a similar line as my post earlier, Parenting and Brain Development, I read a post on holding toddlers and the benefits and wanted to share. The post is at Pajama Mommy but is actually a guest post by Joanne Baum, PhD., LCSW of Respectful Parenting.
From the post “Pick Me Up Mommy” Ten Reasons to Hold Your Toddler:
They need reassurance that where their brains are taking them is safe. They need more explanations of the new encounters they don’t understand. And they need holding and nurturing so they feel safe and can go back out there and explore some more…
My personal favorite reason is #7 because you can apply that to more than just holding your toddler. Co-sleeping until the child is ready to move on, extended breastfeeding, and comforting their cries when they need it helps build a sense of security that grows. Despite the common myth that doing these things will prevent a child from becoming independent, what many see if a child who feels safe and therefore more comfortable seeking out independence.
Parents are feeding their child’s self-esteem, confidence, trust, and sociability by holding them when they ask for it.
Go read the rest of the list and then check out Respectful Parenting to see what other gems might be hidden there.
parenting, toddlers, attachment parenting, blogs, links
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