The Goals Of Attachment Parenting
To some people attachment parenting means following a set of rules like dogma. Many sometimes feel ashamed when they cannot follow every single tenet set out for them, and others practice what is in truth attachment parenting yet rail out against it because they see the label as something more than just a label.
But what is the point of attachment parenting, what are the goals? While things such as breastfeeding and co-sleeping are the tools we use they are not the whole of what it entails. Attachment parenting is more than just the sum of it’s parts. To Dr. Sears
“Attachment parenting is a style of caring for your infant that brings out the best in the baby and the best in the parents.”
It is following your instincts and your child’s cues, feeding their need for dependence so that they become more confident and independent, to show empathy in order to teach it, and to just do what is easiest for that family. The reasons why and the goals are all different and the tools used to get there vary. But what matters is the smile on their child’s face.
I loved this post I read over the weekend called Kitchen Love. Not only is the photo at the top absolutely adorable, but the sentiments she shared are wonderful. She talks about being with them, really with them in eye contact and conversation and sharing. It is a prefect example of attachment parenting that doesn’t need the 7 rules. Just sharing precious time together rather than shooing them off to play shows the connection she has to her children. The goals are quite clear here.
So pull your little one up to the bathroom counter as you put on your makeup. Give her brushes and clips to play with, and have a little love-chat. Maybe one day, when she’s having a tough day 14 years later, she’ll seat herself up there.
attachment parenting, parenting
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