87. Attachment Parenting
Having your kid physically attached to you probably
't sound like fun, but an American pediatrician, William
, promotes a style of parenting that keeps small
as physically attached as possible. This is called
parenting.
The idea behind attachment parenting is that
a small baby feels protected and safe by
contact with their parent, especially their mother, that
will grow up to be a more independent
. One way parents are encouraged to be close
their babies is by using a sling or
wrap to carry the baby around instead of
the baby in a carriage. This is often
"wearing" your baby. Parents are also encouraged to
with their babies. Parents are too big to
in a crib, so instead parents are told
bring the baby into the adult bed. This
supposed to teach the baby about sleep regulation
well since the baby will learn to mimic
sleep patterns. This co-sleeping is controversial though. There
concerns that babies sleeping with adults could suffocate,
get crushed, or fall off the bed. There
also concern about sudden infant death syndrome, or
, where babies just suddenly stop breathing.
Another marker
attachment parenting is not worrying about spoiling a
. Many times parents feel that paying attention to
baby's every cry makes them too needy or
. Attachment parenting feels that every baby's cry should
responded to and that the baby should never
left to "cry it out." Instead, the baby
be comforted and crying should be taken as
signal that the baby needs something. Most attachment
also breastfeed on demand, feeling that not only
this physically healthier for the baby, but also
a bond between mother and child.
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