Among the many controversies that the recent Time magazine cover feature has caused, one is that concerning attachment parenting. The tenets of attachment parenting as promoted by Dr Bill Sears and his wife Martha advocates co-sleeping, extended breast feeding and baby wearing (as in a sling).
Parents who themselves practice attachment parenting have come out and spoken up about this form of parenting. Many mothers find nothing strange about breastfeeding a toddler, but even among those mothers, there have been murmurs against the provocative photo featured on the magazine cover.
Many women who believe in extended breastfeeding that the cover of the magazine was designed to get a reaction and to get people talking.
The benefits of attachment parenting
Holly Keich who offers childbirth and prenatal yoga classes practices attachment parentingand makes certain clarifications about the practice.
This form of parenting is about responding to a child with love and taking into account what a child wants as well; not just the parents.
So, actually many parents are already practicing this, without putting a name to it. So if a child wants to continue breastfeeding beyond age 2, he or she should be permitted to do so.
Advocates of attachment parenting believe that this form of parenting enhances the parent child bond, makes a child more secure and better adjusted. It is also claimed that a child who is brought up this way is less likely to lie or throw tantrums and have a better-developed conscience.
They are more cooperative with parents and get along better with peers. There is also the thought that the children grow up more resilient to stress and with better help esteem.
Cons of attachment parenting
Those who oppose attachment parenting claim that there is no scientific or study based evidence to support all of the claims made by the advocates of attachment parenting. They claim that attachment parenting is just a form of over parenting that undermines a child’s independence and sense of judgment.
The naysayers also feel that this form of parenting is too lenient and over indulgent which ultimately is not good for the child’s upbringing. They also feel that this kind of parenting gives in to a child’s every whim and fancy and as such is an irresponsible way to parent kids. The charge is that this brings children up to be self-centered and insensitive to the feelings and needs of others.
