Attachment Parenting: Creating Stronger Bonds with your Kids
Attachment parenting is a relatively new parenting technique that has been getting all the attention from both would-be parents and veteran ones. It is a phrase created by a world-renowned pediatrician, William Sears. It is a parenting value that is pretty much based on the attachment theory in developmental psychology. This theory highly depicts the strong emotional bond between the children and the parents during childhood.
Attachment parenting is said to be the best precursor of resounding parent-children relationship up until adulthood. Some refer to it as natural parenting or natural mothering because it is surrounded by principles that involve natural parental instincts when all of the cultural and social influences are diminished. The benefits of attachment parenting include more sensitive parents and a happier baby.
How to get started on Attachment parenting?
Birth bonding is the very first step to being successful in attachment parenting. From the moment your baby is still in your womb to the very time he or she sees the world for the very first time, you should be present. Obviously not only physically present but emotionally there for your child as well.
Breastfeeding is another way to keep the bond between you and your baby strong. It is also a work out to read you baby's body language and cues which is the most vital step in getting to know your baby. Breastfeeding not only give both the baby and the mother a smart start in their mother-child life, but it also builds a strong attachment until adulthood.
Attachment parenting teaches parents how to distinguish the punishment and advices they roll out. And unlike other parenting methods that are taught, attachment parenting helps you get the rhythm of your baby's need instead of scheduling and watching a clock from time to time just to get the feedings right on time. These more controlled styles would eventually create a distance between you and your baby. This will also hold you back from becoming the expert in your child. Although other restrained styles are more convenient for other parents, it also subliminally creates a long-term loss in your immediate bond.
As a parent, you can decide on the intensity of attachment that is comfortable for you and your child. For some, attachment parenting is something that can be learned in parenting classes with the world renowned pediatrician. However, for most mothers, creating a strong bond with their little ones are mostly parental instincts, something that are innate in a parent's biological build up.
