I didn’t read any books on parenting, I didn’t research philosophies or practices. As someone who believed so adamantly that my body knew how to be pregnant and give birth, I was certain that I would be able to parent naturally, on instinct. It turns out, in the end, that my natural instincts are strongly in line with the principles of Attachment Parenting.
Each parent chooses to parent differently with their own style, and each parenting style can be interpreted differently depending on the person. To me, Attachment Parenting means being connected with your child, responsive and loving and choosing to respect his or her boundaries and abilities. Babies communicate in a different way than adults, and I believe that Attachment Parenting is closely linked to communicating with your child.
For me, Attachment Parenting means not letting your baby get to the point of crying and letting him or her cry. It means observing your child, interacting with him or her and learning to understand his or her needs (be it hunger, warmth, comfort) as soon as possible, until they are able to say, “hey, I’m hungry!” to you in a matter-of-fact way. Attachment Parenting means finding out why your baby is crying and aiming to meet that need as soon as you can, for the benefit of the child.
For me, Attachment Parenting means keeping your baby close…keeping him or her close when you’re sleeping (we practice co-sleeping), or out and about (baby-wearing). It means allowing your child to be a part of your world, to communicate and learn at your level by being up close to you, to hear you talk and interact.
All-in-all, I believe that Attachment Parenting is based on love and respect, communication and learning…from both the parent and child. It is about observing and understanding the relationship and working within its limitations to form healthy bonds, to grow and develop as children and as parents.
And, when I put it that way, I can’t imagine adhering to any other parenting style.
Guest Bio: Kalyn is a twenty-something blogger from Canada, living with her husband Chris, her baby daughter Ophelia and two dogs. In addition to spending time with her family, Kalyn enjoys travel, shopping, and cooking. To read more about her day to day adventures, visit Spits and Giggles, where Kalyn blogs about about natural parenting, breastfeeding, cloth diapering and more.