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Is Attachment Parenting Right for Your Child?   

In recent years, we have seen the emergence of many different parenting methodologies and attachment parenting is one approach that has gained a lot of attention. It encourages creating strong connections between parents and their children and involves practices such as baby-wearing, co-sleeping, immediate responsiveness to the needs of a child, etc. While many parents feel that this approach has a positive impact on a child’s emotional development, some argue that it has serious downsides.  

What is Attachment Parenting?  

In simple words, attachment parenting attachment parenting is all about constantly remaining physically close to children and being extremely responsive to their needs. The thinking behind this method is that parents who can bond strongly with their children are more likely to respond well to the needs of their children.  

The method of attachment parenting was developed by paediatrician William Sears in the 1980s. He strongly believed that sensitivity and responsiveness can build a secure parent-child attachment, which paves the way for a child’s secure relationships and independence as an adult. Some of the primary features of this type of parenting include holding children close, encouraging nurturing touch, avoiding strict feeding schedules, responsiveness to a child’s emotions, and co-sleeping.  

Benefits of Attachment Parenting   

By being responsive, parents can safeguard their children from experiencing negative emotions such as anger, fear, distress, etc. Studies suggest that this can benefit a child’s development process in several ways.  

• Emotional Resilience: Attachment security reduces the likelihood of behavioural and emotional problems and helps children effectively control and regulate their emotions.   
• Confidence to Explore: Children with a secure attachment are more confident about exploring the world around them on their own. As their parents are responsive towards them, these children know they have the support of their parents and are less likely to be fearful. 
• Cognitive Development: Securely attached children are more likely to excel in overall intelligence, cognitive engagement, and communication, and have a stronger desire to learn new skills.    
• Behaviour: A number of studies indicate that children who are securely attached to their parents have fewer behaviour related problems.    
• Stress Response: Research has shown that children experiencing close physical contact in the early part of their lives tend to develop better stress response mechanisms, cognitive control, and sleep patterns by 10 years of age.  

Demerits of Attachment Parenting 

Interestingly, attachment parenting also has its critics for the reasons discussed below.   

• This approach can be extremely time-consuming, and quite exhausting for parents. 
• It can impact the personal space of the parents. In some cases, parents may even find it difficult to maintain their individual identities. 
• Attachment parenting may face challenges as the child grows. Overly close parental relationships may hinder a child’s independent development.    

To sum up, it is important to remember that being a multifaceted approach; attachment parenting has both advantages and disadvantages.  While its benefits can be immense for the development of a child, it may pose serious challenges in terms of independence and personal space. The key here is to find a delicate balance and adapt the techniques of parenting as the child grows.  

If you have any questions or doubts regarding the development of your child, please get in touch with our expert educators at Valley Heights Preschool Long Day Care Centre.