August 19, 2012
Brought into the spotlight through recent negative publicity (i.e., the infamous Time magazine breastfeeding cover), attachment parenting has gotten a bad rap.
I just read a wonderful article about attachment parenting in The Attached Family magazine which, describing the latest research on the subject, debunks the traditional and, dare I say, old-fashioned ideas behind the Time magazine editorial.
Current studies contradict the entrenched understanding of parental attachment expressed in Time magazine. Secure attachment is key to healthy human development.
Attachment theory is a widely accepted view of child development today. It is based on the concept that an infant needs to develop a strong mutual relationship of communication and response with the mother or primary caregiver for development to occur normally. Where the mother or primary caregiver doesn’t provide the needed security through the creation of a sensitive responsive relationship with the infant, the child may be unable to form healthy relationships in the future. Other problems can include inappropriate or inhibited responses or hypervigilant behaviors in social situations.
Recent scientific studies have demonstrated these consequences, among others.
Take a look at this fantastic article and see what you think: http://theattachedfamily.com/membersonly/?p=3250.