In my travels about the web trying to find what the “official” attachment parenting stance is on television, I came upon this charming site.
Anyway, the site goes on about how you’re supposed to shop for a king-sized bed as soon as you find out you’re pregnant with #2 (too bad if your bedroom can barely fit a queen-sized bed, like ours), nurturing around the clock is important (um, I can play loud music around Otto and he won’t wake up, how is he going to realize I’m nurturing him if he’s that dead to the world?), daycare is not as beneficial for a child as having a parent around, but if you’re a single parent then it’s okay (I hate this argument), how blankets and stuffed animals and cribs are mother substitutes and should be avoided (*you* try putting Otto to sleep without his blankie and piggy. Go ahead, I’ll wait here).
And so on and so forth.
Our author ends this with the following promising language: “There is no one right way to parent all children. No one else is going to parent just the way you do because no one else has your children. ……However, if you choose not to breastfeed, you are comfortable with spanking your kids, and you truly believe that babies should "cry it out" at bedtime, then you probably aren't going to find that my parenting philosophy, or anything resembling Attachment Parenting, will fit in with your beliefs.
Why do all attachment parents believe that those who formula feed and let their kids CIO also spank? Are they the Triple Entente of Non-AP or something?
Anyway, that’s all well and good, she acknowledges that there are people out there who do not follow her parenting philosophy….
“I would encourage those of you that fit that description to read more about the many benefits of a nurturing parenting style.”
…..but they’re wrong, of course.
My point? Um, good question. I think it’s something like this. I, too, am an “instinctive parent”, like all attachment parents insist they are. My instincts tell me that it is not necessarily a good thing to wear your child like a sweater all the time. My instincts tell me that if your child falls asleep and stays asleep, it doesn’t matter if he/she’s in your bed or in a crib or on a hardwood floor, and if having your child sleep with you means that you don’t get any sleep, then maybe it’s not necessarily the best thing. My instincts tell me that sometimes babies cry for NO reason and they probably don’t necessarily appreciate having Mommy trying to jam a breast in their face every single time they cry.
So there.
Hmm…..the website is for sale, all content included…..$500.00. Maybe I should start a telethon.
Posted by Whitney Whitney Whitney at February 26, 2003 11:50 AM