Attachment Parenting is Easy

Natural Parenting, or Attachment Parenting as its also known has lots of connotations for different people, but essentially its just about keeping your baby or toddler close to you, responding effectively to their needs, and using instinctive, natural tools and feelings to parent your child. Very often NP/AP includes breastfeeding, co-sleeping, baby wearing, baby led weaning, and using cloth/reusable nappies, but there are no set rules – its not an exclusive club; just a set of simple ideas. To read more about the benefits of attachment parenting see this article from Dr Sears.

Many people who don’t use NP/AP believe that it would be difficult, time consuming, that you lose your own free time, you dont get a break, etc etc…. personally I find Natural/Attachment parenting convenient, easy and beneficial for our family for many reasons. Here are 5 reasons why it works for us:

1. Co-sleeping = no sleepless nights. Win!
My babies have been tucked up (safely) next to me all night, meaning when they stir with hunger they don’t have to fully wake to cry for food, and I don’t have to get up either. Its horrible having to get out of your nice snuggly warm bed in the middle of the night; I love having my baby right next to me, knowing she’s safe, warm, comforted, and well fed. We wake up happy and well-rested in the morning.

2. Breastfeeding = less faff. full stop.
No scrubbing bottles, no sterilising, no warming milk, no storing, measuring and mixing powder and water, no getting up at night to make up bottes… I have nothing against bottle feeding and I understand that some people just cant breastfeed, but honestly Im so glad that I can because its soooo much less hassle than bottle-feeding. Breastfeeding and co-sleeping work really well together too.

3. Babyled weaning = happy family meals and hot dinners for you!
Babyled weaning is essentially allowing your baby to feed themselves as they transition onto solid food (rather than pureeing and spoon feeding). You can find out more about BLW by reading the excellent book. BLW encourages positive feeding habits, natural portion control and a taste for lots of flavours and textures. It is less hassle and cheaper too; you don’t have to make special food as your baby can just have some of your dinner and you can all eat together, which is great for family bonding. And if you’re really lucky you’ll be able to eat your own dinner while its still hot because baby will be busy eating their own!

4. Responding to cries = secure, independent children…
For reasons unbeknown to me many people seem to think that by cuddling your baby, picking them when they cry, reassuring them when they’re anxious, or settling them to sleep when they’re tired, that you will ‘spoil’ your baby, that they will be clingy and fussy and never ever be able to leave your side. Its just not true. AP children develop an inner security and attachment to you which will allow them to engage with the world effectively and independently. As Dr Sears says, “Spoiling happens when a child is put on the shelf, left alone, forgotten about–the way that food spoils.”

5. Baby wearing = happy baby & free hands for you.

I carried my son in a wrap until about 9 months as he had silent reflux and he was just a lot happier being with me. I currently wear my 5 month old daughter in a pouch sling, which she always falls asleep in and it leaves my hands free for housework, playing with Jake, and writing! 🙂 I can also feed her in the sling, and its lovely to see her so content. Plus I dont have to faff with a pushchair in and out of the car, on the beach or through busy crowds. I use a hipseat to carry my son at 2.5 years old, and can easily carry them together as well.

My children are happy and so am I. I think maybe Im too lazy to do anything but AP. 🙂

Post Author: Kat

Katherine has a background in special education, early years childcare, and has a BA and MA in the creative and performing arts. She blogs at Creative Playhouse about her children’s activities and interests, including offering an Ecourse on Connecting Family through Creative Play, she also runs parent communities, is a designer and a work at home mum to Jake (3.5) and Poppy (15 months).

5 thoughts on “Attachment Parenting is Easy”

Kelly

(August 10, 2012 - 7:27 pm)

Amazing photo of Jake (?) getting involved with spaghetti! x

The Monko

(August 10, 2012 - 8:36 pm)

I think this is the first post on AP I have every read that actually started by spelling out what it was and that there aren’t any specific ‘requirements’ – i never knew I practiced AP – I always thought because we close slept rather than co-slept, failed at baby led weaning because our son wanted more food faster than his baby chewing abilities could handle (we opted for a bit of both) and used disposables all the way that we didn’t fit the definition of AP. Seeing as the rest of my parenting was much closer to AP its good to know thats not the case. It does feel like an exclusive club when other blogs talk about it.

Rebekah

(September 19, 2012 - 12:53 am)

We were the same way. I never have called myself an AP’er because we fell into the practices naturally because that’s what worked for our girl. If things were different, we may have used different practices. I guess that’s why I don’t call myself AP’er. I am not sold that it’s the only way, but it sure was the only way that worked for us. 😉

Amber

(September 17, 2012 - 12:58 am)

I love how you ended this post comparing AP to being lazy. So many people asked me how I could breastfeed for a whole year even though I was gluten free for my son’s allergies or how I could wear him or carry him all the time or so many other things that to me came naturally and were so much easier than the alternatives. Stopping by from the Sunday Parenting Party!

The Monko

(September 22, 2012 - 11:14 am)

pinning to the Sunday Parenting Party board. Ta

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