Attachment Parenting for Young Ones

Attachment Parenting is a style of parenting that many parents and professionals believe is best for both caregiver and baby. It stresses the importance of touch, nurturing, seeing to a baby’s cries and other positive discipline options like distracting, redirecting and guiding a child.

Attachment Parenting’s main theory is that when children’s needs are met in a positive and consistent manner by a caregiver early in life, they learn to trust and thrive…and grow!

Many believe the earlier in a child’s life this attachment begins, the better. Of course an infant relies on a caregiver for almost all of their needs. Brain development, and therefore all growth and development, rely on such supportive, nurturing behaviors.

Beware of placing infants on a prescribed “feeding schedule,” rather feed them when they are hungry. Beware too of the old wives tale that babies can be spoiled if they’re picked-up “too often”. If children don’t have this trust and bonding early, they may not learn to form healthy attachments later in life. They may suffer from insecurity, lack of empathy, and in extreme cases, anger and attachment disorders.

This is a general overview of the main ideas of Attachment Parenting. Lately there have been concerns which need to be considered, like:

Babies should not sleep in an adult bed…it is far too dangerous. Rollovers or suffocations are a major concern. Babies can have a bassinet or crib close.

The bottom line is that all types of secure attachment are vital for physical, emotional, moral, and social development of children.



Carol Cochard Pool, PCAIN Prevention Education Specialist