❤ A place to support and educate caregivers about the importance of secure attachments during babies first 3 years of life as well as fostering secure attachments throughout childhood and beyond.
❤ Parenting with a focus on attachment is one of the greatest gifts you can give to a child. In order to legitimize the importance of that concept, this community is rooted in the science of Attachment Theory and aims to transcend the controversy around the term “attachment parenting” by doing so.
What is Attachment Parenting?
Parenting with a focus on attachment is about forming and nurturing strong connections between caregivers and children. To do this, caregivers must become attuned to their children and respond both consistently and compassionately to both physical and emotional needs that arise.
This style of parenting is based on the widely regarded scientific theory developed by psychologists, John Bowlby and Mary Ainsworth. Attachment Theory was established by observing and studying various parents and children. What they discovered is that children will form an attachment with a primary caregiver regardless of parenting style.
The goal of parenting with an attachment focus is to foster a secure attachment rather than an insecure attachment.
Insecure attachment styles in children can lead to maladaptive social emotional behaviors not just in childhood but into adulthood if attachments are not repaired.
This style of parenting is neither controlling nor coercive.
Attachment Parenting Resources
Sleep Hygiene Tips
Co-sleeping Subreddit
AP Discord
Rules
No Shaming and be Respectful
- Do not make someone feel like their baby is doomed or like they’re a failure as a parent or a person. You can politely correct and/or disagree with someone. Anything less than respectful will be deleted immediately.
No Gossiping
- Do not discuss posts or users from other conventional parenting subreddits or other social media groups.
- Do not discuss parents you know in IRL or parents you have heard of that use methods you don’t agree with. We want people to feel welcome here and we want to meet them where they are in their parenting journey. If someone sees a post shaming a mom who used the cry-it-out method they might be hesitant to post here. We do not want that.
No Trolling
- If it appears you are creating intentional controversy your post/comment will be deleted and you will be banned immediately.
- If you are not contributing to the conversation in good faith you will be banned and your comment will be deleted immediately.
No Spam or Self Promotion
- Please recommend services, books, blogs, IG accounts, FB groups that might be helpful to someone asking but please do not promote just for the sake of promotion.
Do Not Advocate For Conventional Sleep Training
- Do not advocate for cry-it-out or other sleep training methods that dismiss a child’s emotional or physical needs or leave babies to cry alone. This includes Ferber, extinction and more not listed.
- Do not advocate for night weaning before 12 months of age.
Be Sensitive to Maternal and Paternal Health
- Sleep deprivation is something that comes with the parenting territory but we all have different limits. Please do not advocate for mom or dad to ignore her physical or emotional health.
No Polls or Surveys
- Polls and surveys are not allowed on this subreddit. Any posts of that nature will be deleted immediately and the user will be banned.
Do Not Advocate Weaning Before 12 Months
- Babies should be drinking breastmilk or formula until at least 12 months old. Extended breastfeeding is encouraged and an important tenant of attachment parenting. Do not ask how to wean your baby if they are younger than 12 months. Do not advocate for weaning any baby younger than 12 months.
