(ThyBlackMan.com) Today it was reported that Time Magazine has printed a controversial picture of a woman breastfeeding her three year old son, which will be featured in the May 21st issue. Of course when this hit the news Twitter and Face Book posts were blowing up the internet. I am unsure if people were upset because of the woman simply breastfeeding or the fact that the child was three years old and standing in a chair doing, it as opposed to being an infant.
According to the Associated Press reaction to the Time cover underscored a cultural rift between traditional childrearing and what some have deemed 
“extreme parenting.” The attachment philosophy encourages mothers to respond to their babies’ every cry and form close bonds with near-constant physical contact through “co-sleeping” (letting them sleep in the bed with parents rather than in cribs) and “baby-wearing” (carrying them on slings instead of pushing them in strollers).
The cover story deals with the ideal of Attachment Parenting. Advocates of Attachment Parenting believe that this parenting style nurtures a very strong connection between the parents and the child, resulting in a child growing up to be a more caring and compassionate adult.
Attachment Parenting is the constant presence of a parent being within reach of a child. This form of parenting has been called extreme parenting by some. While watching a piece on Attachment Parenting months ago on the news I found it very interesting to see parents taking turns holding their children as is they were afraid to let go. Many of these children are breast fed well past the age of four. They also sleep with their parents up to the point of entering school. Proponents of attachment parenting advise that the constant presence of a parent is a positive one.
Dr. Mayim Bialik who plays the nerdy neurobiologist on CBS’ “The Big Bang Theory” shares her parenting experience in her new book, “Beyond the Sling: A Real-Life Guide to Raising Confident, Loving Children the Attachment Parenting Way.”
Attachment parenting is most known for its principle of co-sleeping with your children, but Bialik explains that it’s so much more. She says it’s about addressing the needs of your child in a way that will bond her to you. It’s choosing natural childbirth, breast-feeding, wearing your baby as much as possible in an infant sling or carrier and using gentle discipline when he gets older. It’s not putting him on a feeding and sleeping schedule or using a crib or letting him “cry it out.”
This leaves to question if wearing your child is a good thing and if allowing your children to sleep in a family bed is healthy. Does this really help the child in the long run? Will this take away the child’s ability to become independent? Will it also take away their ability to socialize with others, especially children their own age?
How much is too much when it comes to parenting? Is there a limit? Is there such a thing as too much parenting?
Even though some believe this helps to prevent violence in society as a whole. Can attachment parenting do more harm than good or is this parenting style a better alternative to traditional parenting? I am sure the answer is still left open for debate. When it’s all said and done I suppose parents know what’s best for their child.
For more information visit Attachment Parenting International.
Staff Writer; Eleanie Campbell
