Learning about Attached Parenting

One of the most important parts of being a parent is to be a parent. This bond created between parents and children is an important part of a child’s development in which, according to many Parenting Philippines experts, can have dire consequences if not done properly and accordingly. This philosophy is called Attached Parenting (AP).

What is Attached Parenting? According to many experts, Attached Parenting or AP is a philosophy that teaches parents to build “strong emotional bonds” with their children beginning from infancy.

These bonds are built through the establishment of the child’s trust and confidence in his/her parent and therefore develop a “secure attachment” (in contrast to an “insecure attachment”). In order to do this, parents are advised to practice childcare that is sensitive to the child’s “emotional and biological needs.”
Parenting Principles
Pregnancy, Birth, and Parenting The first step to AP is for parents to educate themselves on everything there is to know about safe and healthy pregnancies, and commit to working on their own personal issues from their childhood, as well as between the soon-to-be parents.

Nursing Love and Respect “Feeding is more than providing nutrients; it is an act of love.” While AP gives a number of ways to “feed with love and respect,” including through “bottle nursing,” the spotlight is currently on its beliefs regarding breastfeeding. Many Philippines Lifestyle experts believe that a mother’s milk is best for her child, as it gives comfort to the child.
Responding and Sensitivity AP discusses how babies are still intellectually immature and cannot understand much other than our responses. When babies are upset, parents are expected to understand the child and come to his or her side to comfort them until they learn to be secure enough to express themselves properly.

Touch While others may see it as a fashion accessory for mommies, AP sees the sling as something more; “baby wearing” is a way of returning to our natural instinct to keep our babies close to us when taking them around rather than pushing them in a stroller.

The use of a “nurturing touch” is the best way to meet a baby’s need for “physical contact, affection, security, stimulation and movement.” It is believed to assist in the child’s healthy physical development and emotional growth.