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16th out of 196 books
—
262 voters
The Attachment Parenting Book: A Commonsense Guide to Understanding and Nurturing Your Baby
Might you and your baby both sleep better if you shared a bed? How old is too old for breastfeeding? What is a father's role in nurturing a newborn? How does early attachment foster a child's eventual independence? Dr. Bill and Martha Sears -- the doctor-and-nurse, husband-and-wife team who coined the term "attachment parenting" -- answer these and many more questions in t...more
Paperback, 192 pages
Published
August 7th 2001
by Little, Brown and Company
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I had high expectations for this book.
Mostly, because without a lot of information and preparation, I'd likely be a pretty shit parent. It was either read a buttload of books and hope for the best or let the TV do the job for me.
I'm still not sure I made the right choice...
I want to make it clear that if there is a particular parenting philosophy that I give favouritism to (much like I do to the child that annoys me the least) it would be Attachment Parenting. It is the child rearing philosophy...more
Mostly, because without a lot of information and preparation, I'd likely be a pretty shit parent. It was either read a buttload of books and hope for the best or let the TV do the job for me.
I'm still not sure I made the right choice...
I want to make it clear that if there is a particular parenting philosophy that I give favouritism to (much like I do to the child that annoys me the least) it would be Attachment Parenting. It is the child rearing philosophy...more
Jun 30, 2007
Amy
rated it
5 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
Parents, and everyone else
Shelves:
lifechangers
In our family, this is the definitive parenting book. Rather than extolling the virtues of being a wire-monkey Mama, and getting your newborn/infant to adapt to *your* busy life, Dr. Sears gently shows that it's OK to listen to your parenting instincts. Hold your baby...breastfeed your baby...sleep with your baby...and by all means, pick your baby up when she cries!
In a culture that prizes independence beyond just about all else, Dr. Sears presents evidence that the mainstream parenting practic...more
In a culture that prizes independence beyond just about all else, Dr. Sears presents evidence that the mainstream parenting practic...more
This book is very commonsense (as the subtitle suggests) but also different than what I thought I knew. I like what it has to say.
When I read "A Lantern in Her Hand" it talks about Abbie's daughter-in-law who raises her children by the book, and is so strict about it that she will let no one else help. This is in contrast to Abbie, who had almost no mentor, but knew what to do for her children. After reading that I knew didn't want to raise my children "by the book." I want to do what I feel is...more
When I read "A Lantern in Her Hand" it talks about Abbie's daughter-in-law who raises her children by the book, and is so strict about it that she will let no one else help. This is in contrast to Abbie, who had almost no mentor, but knew what to do for her children. After reading that I knew didn't want to raise my children "by the book." I want to do what I feel is...more
I think all new parents should probably read this book just because it opens your eyes up to certain possibilities. All of the Dr. Sears's books are great resources. (I didn't give this five stars because I was kind of turned off by the fact that it seemed to promise bright, compassionate, able children just by having a strong attachment, and, while I have no doubt it helps, I don't think it should be taken as gospel.) It didn't really change how I parent but did reaffirm that I can trust myself...more
My husband and I had already chosen to do many of the Baby B's without knowing it was considered attachment parenting, so I was very open to the ideas presented in this book. Some AP folks can be a little judgmental, which made me wary of reading anything by Dr. Sears, but he isn't like those few annoying parents I've come across. He obviously advocates a certain style of parenting, but he seems more worried about the mindset behind parents' actions (doing everything out of love and concern for...more
while I am not a die hard fan of any single one of the parenting books out there, I do find that Sears advocates something that is geared towards my thought process. I learned that parenting comes from nothing more than instinct...and some days with a baby will be great, and some will just suck. When you are pacing a floor at 230 in the morning trying to get a wailing baby to sleep you will forget about it the next day when you are a zombie and your little person full of pee and poo smiles at yo...more
I read many parenting books when I was pregnant with our 1st daughter and this was the first one I picked up. This is not the philosophy we chose for our infants initially, but it looked more and more like this with each kido. I know parents who have taken this road and I respect it. It is not wrong, just not right for us. As with any parenting book and philosophy it depends on the heart and wisdom of the parent. The tools can differ, but if used in love, there are many mediums to becoming an a...more
This is a FANTASTIC book, provided you aren't of the mindset that holding your baby too much will spoil them or that as soon as a baby is born, they start learning how to manipulate you. Yes, there are people who think that. Additionally, this book is commonly confused (by people who don't read the book jacket) for a book that is about preventing detachment disorders--also not it. If you are looking for a book on detachment disorders, look in the psychology section for infant books or books on l...more
After having a baby, I hear a lot about different parenting styles and books about them. Though I don’t know all of them, I do know there are two schools of thought which stand far apart – the baby training style and the err, the non-training style. I didn’t know what the second style was called until I read the book ‘The Attachment Parenting Book’.
The first school emphasizes on training the baby to adjust to your world and the second does the opposite – you getting used to your baby and its sch...more
The first school emphasizes on training the baby to adjust to your world and the second does the opposite – you getting used to your baby and its sch...more
When I was pregnant a bunch of people recommended the Sears books. I always resisted because from what I heard, it didn't sound like the approach we'd want to take. I heard a lot about attachment parenting from folks I had a lot in common with, and even looked into it. But when I read the websites I thought that some of the things (nursing, treating your baby as an individual) were really, as the title says, commonsense, and other things seemed a bit much for me.
Fast forward many months and I r...more
Fast forward many months and I r...more
I LOVE this baby book. It is really easy to read, easy to find exactly what you are looking for, very informative, and offers a comprehensive guide for every baby stage and age.
I admit that I am an intuitive attachment parent-er, so I most likely love this book because it confirms--rather than combats (as many parenting books do)--my natural mother-love instincts. I was so relieved when I found it because it didn't make me feel frustrated as I pawned the pages hoping to glean some useful 'how-to...more
I admit that I am an intuitive attachment parent-er, so I most likely love this book because it confirms--rather than combats (as many parenting books do)--my natural mother-love instincts. I was so relieved when I found it because it didn't make me feel frustrated as I pawned the pages hoping to glean some useful 'how-to...more
This is a really accessible parenting book and it is easy to see why Sears' attachment parenting style has gained such a following.
The book is really well laid out and has lots of practical examples, real life stories and scientific evidence to support attachment parenting. It is a very friendly guide which really aims to provide a how-to on connecting with your baby. The chapters are well organised and you can dip into any section easily without having read the whole book - and Sears assures pa...more
The book is really well laid out and has lots of practical examples, real life stories and scientific evidence to support attachment parenting. It is a very friendly guide which really aims to provide a how-to on connecting with your baby. The chapters are well organised and you can dip into any section easily without having read the whole book - and Sears assures pa...more
this is my go to book on parenting I read many parenting book so I was pregnant with my daughter but this is the one that seem to fit the lifestyle my husband and I have chose the the best. it makes you basic parenting decisions off of common sense and based on your child's personality rather than strict guidelines or a strict schedule
I saw a documentary on attachment parenting at one time and it made me think that all attachment parents were hippies and kind of crazy. it's because the media lik...more
I saw a documentary on attachment parenting at one time and it made me think that all attachment parents were hippies and kind of crazy. it's because the media lik...more
I first read this book long before we started trying to get pregnant. I love the ideas presented in the attachment parenting philosophy, from baby wearing and co-sleeping to being able to read your child’s signs and having them learn from close interactions with adults.
Now that I am a parent, I believe this book served us very well. Reading it years before I got pregnant helped us really formulate our parenting strategy and feel confident with the decisions we were making along the way. We have...more
Now that I am a parent, I believe this book served us very well. Reading it years before I got pregnant helped us really formulate our parenting strategy and feel confident with the decisions we were making along the way. We have...more
Before I read this book, "attachment parenting" was just a phrase I'd heard thrown around--with good and bad connotations. This book explains the principles of attachment parenting, the benefits of it, and the challenges. When I reach a time in my life where I'm ready to have a baby, I am definitely going to try out some of these techniques. I already knew I was going to try breastfeeding for at least a year, but now I'll add to that trying out the baby sling and bed sharing.[return][return]I hi...more
I read this as my first introduction to attachment parenting and loved it! I had never heard of attachment parenting before and was getting a lot of "non-attachment" tips from people that just didn't feel right to me. When I read this book I felt supported in my feelings of how to care for my baby and realized that my style was valid. His explanations were compassionate, logical, and research based. I loved how he used so much research to back up his claims, that really resonated well with me. I...more
For me, this book was only OK. I like the idea of Attachment Parenting, but what I didn't like was the book's tone, as if it was trying to convince the reader that this is the BEST way to raise your kid, and other ways are WRONG. I would have preferred if they simply presented the concepts and let the reader choose what approaches they'd like to adopt.
However, with that grumpy disclaimer out of the way, I learned a lot about the basics. And plenty of them sound like things I'll try:
**Birth Bond...more
However, with that grumpy disclaimer out of the way, I learned a lot about the basics. And plenty of them sound like things I'll try:
**Birth Bond...more
I have to give this book props for not being dogmatic about attachment parenting: it consistently and firmly repeats that you have to do what works for you, with everything from cosleeping (the best sleep is where all members of the household get the most sleep) to babywearing, and practical tips for mothers and caregivers who work outside of the home. It refers to it's "Baby B" principals not as foolproof steps, but rather tools to get to know and nurture your child.
I am glad for the chapter on...more
I am glad for the chapter on...more
As the authors say, a lot of this is common sense. We did a lot of "attachment parenting" things without knowing or calling them that. It's interesting to see what this method is and is not after reading some of the other guides out there. I appreciate that he's a doctor and cites some studies though there are parts that are just as unsupported as other parenting books. It was illuminating to realize how much of the "don't hold a baby too much or you'll spoil him" and "babies cry, let him cry it...more
I thought this book was fantastic. I was a little leary at first because it was written 11 years ago but it turns out attachment parenting is pretty universal and has been the same practice for many years, which says a lot compared to other parenting book that are constantly changing and going out of date. What I really loved about it was that throughout the entire book Dr. Sears constantly reminds you to follow your instincts and that you don't necessarily have to follow all of the practices de...more
This book is the perfect antidote to the routines and rod for your own back brigade. It's beautifully gentle and loving about your relationship with your child, which is quite rightly placed at the centre of all parenting. There is extensive research to support Sears' arguments but sadly it's not explicitly mentioned enough to provide evidence for those who will almost certainly find it too simple in its approach to parenting.
Attachment parenting is not modern and fast thinking. It's gentle, lov...more
Attachment parenting is not modern and fast thinking. It's gentle, lov...more
Intuitive and sensitive approach to baby raising with positive affirmations, tools and tips.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Before having our daughter I had no idea what kind of parenting style we would adapt. Now that she is here, the Attachment Parenting method is the only one that intuitively feels right. As a new mother I've been looking for words on parenting that will build my confidence in the choices we are already intuitively making. Every new mother needs to hear encouragement and have support. This book really helped put my mind to ease in knowing that what we are doing is r...more
There was a lot of good information in this book. Ideologically I agree with a lot of the attachment parenting concepts, and I'm mostly parenting my daughter that way anyway. But I think from now on I'm not going to read any more books about parenting unless I have a specific question or problem. Dr. Sears is very kind and understanding, and sympathetic to the unique needs of individual families, but reading this still made me feel like I'm completely screwing up my kid and have ruined everythin...more
The theory on infant emotional development set forth in this book is based on solid research on human attachment that I am familiar with prior to reading this book. Many of the criticisms for "baby trainer" models made by Dr. Sears were the same criticisms I had of Babywise. In comparison to Babywise, this model makes far more sense. However, I found this book to be annoying to read, mainly because of the glowing testimonials and claims about how happy and smart and successful your children will...more
I would say this is a great book for someone trying to figure out what type of parenting method they want to use or for someone who is interested in attachment parenting but either not completely sold on it or just needs to read more about it to understand exactly what it entails. It is a fairly short and easy read full of useful information. It begins by going over what attachment parenting is and how it is beneficial. Then it discusses each of the 7 B's that basically make up attachment parent...more
I like this simple introduction to a parenting style we fell into without realizing it, even the parts I scoffed about before we had Maya (family bed? yeah right... and now? one of the best things in the whole wide world). What I loved the most about this overview was its practical discussions--the actual fears of a parent are addressed, such as safe co-sleeping choices, etc.--but the emphasis is on what is right for YOUR family. As in--you don't have to do this co-sleeping business if you're no...more
"Beware of Baby Trainers"?? as a foundational building block of your philosophy? I think Sears takes it too far when he refers to all other parenting styles as "detached." He is misguided at best; arrogant at his worst.
I agree that emotionally bonding and attaching with my child is important, but not with the underlying premise that a child was [emotionally] traumatized at birth and needs to be near to parents (24/7) to receive this attachment. I also find it laughable that Sears spends 80% of t...more
I agree that emotionally bonding and attaching with my child is important, but not with the underlying premise that a child was [emotionally] traumatized at birth and needs to be near to parents (24/7) to receive this attachment. I also find it laughable that Sears spends 80% of t...more
I would recommend this book to anyone that is having or adopting a baby. Many of the guidelines and theories in this book evoked the "well, of-course" response from me as I think (hope) they would for most people, but it provides support and back up for some of the ideas I might have questioned had someone asked me, "why are you choosing to do things that way?" Additionally, it had some excellent recommendations I had not considered and will probably incorporate into our parenting style (dependi...more
I love all the books in the Sears library. This book teaches you the basics to being a great parent. It guides you in following your instincts and looking to your baby for parenting tips. I would recommend all mothers read this book before they have their first baby so that they can learn to love their babies without letting social pressures of "baby training" get in the way of the healthy loving relationship we are all naturally inclined to have with our children. Wonderful book, wonderful way...more
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Dr. Sears, or Dr. Bill as his "little patients" call him, is the father of eight children as well as the author of over 30 books on childcare. Dr. Bill is an Associate Clinical Professor of Pediatrics at the University of California, Irvine, School of Medicine. Dr. Bill received his pediatric training at Harvard Medical School's Children's Hospital in Boston and The Hospital for Sick Children in T...more
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Jul 20, 2011 06:46am
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