The Attachment Parenting Book Quotes

“In the first several months of life, a baby’s wants are a baby’s needs.”
― William Sears, The Attachment Parenting Book: A Commonsense Guide to Understanding and Nurturing Your Baby

“If baby is thriving, but Mom is completely burned out because she is not getting the help she needs, something has to change.”
― William Sears, The Attachment Parenting Book: A Commonsense Guide to Understanding and Nurturing Your Baby

“AP softens every member of the family. You will find yourself gradually becoming more caring and considerate to everyone around you.”
― William Sears, The Attachment Parenting Book: A Commonsense Guide to Understanding and Nurturing Your Baby

“Maybe in a few generations, we’ll see studies that indicate that babies who sleep with their parents have fewer ear infections, do better in school, and don’t engage in pseudo-science when they grow up.”
― William Sears, The Attachment Parenting Book: A Commonsense Guide to Understanding and Nurturing Your Baby

“Attachment mothering is not martyr mothering. Don’t think that AP means baby pulls Mommy’s string and she jumps. Because of the trust that develops between attached parents and their attached children, parents’ response time gradually lengthens as baby gains the ability to control himself. Then mother jumps only when it’s an emergency.”
― William Sears, The Attachment Parenting Book: A Commonsense Guide to Understanding and Nurturing Your Baby

“Attachment is a special bond between parent and child, a feeling that draws you magnetlike to your baby. For a mother, it begins with the sense that baby is part of her, a feeling that starts in pregnancy. As the attachment develops after birth, the mother continues to feel complete only when she is with her baby. When separated from her baby she feels as if part of herself is missing.”
― William Sears, The Attachment Parenting Book: A Commonsense Guide to Understanding and Nurturing Your Baby

“Consider the source. Criticism from your parents or in-laws can be a delicate problem, as can criticism from anyone whose opinion you value. Feelings run deep, especially between mother and daughter, and gaining your parents’ approval of your parenting style may mean a lot to you. It helps to put yourself in your mother’s place and realize that she may think you are criticizing her when you make choices different from the ones she made. Remind yourself that she did the best she could given the information available to her. Your mother (or mother-in-law) means well. What you perceive as criticism is motivated by love and a desire to pass on experiences that she feels will help you and your children. Be careful not to imply that you are doing a better job than your own mother did. Don’t be surprised if your parents don’t buy AP. It’s not because they’re against it; they probably don’t understand it. If you think it would be helpful, share information with them and explain why you care for your baby in the way you do. But don’t argue or try to prove that you’re right. When you anticipate a disagreement, the best course is to avoid the issue and steer the conversation toward a more neutral topic.”
― William Sears, The Attachment Parenting Book: A Commonsense Guide to Understanding and Nurturing Your Baby

“You can’t wait until your son is old enough to throw a football to become an involved father. If you want him to enjoy playing catch with you when he’s ten, you have to start enjoying him when he’s a baby. (The same goes for girls, including the part where they’ll need a baseball glove.)”
― William Sears, The Attachment Parenting Book: A Commonsense Guide to Understanding and Nurturing Your Baby

“There is no such person as a perfect parent, and certainly this book was not written by perfect parents. Do the best you can with the resources you have. That’s all your child will ever expect.”
― William Sears, The Attachment Parenting Book: A Commonsense Guide to Understanding and Nurturing Your Baby

“Breastfeeding helps you unwind from a busy day’s work and reconnect with your baby, especially after a tense day.”
― William Sears, The Attachment Parenting Book: A Commonsense Guide to Understanding and Nurturing Your Baby

“To your baby, you are the best mother.”
― William Sears, The Attachment Parenting Book: A Commonsense Guide to Understanding and Nurturing Your Baby

“The gentle motion a baby experiences during babywearing stimulates the vestibular system, and scientists are finding that this stimulation helps babies breathe and grow better, regulates their physiology, and improves motor development. This is especially true for premature infants. Some babies recognize on their own that they need vestibular stimulation. When deprived of it, they often attempt to put themselves into motion and develop self-rocking behaviors.”
― William Sears, The Attachment Parenting Book: A Commonsense Guide to Understanding and Nurturing Your Baby

“So when Mother goes away, baby feels that the one person who can make him feel right has completely disappeared, perhaps forever. Baby just can’t hang on to a mental picture of Mother to reassure himself, and he can’t understand the concept of time, so “Mom will be back in an hour” means nothing to him.”
― William Sears, The Attachment Parenting Book: A Commonsense Guide to Understanding and Nurturing Your Baby