Attachment parenting is a parenting style that focuses on creating a close bond between the parent and child. However, this form of upbringing is surrounded by controversy causing some eyebrows to raise. Below is a list of the pros and cons of attachment parenting you must learn before you decide to try this method.

Advantages

Establishes A Deeper Parent-Child Bond

The main advantage of attachment parenting is a deeper sense of intimacy to your toddler mainly because you spend a lot of time in close physical contact with your child which helps in the formation of a strong relationship between the two of you.

Mutual Sensitivity

Most of the time, conversation happens through body language. Because attachment parenting strengthens the bond between the mother and child, there is a shared sensitivity between the two. Hence, the parent can easily interpret the body language of the toddler and transmit the same body language for a more appropriate behaviour. In turn, the toddler can understand the desires of his parent and perform accordingly.

Shapes A Toddler’s Personality

A toddler who is raised through attachment parenting grows into a more secure and self-sufficient child, develops positive emotions (lessens tantrums, depression and frustrations), becomes more sensitive to other people’s feelings and is easy to discipline and less violent.

Boosts Brain Power

Experts say attachment parenting is food for the brain. The developing brain of a toddler is made up of scrambled, disconnected electrical wires called “neurons”. Each year, these neurons grow bigger, begin to work better and connect to each other to complete pathways that allow the toddler to think and perform more things. If the nerve cells do not make connections, they die. The more links these cells make, the better the brain development. Since attachment parenting allows parents to respond to their toddler’s cues immediately and encourage close physical contact (skin-to-skin contact), this enhances the brain helping the child to learn quicker and better, making the toddler smarter.

Disadvantages

Parents Can Become Overprotective

There is a huge probability you will become very controlling of your toddler. Being too attached to your little one can turn you into a parent who is too obsessed with your toddler’s safety, keeping an eye on him most of the time, making it hard for your toddler to have some space of his own.

Lack of Independence

Giving constant attention to your toddler can make him overly dependent. Doing everything for your toddler strips him the opportunity to make decisions for himself which can lead to major problems later in life.

Lack of Respect

Being too attached to your toddler risks your authority and status. If you cannot reprimand him because you are too bonded to him, your toddler will grow up thinking he can get away with anything. Also, your toddler may see you as his “buddy” rather than as his parent. If this is the case, you will have more trouble raising your toddler the right way because your child will not take you seriously.

Attachment parenting when done correctly, can help develop a healthy and tight relationship between the parent and the toddler. As long as balance is observed, you will not have difficulty nurturing your toddler to grow into a fine individual.