We try to practice attachment parenting in our house. This means we all sleep in the same bed, nurse past one year, never leave the kids with a babysitter unless we absolutely have to, never let them cry themselves to sleep alone, and carry them as much as possible. It just feels like the right approach. i can’t imagine doing anything else. We didn’t even buy a stroller for our first daughter until she was 6 or 7 months old. And then we rarely used it. Crib? hah. nice invention for holding toys.
The result is a 4 year old that is extremely confident, head-strong, and passionate and a one year old that is calm, content and wide-eyed to the world. Does the constant cradling have anything to do with it? My heart tells me it does and there is a growing body of research that backs that up.
How does this ideal (yes, it’s an ideal, of course i lose my temper) of loving, respectful and patient parenting influence my artistic process? Is it simply that i don’t have time to work out my ideas? or do i hang on to them too long before letting them out into the world. Have i become too attached?
At what stage do you share your ideas? questions? research? worries?