[ItalySarah]

Thank you Michelle for getting this together for us!

Handling Criticism about attachment parenting <--- Click here!

Dealing with Criticism <--- Click here!

WHAT ATTACHMENT PARENTING IS NOT <--- Click here!

Making & defending the decision to co-sleep - Research and opinion articles on co-sleeping <--- Click here!

Handling criticism about breastfeeding <--- Click here!

LLL help with criticism

BREASTFEEDING AWAY FROM HOME <--- Click here!

Justmommies article about breastfeeding <--- Click here!

5 Snappy answers to "Are you still nursing? <--- Click here!

Immunize Yourself Against Toxic People <--- Click here!

Handling Criticism about attachment parenting is a bit of a hot button issue and especially with the holidays coming up we need our tools ready. I don't doubt that our parents and grandparents (and even some parents of today) did only what was recommended and told to them by the experts at the time. They come from a generation where formula, scheduling, withdrawling love and punishment were normal. They were informed that holding a baby spoiled them and many places felt children should be seen never heard. They didn't have the internet or the wonderful, informative books we are privy to. Try to forgive them and assertively explain why you've choosen your parenting backed with resources if they are open to it. They did those things out of love and compliance because that was the "best" information at the time. Even today I have gotten some terrible parenting advice by doctors, friends, family and if it wasn't for JM, the Sears books and the internet with studies to prove the opposite of that advice from those "experts," my children would likely fall victim to those same things. Of course their criticism hurts our feelings and puts us on the defensive. In time, our children will be more advanced that us too. Hopefully we'll just have the grace to compliment them as parents. The way the previous generations were raised just reinforce why we parent the way we do. We see where there can be an improvement, have studies, resources, tools to help guide us and we are trying these ideas out. I'm sure the more we work with gentle suggestion and gentle teaching with our kids, the easier it will be to handle those types of senerios too. I want to help you all feel confident with your choice of parenting.

Remember we have lots of resources to help you feel confident in our Welcome thread to aid you.

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Spoiling

Have you been told you're spoiling your LO's? Spoiling <--- This Dr. Sears article can help dispel the myth you're spoiling your child/children.

I'm worried about spoiling my baby? Your baby will not be spoiled if you hold him and nurse him often - quite the opposite, in fact. Studies have shown that when babies are held often and responded to quickly, the babies cry less, and the parents learn to read baby's cues more quickly. A young child's need for his mother is very intense - as intense as his need for food. Know that your child really needs you. It is not about manipulation or something you can "fix" with the right discipline. Often a baby who is perceived as fussy is simply a baby who needs more contact with mom (and is smart enough to express this need) and is content once his needs are met. Fussy baby

7 month old spoiled baby?

Will I Spoil My Baby by Holding/Nursing Him So Often?

You needn't worry that carrying your baby will make her "spoiled" or "dependent." The close proximity to a caregiver enhances trust which translates into independence. A study by doctors Bell and Ainsworth at Johns Hopkins University in the early seventies found that infants who are securely attached during the early months cling less and separate more easily from their mother later on. Dr. Sears From: Sling Babies

Where does fear of spoiling come from? Originally published in Today's Parent, June 2001 ~ the page doesn't seem to flip.. but Can You Spoil a Baby? is from the same author, Teresa Pitman, and was Originally published in Today's Parent, December 2008


But the most important article to read to help any parent with concerns is: SHUTDOWN SYNDROME If you're still not convinced, try Reflections.

I hope some of these articles help you ladies!