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Oh my God, I LOVE this. I sometimes feel like I am the only person of my generation who doesn't have any interest in attachment parenting. Sorry, I'm a little bit selfish and I just can't.

If you don't feel like attachment parenting suits you, please don't let yourself be bullied into doing it. There are times when I measure myself against my sister-in-law or women in my mommy group and think they are better moms because they don't practice CIO or want to keep the baby in the room with them for several years. But I will tell you that I truly, truly cherish having my room to myself (and husband, of course) and going out while leaving LO with a babysitter.

@meredithNYC: You are not alone.

My personality and my LO's personality are not suited to AP. She is very independent and doesn't like to be smothered with attention all the time. I don't co-sleep, I don't extended breastfeed. I dont babywear frequently, only when convenient. My daughter started sleeping in her crib at 2 weeks old and does just fine. I have no need or desire to have my daughter attached to me at all times and she has no need or desire to be attached to me at all times.

That being said. She's a total mama's girl. We have a strong bond and she is a happy, healthy, well-adjusted little girl.

Wow, I think that article was incredibly narrow minded and short sighted. In the end, I'm all about using the parenting method that works best for yourself and your family, but to imply that anyone who doesn't do it your way is miserable and the verge of divorce is really insulting.

Fwiw, we're an AP-ish family (co-slept with both kids, didn't use CIO, babywear, etc...) and I don't think any better or worse off than any of my friends who've made different parenting decisions. We're pretty much all in the same boat, which tells me it's really about what works for you; there is no magic one-size-fits-all parenting cure, like this author tries to imply.

i think both theories are good to use, just gotta use what works for yu and your baby. i would say we are a mixture of the two but rely more heavingly on attachment parenting. my son likes to sleep with us but is perfectly content sleeping in his crib. at almost 3 months he likes his independence but still likes to be hold and snuggled. i go off his schedule and cues but still live my life and he is content with going with the flow when we are out and about (this is more luck and his personality though, i think!) ive notied that the older generation goes for more a detachment parneting and more recent genrations follow ap.
this made me laugh.
"we've all seen Blossom nursing her 25-year-old on the subway."

We're very similar to @zippylef. My LO is so independent and so alert that we could never do the attachment parenting, although I wouldn't have minded if my LO liked to snuggle every now and then. You never know how you're going to be until your LO is here though. Just remember that they are only little for so long, so get your cuddles in!

I just don't understand the idea of choosing and following any particular method. Why do parents feel the need to box themselves into a certain "philosophy". I think it is much better for parents and children to go in with an open mind, and a few different ideas in mind and see what works for you.

I never intended on babywearing or co-bedding really. Sawyer goes through phases where he wants to sleep in our bed, or hang out in the sling, and he goes through phases where he wants to sleep in his crib and ride in the stroller.

I find the whole desire to label your parenting really odd. Why do we have to be "attachment parents" or "detachment parents". Why can't we just be "parents".

@MsMini: That's a really good point that sometimes labeling leads to lines of division. Plus, I don't know a single person who follows a single method completely; most of us pick and choose what works best for us from a variety of methods/theories.

mrs. jacks wrote a great post about AP (http://www.hellobee.com/2012/02/17/attachment-parenting-one-strategy/) and i feel that many have an extreme view of what AP is all about. I met this one parent who felt that you are not into AP if you do CIO or believe in discipline. I do my best to foster independence in my still young LO, but i attend to her needs like how any AP-parent would. I have a life, but it still revolves around her sleep schedule.

@LAGS: I was concerned about creating bad habits as well, but i found that it's not the end of the world if you do it before the 8 week mark. I brought her to bed with me so many times during some rough nights, but i don't think i was consistent enough for it to be a problem. Even rocking her to sleep no longer became a problem...now she doesn't even want to be rocked so i actually miss those days where she was happy in my arms!

@MsMini: amen!

I'm like @FutureMrsMcK... I turned out to be WAY more granola/crunchy than I thought I'd be. I really surprised myself (and quite a few people around me!) with the choices I've made in regards to my parenting methods. I don't practice all aspects of AP (example: we don't cosleep because LO doesn't like it, no BLW, I don't cloth diaper), but we practice most. It's just what works and feels naturally for our family, but that doesn't mean it's the right method or what works for everyone.

As long as you're happy, your LO is happy, and everyone is content - who cares what philosophy you subscribe to?

The tone of the article is harsh! Do what works for you and your family. My husband and I are not attachment parents, It works out best for us and our son. Our son is thriving and an overall easy, laid back, happy boy, so it works. The debate on the best way to parent your children is a waste of energy and pointless.

I wonder if she would feel the same way if her daughter didn't like sleeping on her own that young, needed more soothing & rocking, & wanted to be near her more?

I've done both her described style & ap. DS was very "independent", didn't need any CIO to sleep through the night in his own crib, or anything like that. DD is VERY different! She's starting to grow into her indepence at 5.5 mths but she is definitely more on the "high needs" side. Trying to keep her in her bed or not nursing through the night was actually ALOT harder on me & she didn't get adequate sleep either.... Side lying nursing & co-bedding part of the night has been a life saver for all of us. Lol She is starting to naturally sleep longer in her own bed before waking to nurse in our bed & I haven't had to push it. I give her plenty of opportunity to grow her indepence but I don't force it to fit "my" life.

TBH I used to think a lot like her but learned first hand how wrong that was with DD being soooo different than her brother. I guess what I'm getting at is every child is different & with each new addition you just have to do what works for you & your family. To think that one "style" or "philosophy" fits all all the time is just ridiculous.

I think what we as parents or parents to be tend to forget is that we are not the consumer any longer when our children enter the world, they are. Just because we decide we will do XYZ does not mean our children will accept that. Once your children are here, you adapt and change a lot of your thinking. I don't know any other mom out there (I haven't really asked a lot of dads in fairness) that has been able to implement every single parenting idea she thought of while pregnant. Just doesn't happen.

Judgement, on the other hand, occurs everywhere and that's where I think we need to be more sensitive to other people's choices.

I think what a lot of us forget (all of us, regardless of our parenting styles) is what every flight attendant will tell you when your plane is taking off-"Secure your oxygen mask before assisting other passengers". We have to make sure we take care of ourselves, our marriages...its hard to be present and there for your child if you're exhausted, its hard to raise a happy, well adjusted child if you and your spouse aren't happy.