Home ◼︎ Children ◼︎ Study Guides ◼︎ Book Reflections ◼︎ Learning Stories ◼︎ Topics ◼︎ Essays
Attachment Parenting
Attachment Parenting is an approach to raising children that emphasizes strong emotional bonds between caregiver and child, beginning in infancy. It is grounded in attachment theory, which shows that consistent, sensitive responses to a child’s needs help build a secure foundation for trust, exploration, and resilience.
Popularized by pediatrician Dr. William Sears and his wife Martha Sears, Attachment Parenting encourages practices such as babywearing, breastfeeding on cue, co-sleeping, and avoiding punitive discipline. The focus is not on rigid rules, but on presence and responsiveness. The goal is to attune to the unique signals of each child and offer warmth, connection, and safety—especially in the early years.
While sometimes misunderstood as permissive, this approach actually asks a great deal of adults. It calls for emotional availability, regulation, and self-awareness, recognizing that secure attachment depends as much on the adult’s inner capacity as on technique.
In early childhood settings, this philosophy aligns with respectful caregiving, continuity of care, and emotionally attuned relationships between children and trusted adults. Though often practiced at home, its principles resonate with Reggio Emilia, the Continuum Concept, and other relational approaches that view care as foundational to learning.
Related Reading
- The Attachment Parenting Book by William Sears & Martha Sears
- Attached at the Heart by Barbara Nicholson & Lysa Parker
- Attachment Parenting International
- Bowlby, J. (1988). A Secure Base: Parent-Child Attachment and Healthy Human Development
- Liedloff, J. (1975). The Continuum Concept
Continuum Concept
Articles and Resources on This Site
Explores the principles of the Continuum Concept, contrasting traditional Western parenting with evolutionary expectations of closeness, responsiveness, and community-integrated childhood.
External Links
Related Topics
Would Love to Hear From You!
Education Pages
