What makes AP different from mainstream parenting?
A. Much of the mainstream parenting advice revolves around trying to “train” a child to develop independence at a faster rate than the child would naturally, often in the hope that the child will be less of an inconvenience to the parents, or in fear that the child would become spoilt if these techniques were not adhered to. Examples of such advice would include the promotion of artificial and scheduled feeding, limited time spent cuddling or holding, techniques to try and get the child to “sleep through” such as cry-it-out methods, and the advocating of mother-baby separation before either would naturally be ready for this. Attachment parenting involves allowing a child the freedom to be as dependent as he needs to be, and the freedom to develop a true independence at a pace suited to that individual child. AP children are given the breast (or on occasion the bottle) whenever they signal a desire for it, without regard to the clock, they are held or worn in a sling for as long as they
