I’m converted. With my younger children, I read volumes from Dr Spock and T. Berry Brazelton. With my two younger children, I had developed my own parenting style and also the confidence to deal with criticism; and so i didn’t bother purchasing the most recent parenting guides. I overlooked this gem as a result. This book is a road map for the style that i had instinctually adopted as a parent. I especially enjoyed the Beware of Baby Trainers; the best advice going.

But what exactly is attachment parenting? The Sears describe it well in the opening of this tome:

Above all, attachment parenting (AP) means opening your body, mind and heart towards the individual needs of your baby and letting your knowledge of your child be your guide to making on-the-spot decisions about what works best for both of you. In a nutshell, AP is learning to read the cues of your baby and responding appropriately to those cues.

This book outlines what it calls the 7 tools of attachment parenting: birth bonding, breastfeeding, baby-wearing, bed sharing, belief in baby’s cries, beware of baby trainers and balance/boundaries. In further chapter, the Sears expound upon each of these and also exploring how to make them work for your child and you in your unique situation.

The book is well-written and provides a good balance between the scientific research and the anecdotal. It uses text boxes effectively to focus on key issues. The one thing I didn’t like about it was the justification of bottle-feeding. If breastfeeding is one of 7 tools, then why the call to justify the alternative? They mention at the start why these are 7 tools, not 7 steps; that you don’t have to use them all to be a successful attachment parent. I didn’t use the baby sling because I found it too difficult, but I still consider myself as AP. They did not spend several pages in the slinging chapter, justifying why you can still be a good parent if you don’t. Why then the need to write so much about bottle-feeding?

The most important and surprising thing which i learned from this book was that regardless of the apparent variations in style my husband and I both practice attachment parenting just differently. As the mother, I’ve utilized most of the tools and clearly understand the book, but I always saw my husband as much more of a disciplinarian type. As I read the book though, I saw that his style though different was equally AP. The way he often slept with my baby on his bare chest when she was little as well as now at three. The way that when she cries he firmly holds her and tells her to calm down. The instinctive way he follows her cues whenever possible but draws the line when as they say in the book…if you resent it, change it. It was very enlightening to realize that she was receiving the same basic message from both of us, just a bit differently.

This is one of the top resources on the topic and well deserves that reputation. I recommend this book to many of my clients. Does it work? The results with my older children indicate that it must…all are responsible and contributing adults. Despite my failings and flaws.

Baby parenting books are available all over.  Each one is full of information and often conflicting ideas and opinions.  It is hard to know what to do as a parent because all we want is to do what is best for our kids and everyone seems to think that the best way is their way.

I am here to tell you that you need confidence in the way you choose to parent.  There really is no perfect way.  It depends on your family and your style of parenting.  You must choose a method that is in your comfort zone and stick with it.

Showing love and support are very important, that is the one thing that all baby parenting books do have in common.  Start by educating yourself and baby parenting books are the best way to start.  

Baby Parenting Books -Choice #1- Toddler 411
The thing I love most about this book, is the appendix on medication.  Denise Fields brings very practical information and saves some late night calls to the pediatrician.  Toddler 411 is a very good book to have on hand for reference.

Baby Parenting Books -Choice #2 The Toddler Owner’s Manual
Pediatric psychologist Dr. Brett Kuhn has done a great job with this book.  Written with hilarious diagrams, step-by-step instructions and troubleshooting tips.  This book gives answers about toddler issues.  It is an absolutely hysterical read while you are learning some great tips to deal with toddlers.

Baby Parenting Books -Choice #3 21 Days To A Happy Child
Ashley Ryan and her downloadable e-book is absolutely fascinating.  I bought this book with apprehension but it has by far been my best investment.  I implemented just some of the techniques in this book and my family life is calmer because of it.  Ashley covers every negative stage of parenting you can imagine and gives practical solutions that really work.