Attachment Living

When I was pregnant, and then parenting my baby-people, I read a great deal about "attachment parenting," the philosophy that encourages sleeping next to your baby, "wearing" your baby in a carrier or sling, and meeting the baby's needs without particular regard to schedule. While my baby care was really a mish-mosh of many philosophies, I found "attachment parenting" pretty appealing--kind of a warm and fuzzy approach to the whole adventure.

I am well past raising babies at this point, but the attachment philosophy still resonates with me. When I can adhere to the rules and schedules, but I choose to address the needs, I am back to attachment parenting. When I am listening, rather than just jumping to a response I've been told to have, I am continuing to embrace attachment philosophy. And when I let myself trust my instincts, rather than just the instruction manuals, in making decisions for my family and myself, I am truly embracing an attachment life.

For me, attachment living means not having a hard-and-fast, un-changeable plan. It means dealing with "what is," not just "what should be." It means finding the joy, not just the success.

I would like to think my kids got a good start with my approach to baby care. And I feel pretty sure we're all having a good run with my approach to life. A little attachment--well, more than a little--goes a long way.