4 Long-term benefits of attachment parenting

Parents today are bombarded with different, and often conflicting, parenting advice and models. How do you find the parenting style that works for you? One style that is in the spotlight nowadays is attachment parenting, which, according to WebMD, puts the focus on developing a “nurturing connection” between parent and child.

One big advocate of this parenting style is Dr. William Sears, who has written about many long-term benefits that attachment parenting can have on children. Here are some of them.

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1. Attachment parenting fosters independence

As attachment parenting is all about spending more time with your children, one would intuitively think that this style would be training your child to depend on the parent, but according to Dr. Sears, the opposite is true.

Attachment parenting allows your child to feel secure in his connection with his parents and is confident that they will be available whenever he needs them. A child without this confidence may end up clingier. In fact, studies have found that babies who are more securely attached to their mothers have an easier time separating from them when they’re older.

2. Attachment parenting helps make your child behave better

Babies who are attached to their caregivers cry less—they’re less fussy and clingy. This makes sense, as babies who feel closer to their parents are happier, and would therefore be less likely to fuss. According to Romper, studies have found that children who are more secure have less behavioral issues and are less likely to have behavioral issues.

Read about more attachment parenting benefits on the next page.

3. Attachment parenting promotes development

Because attached babies cry less, they spend more time learning, growing, and interacting with their environment. They are more alert, and take in more of their environment than less secure babies who spend more time crying.

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4. Attachment parenting makes kids smarter

The brain experiences the most growth during infancy—it’s a crucial time for forming those connections and learning. Studies have found that skin-to-skin contact and responsive parents have a positive effect on brain development, which is why Dr. Sears says that attachment parenting “feeds” the baby’s developing brain with the right stimulation.

READ: 8 Ways co-sleeping can shape your child’s personality