So Pouda You, Boodgie (that's what he says)

Any of you who have been following this blog thus far have probably surmised that our parenting style leans heavily in the direction of what is often called "Attachment Parenting" (that, or you just know us, since most of you do!). I don't usually subscribe to strict philosophies or take on labels, I prefer to think for myself, and so does Sean. But I found that the more I learned and read about attachment-style parenting, the more it seemed to fit with who I am, what I've learned as a psychologist, and how I wanted to be as a parent--sensitive to and respectful my child's needs, emotionally available, and very, very close to him. I also wanted to nurse him a long time, found wearing him to be way more comfy and convenient than a stroller and, although at first I was mixed about it, I have come to love sharing our bed with him, as has my husband. So I guess that makes me an attachment parent, though I prefer to think of it as doing what feels natural.

There is a lot of criticism and outright hostility for this type of parenting. I guess it has something to do with it not being quite mainstream, which makes people feel more comfortable questioning it. Our parent's generation has simply not seen this type of parenting, so if they are open to hearing it, I try to simply explain my beliefs. And I think I should also acknowledge that there is lots of criticism and judgement that goes the other way, from attachment parents to those who practice more mainstream methods like sleep training, early weaning, formula feeding, etc. Just get on almost any parenting forum and watch the fur fly.

I'm not here to get on a soapbox, nor am I here to judge other parents who do differently than we do. Everyone tries to do what they think is right for their family and child, using the knowledge and resources they have at the time. And I hope that readers of this blog will return the favor by not judging me. Even better, I hope that some people will read about our experiences and take away a kernel of something they can use, or feel validated in their own parenting style.

One of the big things critics seem to believe about attachment parenting is that it somehow fosters an unhealthy dependence in the child. Lots of people raise eyebrows about my still nursing, laying with him until he falls asleep, and sleeping in the same bed with him. I am constantly asked when I am going to stop doing these things, or told I should stop soon, and have even had people say outright that it is unhealthy for the Boodge. I don't put much stock in that stuff. I look at the Boodge, his almost perma-grin, his exuberant love of life, his healthy body and boundless energy, and I know he is healthy.

On the contrary, one of the things attachment parenting emphasizes, and I believe, is that children (all of us, actually) given the right conditions of security and trust, move naturally in the direction of independence and growth, in their own time, as they become ready. As parents, we should introduce new ideas, encourage independent behaviors, and set boundaries--but we should also listen to our child's voice about whether they are ready to move forward or even comprehend what we want them to do.

Our culture, with its emphasis on independence rather than interdependence, self rather than community, and competition rather than co-operation, puts a lot of pressure on parents to move their kids towards independence as quickly as possible. And even if the parent may be feeling wrong about what they're doing, they may continue because grandpa, doctor, TV, and parenting magazines are telling them to keep it up.

Attachment parenting urges us to trust our intuition as parents, and do what feels right. The idea is that by fostering such a close attachment to your child, you will know them well enough to know when they are ready for some gentle urging forward, or when they need to take a step back to feel secure again. Also, if you as a mother are resenting something or unable to cope, that is a clear sign that you need to make a change too. Following your intuition and trusting your child to move at their own pace towards growth and change are two things I can totally get behind. It requires a lot of surrendering to what is--but that seems to be a healthy practice too.

So, all this to say that in the last week or so, the Boodge has suddenly made some big leaps towards growth, pretty much all on his own. As you all know, I've been night weaning him lately, which was part of three goals we had with him before the baby came. I wanted to stop night nursing, have his dad be able to put him to bed, and move him to his own room. The night weaning has been complete for a while now, and he seems fine with it, though he still likes to touch the "boo" to help him get back to sleep. It didn't seem too hard on him, and if it had been I would have probably stopped and waited a while longer.

The next step was to get his dad putting him to bed, and after that we would take our time transitioning him to his own bed. So this week we started a gentle transition, where I would still nurse him to sleep but Sean was there too so he could get used to his Dad's presence at bedtime. Then Wednesday night, as we're on our way to the bedroom, he suddenly turns left instead of right and says "Go night-night boo in Boodge's geen bayoom." (that's boob in the green bedroom, to the uninitiated). He wanted to sleep in his own room! OK, we said, no problem. The next night, same thing.

Yesterday we began phase two of the transition. I explained to him all day that tonight, we were going to "Boo" in the chair before bedtime, then we were going to read some books in bed with Daddy, then lie down and go to sleep without boo. Bedtime came and we did as planned. He led us to his own bedroom, again. He loved reading the books--I could see it all over his face, and in the way he cuddled in between us while we read with a beatific smile on his face.

When we had finished 3 books and I said it was time to lie down, close our eyes, and go to sleep, he started to cry. And folks, it wasn't because he couldn't have boo. "Pease Mami, more books," he begged, signing "Please" with fervor, knowing I like to be asked this way. I gently told him that we were done books, and it was time to lie down and close our eyes and go to sleep. And guess what? He did! He reached out, grabbed the boo with his hand, and commenced falling asleep. Just like that.

We gave him some chocolate in the morning to celebrate. Unfortunately, he didn't seem to get much in his mouth.



And there's more! This week he also suddenly got into the idea of peeing in his potty. He started asking for it when his diaper was off, even once when his diaper was on. Some days he has had 5 or 6 pees in the potty. He loves to grab his little toilet ring and run from bathroom to bathroom putting it on the toilet, and sit and watch his pee come out. He hasn't pooed yet (except once when he was already in the process of pooing and I urgently placed him on the potty). One time when he wanted to poo, I asked him if he wanted to poo on the potty and he started to cry and said "Put diaper on an poo ina diaper." So I honoured that. Who among us can squeeze one out in the wrong circumstances?



It's all got Sean and I just about exploding with pride and love and amazement at our little guy. There's also a part of me that's grieving, knowing that these changes mean he is growing up and will need me less. I will miss climbing into bed and seeing his sweetly sleeping little body there, feeling him roll up for a cuddle in the night. I'll miss putting him to bed too, though I think that once he's comfortable with Sean doing it, I'll get back in there often myself. This time, when he's so little and dependent on me, is so precious and beautiful. It's hard at times--I can't pretend it's not. But I can already see that it's going to be too short, and I'll look back on it with fondness and remember the bliss more than the pain.

So there it is, it seems to be true. Children do move naturally towards independence and growth in their own time, given the right conditions. Boodge might backstep (like yesterday, when I had him wrapped in a bear hug in a blanket and he informed me with a big smile that he was having a pee pee in the blanket), and that's OK. We've got time. But I'm so excited to see him growing, and taking the initiative to try new things. I'm so pleased that it has all happened gently for him and for us as a family, without power struggles and nights of misery and second-guessing. And yes, I'm also thankful for those "attachment" parents out there who follow their gut and brave the judgements to share their voices and experiences. Without them I may not have found this way as a parent, or if I did, I certainly may not have felt the support and community needed to continue.