More about instinctive/natural/attachment parenting

A little while ago I posted asking for people's experiences of APetc.
I thought posters might be interested to hear what I have done with
the results.

I left the whole issue for a while to give my brain some time to
rest(!) and today I have gone back to re-read it in its entirety with
a view to writing an article.

It was very interesting to find out the various views and standpoints
of parents on the AP/IP/NP (whatever term or no term!) issue. I would
probably have asked slightly different questions had I anticipated the
outcome - lots of discussion on points that I had not covered - before
posting a general inquiry as I did.

Most of all it highlighted something I was already very aware of from
my own situation, which some might find interesting. I live in a
community where most parents have little desire to deviate from the
mainstream way of bringing up a baby - with as little physcial contact
as possible. There is a huge emphasis on putting a baby down so they
don't become "spoiled", not "indulging" them in any way. Comments are
passed frequently to this effect. Few mums breastfeed and only a
handful for longer than, say 6 months.

It's for this market and against this backdrop that I am intending to
write a general piece on "new" (old!) ways of parenting. It is not
going to be an academic, theorising tome!

I am generally very upset by the way things are going here and the
lack of education and insight provided by the state. I do think it is
necessary for people who have had no contact with children or
experience of the whole process (like me pre-baby) to be encouraged to
explore their own instincts and strengths as a parent. I would never
wish to advocate that people stick to one "theory", just hope that
they encounter fresh ideas that they may or may not wish to implement,
ideas that might help them feel better and their children feel more
confident and happier.

I should say I live in Scotland, BTW.

Re the posts, mostly I was surprised by notes of hostility and even
anger that some seemed to bring out. I was perhaps naive in not
expecting much of that in a community that I guessed was focused on
loving guidance etc. But then, I did not wish to exclude anyone who
disagrees with APetc either.

I will go forth now and write up my findings. A very sincere thanks to
you all again for illuminating the issue further for me.

Lucy

In article ,
(LucyD) wrote:

I live in a
community where most parents have little desire to deviate from the
mainstream way of bringing up a baby - with as little physcial contact
as possible. There is a huge emphasis on putting a baby down so they
don't become "spoiled", not "indulging" them in any way. Comments are
passed frequently to this effect. Few mums breastfeed and only a
handful for longer than, say 6 months.
[...]
I should say I live in Scotland, BTW.

Good luck -- but may I suggest that if the populace are very attached to doing
things just like Mum & Dad did, that they won't find "new" ideas very
attractive. Good luck with the pitch!

--
Chookie -- Sydney, Australia
(Replace "foulspambegone" with "optushome" to reply)

"...children should continue to be breastfed... for up to two years of age
or beyond." -- Innocenti Declaration, Florence, 1 August 1990