Attachment parenting segment on BBC News 24

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Anyone else watching?

One of the people interviewed on the street made me chuckle. Asked whether she would practice attachment parenting and she said 'Oh god no. It's hard enough to get things done during the day as it is - wearing them in a sling as well, and having them in bed with you? No thanks!'

Someone might mention that having hands free with a sling actually makes it easier to get things done :)

I thought the mum they had on there did really well :)

Didn't see it. Having a lie in with ds2 :)
This no doubt will end in a bun fight at some point today on mn but for now it at least feels like a pat on the back as AP is hard work! (or maybe that's just me!)

i thought it was incredibly poor that the newsreader/interviewers hadn't done any research and didn't know that the WHO guidelines for bf are for at minimum two years. He look aghast at the thought.

the psychologist was very generalist as well and far too quick to seize on negatives and what the extremes of AP were rather than using any evidenced commentary.

the mum did really well, but wasn't really given enough space to present her view, as nobody else seemed very prepared for the subject, or knowledgeable on it.

wondering really what the point was of the feature if no one (except the mum) gave a stuff about it.

I agree that having your hands free wearing a baby in a sling often means you get more done. It's not for everyone but it has worked for us and for hundreds of cultures worldwide. We also find having our baby in bed with us means she doesn't cry and can feed when she needs to without disturbing us. Something else often considered quite normal outside of the UK. I realise this doesn't work for everyone but I think we should live and let live a bit and be open minded to others. We all try and do the best we can for our children.
The BBC article did come across as badly researched. These are supposed to be BBC presenters not a couple of gossips in a doctors' waiting room - I also thought, where is the basic research or even general knowledge, when they were surprised the mum quoted that NHS, ie World Health Organisation, recommends 2 years' breastfeeding and beyond if it works for the mum and child.
Journalism is supposed to be unbiased, however getting a psychologist, prejudiced towards one side of the argument against attachment parenting without a professional to counterbalance the other was a very poor show. One has to question the motive of this feature at all. I came away from watching it feeling very disappointed and misunderstood. This kind of pseudo journalism just makes life harder for women. And why a male psychologist with no personal experience of motherhood? Having been a journalist myself I am aghast at the slipping standards of this morning 'news' programme. There was a time when I considered the BBC educational and informative. Now I just feel it has dumbed down and am also left wondering whether women's rights have really come as far as I'd hoped.

Also thought the mum on did really well and wasn't given enough of a chance to give her view.

That psychologist was terrible - a disgrace to his profession.

There is no evidence that a secure attachment causes any problems but lots to show that poor attachment does.

He was on very dodgy territory saying it negatively affects other relationships and tried to explain himself away with lots of arm waving and talking about 'extremes'.

I wonder who pays him?

I can think of a few suggestions but they would just get deleted

the bbc news treatment of any health/ science/technology story is almost universally crap.

that sort of stuff is for geeks you know. Bill whatsisname rips my knitting something awful.

they don't listen and come out with all sorts of rubbish, it's depressing. I'm glad i didn't see this I'd have probably shouted at the tv.

I only discovered Attachment Parenting when my dd was about 6 months old. I will be honest, like every 'parenting method' I personally feel that there are things that I like and things that I do not agree with. BUT, what I love about AP is that the baby is at the centre of the parenting style. I even found when doing my reading that I had 'followed' some AP techniques without realising because they just came naturally. Carrying my baby in a sling was one of the only things that soothed her colic attacks and allowed me to actually get things done (like pee and eat!!) In the early weeks I didn't eat at all because I just couldn't put my colicky baby down because she would scream. Co-sleeping was also a life saver at times. Despite the fact that I used AP techniques by accident I strongly feel that doing what comes naturally allowed me to bond completely with a colicky baby who cried all of the time. I think co-sleeping actually saved me from developing post natal depression because the moments where she fell asleep griping my finger just made up for the hours of screaming that we had been through previously. I had a friend who followed Gina Ford very successfully, and whilst I would not judge another mummy, I read her book and it wasn't for me. I felt that the routine she prescribed was for the parent not the baby so I just couldn't bring myself to do it. Next time around I am just going to do whatever comes naturally. Hopefully I will not have the same issues with bf (in any case, I have a plan to ensure I have the best chance possible!). I think the problem with the press is that they only focus on bf into toddler hood and not all of the other techniques which are so beneficial to both baby and mummy.

MamaBear17 we are very similar in our philosophies I think! I didn't reseach any particular 'method' before DS was born, but like you just followed my instincts which led me down a quite unexpected path which seems to encompass a fair bit of AP. My feeling was always that I shouldn't try and make my baby fit into my old adult life, and that he should lead the way while we learnt to live together. I must admit while I was pregnant, I had no idea I would feel the way I do about parenting.

I completely agree that everything seems to focus on the 'extended' breastfeeding and after that so many people just seem to close their ears and not want to see the benefits of other aspects.

I didn't see the BBC piece, but form what I've read I think it might just make me angry!!

The psychologist that was in the discussion has been on the been again this morning talking about the shootings in America. Dr David Holmes is a criminal psychologist. So, Why on earth was he on a feature about attachment parenting?

So cross.

David Holmes

no woder he didn't have a clue and kept talking about extreme behaviours. he specialises in stalking, sex crimes and Munchausens by proxy.

why did he agree to the interview at all?

What on earth is 'lifestyle psychology'? The beeb could have made an effort to find someone who specialised in the right area. Or is he just their regular psychologist for hire?

I dont understand why there are labels for the way you handle your children...and people analysing it. Doesn't everyone just do what comes natural to them or what they think is best for their family?

I put my kids in slings when it was helpful. I took them in bed with me when they couldn't sleep or were fussy. I breastfed them...so those are certain aspects of the 'style' that I did. In many ways I am very dedicated to them.

However, in concept I absolutely have a belief system totally different. I believe the kids should absolutely fit into my lifestyle. I have more or less tried my hardest to carry on my life as it was and I think I would be severely depressed if I didn't. For me, centring my whole life around the kids is never going to happen and it is working just fine for us.

I don't judge how other people do things...why is there such a focus on this??