I too deliberately caught up with this programme has it seemed to have caused such a fuss.
I don't have anything against AP per se, but like all vogues it will have its time, there seems to be a pendulum effect with parenting theories. As some one else said lets see how the children turn out.
I can't help feeling that the children in this programme seemed a bit insecure and certainly quite demanding. I suppose a AP would say, wait until they are an adult.
I do think there has to be balance in these things. I suppose I use a mixture of parenting styles with my family, for eg I still bf (dt are 22 months), but don't do it on demand.
We have children in to sleep with us sometimes, but eventually they start sleeping seperately again.
Parents on a mission can sometimes not pick up cues from their children about what they do actually need, because they are so hellbent on following their theory to the letter.
I thought that the British family came across as warm hearted and well meaning, I may not agree with every thing they said, but I liked them. I thought he was nice, and jokes about breastfeeding are probably part and parcel of a family that is dominated by breast feeding. He supports her, what more do you want?
I do agree that the older American woman with the daughter is concerning. She is certainly over attatched imo, hopefully partner will balance this out a bit. I wonder if she chose to only have one, or can't have more. I think being an AP is probably easier with one child, but there might be more pitfuls, like over attatchment.
It does strike me that some of these ideas are based on other cultures who bf and carry children till late ages. While I think bf a western child will do it good still, I just wonder if adopting all of these practices with a western child, who has a relative life of luxury might well cause it problems in the long run. There is no hardship, so as well as getting all of their parents time, they also gets lots of material possessions and advantages. Can one have too priveledged a life?