![\"MotherAndChild3\"](\"http://health.net.au/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/MotherAndChild3.jpg\" "\\"Discipline")
Attachment parenting is a parenting style that allows the baby and parents to develop a close emotional and physical bonding. This is done by allowing your baby to sleep with both you and your spouse in the same bed or allowing them the sleeping alongside your bed either in their crib or for an older child, their own bed. It is breastfeeding done either at will or for however long they desire. It is holding your baby often and without guilt that it will spoil them, but rather draw them closer to you. Basically, it is listening to their cues or signals of what is the right time for them instead of going by the way of a chart of common ages for skill development.
Discipline and attachment parenting is a establishing a gentle approach in correcting a child’s ill behavior. Instead of physical punishment or verbal commands at an elevated tone of voice the parent who practices attachment parenting will use a gentle yet positive form of discipline. These parents will use other methods of correction such as distracting a child away from the negative behavior, preventing them from harm, or exchanging one thing for another that would be equally satisfying to a child allowing them a safer environment. To do this would entail a parent being knowledgeable of a general timeline of development of the stages of a child’s growth. As all children are different and do not develop at the same rate this timeline should only be used as a guideline.
A child at all times should be respected, as you would want to be respected. They need a great deal of attention and praise especially for good behavior. They need to be part of the time in problem solving and have their need’s met. A gentle, but firm approach often works best and allows the child to maintain a sense of dignity in the process.
Some parents will often demonstrate gentle punishment by withholding certain luxuries, earning privileges or reasonable time-outs. A reasonable time-out would one minute for every year of the child’s age. For example, an appropriate time-out for a 3-year-old would be 3 minutes instead of a ridiculous amount of time such as 10 minutes. A 3-year-old would forget altogether why he was sitting there for this length of time and this would most likely defeat the purpose. Small rewards for good behavior are also used by some attachment parenting advocates.
Whatever form of discipline you decide to use for your child is a highly personal choice. However, physical forms of discipline, as well as loud and degrading verbal forms of discipline can only teach the child that this is the way you handle your problems and this is how you would treat others as they grow into adults.
RESOURCES
Attachment Parenting International: Effective Discipline
Attachment Parenting International: Frequently Asked Questions
AskDrSears: 10 Ways Attachment Parenting Makes Discipline Easier