Kourtney Kardashian and Travis Barker's baby has arrived − which means people will likely start buzzing about attachment parenting again.
Kardashian, 44, has been a longtime proponent of attachment parenting, which she's said she's done in the past. She shares three children with ex Scott Disik, 40: Mason, 13; Penelope, 11; and Reign, 8.
“That’s what I did for my last two kids, we didn’t leave the house for the first 40 days," she told Vogue in an October interview. "After, you’re super-connected and I love that.”
In 2014, Kardashian told Redbook the parenting style "came naturally" and she "didn't plan it."
"When I had Mason, I just felt really attached to him and wanted to bring him everywhere," she said. "He ended up sleeping with me, and I breastfed for 14 months." (Not all attachment parents practice bed-sharing or co-sleeping; it's important to note The American Academy of Pediatrics advises against sharing a bed with an infant, citing an increased risk of sudden infant death syndrome, or SIDS.)
Attachment parenting emphasizes physical closeness between a parent and a child, as well as the parent's responsiveness to a child's cries or discomfort. The goal is to the make the child feel secure and confident in their connection to the parent.
Attachment parenting developed as a result of attachment theory, which posits that people who don't experience secure attachment early in life struggle to have healthy relationships later in life.
"Attachment is where the child uses the primary caregiver as a secure base from which to explore and, when necessary, as a haven of safety and a source of comfort," explains a 2004 study on attachment parenting.
Many attachment parents also practice babywearing and breastfeeding in order to foster closeness.
Attachment parents might also practice positive discipline, using praise and rewards for good behavior and loss of privileges for poor behavior.
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Attachment isn't the only parenting style. Other types of parents include lawnmower, helicopter and elephant.
Lawnmower parents earn their name for "mowing down" an easier path for their child, removing all obstacles that may cause discomfort.
Helicopter parents tend to hover, and this can continue through college. Child-development researchers Foster Cline and Jim Fay coined the term “helicopter parent” in 1990 for parents who may be over-involved and always assessing risk, thus preventing children from developing that skill.
Elephant parents, meanwhile, exercise encouragement, regardless of their child's academic or athletic success. They also value emotional security and connection and strive not to raise their voices with their children.
Perhaps the opposite of all the above are free-range parents. They value giving their children independence. Free-range parents may allow their kids to walk to school or a nearby playground alone to promote self-reliance. But it's not been without controversy as others have seen it as dangerous.
What type of parent are you?Lawnmower? Helicopter? Attachment? Tiger? Free-range?
Contributing: Sonja Haller, Amanda Oglesby, USA TODAY
