Dad Keeps Me Close To His Skin, Dad Has Also Chosen Attachment Parenting

When we talk about attachment parenting, it is common to almost instantly visualize a mother breastfeeding her child up to the age of 5. We also imagine her carrying the newborn in the baby carrier and favoring that  Birth bonding (affective bond)  built through contact and constant closeness.

Now … where is the father in all this? Is it that parents are not also architects of that bond created through a present and constant upbringing that also firmly believes in the importance of attachment? We must not be wrong. The education of a child is, in general, a matter of two. That intimate and wonderful sphere established among its main protagonists is the one that builds the chosen type of parenting alike.

Dad does it too, Dad attends, cares, consoles and seeks that closeness with which to promote that exogestation with which to enhance the baby’s brain development, while strengthening a strong relationship, a magical and extraordinary bond.

In “You are Mom” we suggest you reflect on it.

Dad doesn’t breastfeed but he also nurtures

A father does not breastfeed, but feeds the same way as mother . His heart loves in the same way, his skin also offers warmth, his hands know how to caress, change diapers and even tickle. Dad also knows how to give kisses and teach the first words to his child.

• The arms of a parent are a fabulous place to grow up and safely peek out into the world.

• Also, something that we all know is that it is increasingly common to see men with their baby carriers loaded on their chest while shopping. They know perfectly how to position children, and they understand that this daily closeness has great benefits that are worth investing in.

• Parents also get up at night to warm bottles, to wipe tears, treat colic, get smiles when children scream from nightmares and to make sure “the baby breathes.” They are present parents just as concerned as a mother.

Something that we cannot forget is that each couple previously establishes what type of parenting to give their children. If they are going to co-sleep, it is an option that the two members take in common. If breastfeeding is prolonged, it is something that sometimes comes from the mother herself but also approved by the father to be a collaborative part of that process.

The 5 “Bs” of attachment parenting where the father IS present

1. Babywearing : carry the baby with you

Parents build attachment parenting by holding their child on top, close to their heart, and in contact with their skin.

Whether in arms or through baby carriers, it is part of that routine where you show your children that they are protected, safe and that they are loved.

2. Beding close to baby : sleeping close to the baby

We pointed it out at the beginning. When we speak of attachment parenting, we think of the mother who sleeps with her baby, close to her and offering her warmth and protection during those night hours.

Now, the father is also in that same bed and understands that to avoid the separation anxiety that some children experience during the night, there is nothing better than sleeping close to him.

3. Belief in the language value of your baby’s cry : confidence in the value of your cry as a language

Crying, as we all know, is the only mechanism that the baby has to communicate with its parents.

Babies do not manipulate, they do not cheat and if they cry it is for a specific need that must be attended to. The parents know it and come quickly to take care of, to comfort or to feed.

4. Beware of baby trainers : be careful with training

There are many families that base the upbringing of their children on the administrations, on the schedules, on the rigid guidelines.

Attachment parenting is concerned first and foremost with the needs of children rather than following set standards. That is, if the baby is hungry and three hours have not yet passed since the last feeding, there is no reason to wait if there is a “need”.

This is something every parent who trusts in the principles of attachment parenting also understands.

5. Balance : keep a balance

Parenting with attachment is not based on giving the child everything he wants, everything he demands without rules, limits and obligations.

There is a balance, a democratic agreement and a logic. Fathers, like mothers, know that respectful parenting will never be capricious parenting.

6. Breastfeeding : breastfeeding

Breastfeeding is the best food for the newborn. We know that the studies support it, but above all, a moment of magical complicity is built between mother and child that many women choose to extend beyond 6 months.

What role does the father assume then during breastfeeding? He is there, the father helps the mother, creates the environment and that closeness where he surrounds them both with his love, with his appreciation and even with his admiration.

We cannot also forget that another premise of attachment parenting is “both”, that is, “both”, because that bond of the couple is the one that gives even more strength to the parenting process, it is a bond that gives consistency transmits support in moments of difficulty and that light where everyday joys acquire even greater meaning.

So now tell us… who can now doubt that dads don’t understand attachment parenting?