Sometimes as a parent it helps to try and step back, look at the big picture, and evaluate your parenting style in hopes of making changes for the better. Inevitably your kid(s) will do something out of the ordinary that makes you wonder, "Am I doing this right?"

In the past few years, Holly and I have embraced a somewhat controversial parenting style, called "Attachment Parenting". Truth be told, we sort of fell in to this style naturally, and later learned it's name. We both embrace the idea that youngsters are better off with the constant reassurance of parental closeness. This closeness manifests itself in several ways, including breast feeding, the family bed, rocking the kids to sleep, and attending to their needs very closely. We rarely will allow one of our kids to cry for very long without intervention.

It's all about confidence. Babies and toddlers are too young to learn the truth about the harshness of life. They just need love, and when they are seperated from the warmth of their mothers body, the result can be devastating to their physical and mental health. If you don't believe it, try reading some of the research that's available regarding the family bed and breast feeding.

Overall, Holly and I are extremely happy with attachment parenting. Our only regret, so far, is that we didn't identify and learn about our parenting style earlier.