A real-world guide to Attachment Parenting from the Big Bang Theory actress, neuroscientist, and mother Mayim Bialikâa book hailed by Dr. William Sears as âdelightfulâ and by Ricki Lake as âa fantastic guide to birth and parenting that is packed with invaluable wisdom.â
Mayim Bialik was the child star of the popular 1990s TV sitcom Blossom, but she definitely didnât follow the typical child-star trajectory. Instead, Mayim got her PhD in neuroscience from UCLA, married her college sweetheart, and had two kids. Mayim then did what many new moms doâshe read a lot of books, talked with other parents, and she soon started questioning a lot of the conventional wisdom she heard about the ârightâ way to raise a child. Thatâs when she turned to Attachment Parenting, a philosophy and lifestyle popularized by well-known physicians like Dr. William Sears and Dr. Jay Gordon.
To Mayim, Attachment Parentingâs natural, child-led approach not only felt right emotionally, it made sense intellectually and instinctually. She found that when she followed her intuition and relaxed into her role as a mother instead of following some rigid parenting script, both she and her children thrived. Taking into account her experience as a mother (and her scientific background), Mayim presents the major tenets of Attachment Parenting, including:
Baby wearing: How to âwearâ your baby in a sling or a wrap to foster a closer bond with your childâitâs possible even for mamas with bad backs (and with big babies)!
Breastfeeding: Learn how to listen to your babyâs cues rather than sticking to a rigid scheduleâand why people on airplanes love a nursing mother!
Gentle discipline: How to get your child to behave without yelling, threats, or time-outsâit really is possible.
Co-sleeping: How to avoid âsleep trainingâ and get a great nightâs sleep for the whole family.
Without the pretense and luxuries typical of so many Hollywood actors and parents, Mayim describes the beauty, simplicity, and purposefulness of Attachment Parenting, and how itâs become the guiding principle for her family. Much more than a simple how-to parenting guide, Beyond the Sling shows us that the core principles underlying Attachment Parenting are universal and can be appreciated no matter how you decide to raise your child.