I think that when it comes to specific "schools of thought" on parenting (such as "attachment parenting") it gets just about as uncomfortable as being around people who are absolutely fanatical about their religion...I would say that "parenting types" is a new type of religion and for some people it's just more than we can stomach to hear people endlessly go on about how great they are and how wonderful their view of the world is and how everyone else is doing it in an inferior way (whether it's spoken or unspoken, that's the message because why would people crusade so hard for a view unless they felt they were absolutely correct?) It creates an "us" vs. "them" mentality that is not at all welcoming.
So, while many people choose to opt out of religious debates just because rarely does any good come of them, I choose to avoid all the "parenting types" conversations. If people ask, I can tell them what works for me but I don't find it beneficial to have to be a part of "movement" so I can have a "self-identity."
I don't think we need to slap a label on everything to have a sense of self. Be confident in who you are and what you do and be open-minded.
In some ways I think that the way I approach parenting may have some overlap with what is labeled "attachment parenting." I prefer to parent MY WAY which gives me to freedom to pick and choose what works for me without having to be part of a "school of thought." I do follow some AP blogs and FB pages etc. and while some of the information available through them is beneficial, man, a lot of the people who use those resources are super snotty or militant.
As far as extended breastfeeding goes, I thought
this article was interesting.
But, we all know that the cover of Time is just sensationalism...just like the infamous "Tiger Mother" article of a year ago.
