Attachment Parenting is a name used to describe a style of caring for your baby and child which involves connecting with your baby and responding to his/her cues as he/she gives them. Sounds simple, right? It is! AP is the approach that many parents use instinctively, and one that was used for centuries until "childcare experts" came on the scene and led parents to follow books instead of their babies. The typical "tools" characteristic of Attachment Parenting have been labeled by Dr. William Sears (considered by most to be the "guru" of AP and the individual who coined the term) as "The Baby B's." The Baby B's are Birth Bonding, Breastfeeding, Babywearing, Bedding near baby, Belief in the language value of baby's cry, Beware of baby trainers, and Balance. Further explanation of these terms as well as more information from Dr. Sears can be found on his website.

Attachment Parenting International describes the "methods" as "The 8 Ideals" which are as follows: Preparation for Childbirth, Emotional Responsiveness, Breastfeed your Baby, Baby Wearing, Shared sleep, Avoid frequent and prolonged separations from your baby, Positive Discipline, and Maintain balance in your family life. API defines these further here. (Check out their FAQ about AP while you're there!)

There are a lot of online resources and books for learning more about Attachment Parenting. I've listed a few already, and here are a few more:

kellymom.com Great breastfeeding info and overall excellent, well-researched information.

Dr. Jay Gordon A Pediatrician from Santa Monica, CA, who is an expert and advocate of AP and breastfeeding.

AP info from ParentingWeb More general info.

What is Gentle/Positive Discipline?

Once baby starts to become more active in his or her world, we have to help show them the way to interact with their world safely, courteously, and in a way which encourages their innate love of learning and supports them in a way to help them grow to be well-adjusted adults.

(This is obviously still in the works; stay tuned!)