Book Review: Beyond the Sling

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A couple weeks ago I was flipping channels and saw a piece on Good Morning America about how stars like Danica McKellar (Winnie from Wonder Years) and Mayim Bialik (Blossom and Big Bang Theory) use attachment parenting with their kids. Mayim even wrote a book about it.

I thought attachment parenting was some super hippy thing, but after watching that piece and learning more what it's about and how these super intelligent (mathematician and neuroscientist!) do it, I was pretty interested. So I checked out Beyond the Sling by Mayim Bialik, her book about living an attachement parenting life.

I love this book! She's like my bestie! This book is right up my alley on my views on parenting. While I may not want to follow everything that attachment parents do like co-sleeping and elimination communication, that's ok! She even says that's ok. As long as you understand why they do those things and maybe use that philosophy in your own way on how you raise your kids.

The bottom line of the book is you know your kids better than anyone. Do what feels right and instinctual to you. Don't feel you need to follow the norm and pressures of other parents around you. Kids and babies are just that, kids and babies.

Another awesome thing that she said in the book, which doesn't have anything to do with attachement parenting really is to slow down. Life is super crazy these first few months and you won't and can't do everything. And I've heard it many many times before, but for some reason hearing "slow down" rather than, "don't try to do everything" just really resonated with me.

Anyways, I really enjoyed reading this book. It makes me excited to be a parent. It made me feel good too because I've had plenty of people give me advise already and while I do honestly listen to what every tells me, sometimes it bothers me what they say. I've actually cried about some of the things people have said because it's like they are telling me (in a nice way) what I am doing as a mother is wrong. 'Specially when people tell me that I'm spoiling Sam by holding him. I spent 2 1/2 years trying to have a baby (tough years too) and 9 months carrying him inside me...I'm going to hold this little miracle as much as I want to.