Beyond the Sling

December 19, 2011
Bialik, former child-star of the TV sitcom Blossom, is now a neuroscientist with two young sons. A proponent of “attachment parenting,” Bialik discusses the philosophy’s main components, including co-sleeping, baby-wearing, extended nursing, and natural birth, using her own experiences as a mother as well as her background in neuroscience to illustrate and shore up her points. The core of the author’s text focuses on what she considers to be baby’s needs, including a smooth birth (preferably without unnecessary medical intervention), breastfeeding (she became a certified lactation education counselor), holding, and nighttime parenting (including safe co-sleeping). She also includes a chapter on “Elimination Communication,” a potty training method that relies on parents’ recognizing baby’s signals (the diaper-free route, she admits, is not for everyone). While passionate and committed to attachment parenting, Bialik approaches her subject with a sense of humor and the awareness that not every parent will embrace all its tenets. Nevertheless, she makes a convincing case for the benefits for children, including healthy brain and social development, ability to develop trusting relationships, and good self esteem. Attachment parenting proponents will welcome Bialik’s openhearted message and advice to follow one’s instincts, and even readers who are skeptical will enjoy Bialik’s warm and nonjudgmental voice.