Provocative Time Cover: Hugo is not Alone

Here I am thinking that the four year old Hugo as was portrayed in the television series The Slap was an unusually different concept designed to shock by the author of the novel upon which the program was based. Then I see the cover of Time Magazine featuring a three year old still feeding from mum and discover how wrong I am in what I have thought.

Picture of Time Cover

Reading further I discover that this is part of a 20 year old notion called "attached parenting" which in addition to prolonged mammary based feeding encourages parents to attach themselves to their children in all manner of ways, for example, with slings, carry packs and like apparatus all in the name of bringing children closer to their parents, making them more entwined with them. This it is said will encourage more peaceful and more tranquil children, kids that are unlikely to be bullies at school or in latter life. This if true has great merit and should be encouraged but I would worry about the down side of the equation which may be more docile and dependant children who may lack a little in the areas of passion and ambition. Lack some of the things that make us strong and able to deal with life.

To quote the ABC article on Times Cover those for attached parenting say:
"There is almost no tantrum that I have not been able to soothe and calm down by holding my child in my arms and by breastfeeding them." - OR - "That's what it looks like; it's loving and it's beautiful and there's nothing creepy or weird about it."

But other American mothers who are not convinced say:
"My approach to parenting is surviving. Making it through every day with nobody hurt and everybody fed; maybe bathed if we're lucky..."

Time says "the very debate is proof the cover did its job" and I agree. It would be interesting to do one of those documentaries where they revisit these children in latter years to see how these kids grew up and whether the claims made for attached parenting panned out. Perhaps a scary thought is that one day we may see experts trained to detach an attached generation of pucker lipped children?