nefits and the comfort it brings a child. The Robinson’s case may be one of the most jarring that psychologists have ever seen. Eliza and Bethany often play with their mother’s breasts, draw pictures of them, and even scold her for wearing a bra, as the girls think the breasts are trapped. This single documentation of extreme breastfeeding was enough for psychologists to deem this new form of attachment parenting wrong.
Although women like Jamie Lynne Grumet and Veronica Robinson gush about the bond that is made and the feelings of confidence and comfort that accompany breastfeeding, they do not see past their own attachment parenting. Practitioners of extreme breastfeeding are blind to the damage they are doing. Without independence, children are unable to evolve. Smothering them with attachment parenting will present many consequences during their very important developmental years.
At age two, children become aware that they are separate individuals, different from everyone else. They realize that they have control over many aspects of their lives, like what they want to eat or where they want to go. Breastfeeding a baby creates a lasting bond that eventually grows into hugs, cuddles, and kisses, but when a mother realizes that she is no longer a necessity at all times, she may feel unwanted. This is where attachment parenting as a whole stems from. Mothers want to be the source of their children’s happiness, so much that without realizing it, they may inhibit the physical independence of a child, suffocating the newfound control a toddler has. Afraid that the needs children possess may dissipate at a certain age, mothers can prolong their significance by breastfeeding as long as possible, keeping their child close literally through physical touch, and mentally through mother-child bonding. This gives kids the idea that they can do nothing without their mother. Separation from both mother and father play a key role in the development of independence. Children must learn to cope without their parents and become acclimated to different environments and situations, but an upbringing that denies necessary freedom will surely skew this natural path of development.
Extreme breastfeeding not only limits a child’s mobile independence, but their mental development as well. Babies develop the ability to self soothe within the first few months of life, and continue to do so throughout their childhood. It is one of the first personal abilities they will have, and is therefore vital in development. It is acceptable to breastfeed a three month old when they are inconsolable, but when a child is breastfed into their elementary school years, they will not know any other way to calm down in upsetting situations. Extreme breastfeeding has proven itself as a way for mothers to give themselves a purpose when their preschooler skins their knee, no longer a way to provide food for their baby. If a child from a home where extreme breastfeeding can be found has a meltdown in school or any other public place, the first thing they will want is their mother’s breast. Mothers seem to forget that they will not always be there for a quick feeding session to stop the tears. After infancy, it is unhealthy for a parent to suppress their child’s ability to self soothe. Without this mechanism, children are unable to develop more advanced mentalities and grow to their potential.
Social limitations have presented as negative side effects of the extreme breastfeeding craze as well. Kids learn to socialize, ask questions, and initiate conversation during this time period. They are able to communicate their needs and wants. Children who are breastfed into their educational years will have a much harder time making friends and learning in a school setting, thanks to a mother who never let them think for themselves. Parents are setting their child up for failure by denying them the right to grow. Nothing gives schoolmates license to tease more than a child that is still breastfed. Kids are crueler and more desensitized to the things that once hurt the feeling