There is a lovely organization that provides support groups and leadership training for those who practice attachment parenting. It's Peacefun Parenting for a Peaceful World.

They are holding workshops in D.C. soon to train support group leaders.

When I was a new parent, I had no support group - and no one I knew who practiced attachment parenting. In fact, it wasn't even called that, or at least I'd never heard the term back then.

But I had studied anthropology in college, and parented my children in a way that seemed natural to me. The anthropology study I'd done only served to verify that my instincts were probably correct - because these people in non-industrialized societies treated their children the way I wanted to treat mine. And these societies did not have the same problems with criminality, suicide, drug addiction, insanity, etc., that we see in the U.S. Not at all! So I knew they were onto something.

I believe that giving children ALL the affection they want from the time they are born, is the key to raising a really happy, confident child.

That was my thought at first, and now that my older children are in or approaching their teen years, I can see that this was a successful approach. My kids are VERY confident. They're interested in meeting new people, they're not afraid to do just about anything. They are secure children.

It is my full belief that raising a secure child is simply a matter of practicing attachment parenting.