Mayim Bialik Divorce Brings Attention To Controversial Idea Of Attachment Parenting

Mayim Bialik says that her divorce is in no way related to her practice of attachment parenting, a controversial style of child rearing that calls for parents to be unusually connected to their children.

Still, her divorce has left many wondering if attachment parenting might do more harm for families than good.

Attachment parenting is based on the idea that a child forms a strong emotional bond with caregivers during childhood, so parenting must always be sensitive and emotionally available to the needs of the child. For Mayim Bialik that has meant public breastfeeding of her then 3-year-old on a busy subway and blogging and writing about her parenting choices.

As Time’s Family Matters blog notes, Mayim Bialik’s use of attachment parenting isn’t itself criticized as much as her zeal for the style.