Kourtney Kardashian has taken a hands-on approach with her newest baby, opting for attachment parenting. Here's what that looks like and the motivations behind her choices.
- Jun 29, 2024
AceShowbiz - Kourtney Kardashian is delving deep into attachment parenting with her newborn son, Rocky Thirteen Barker, whom she welcomed with husband Travis Barker in November. Attachment parenting, a method emphasizing physical closeness between mother and child, has been Kourtney's tried-and-true approach, nurturing strong emotional bonds through extended breastfeeding, co-sleeping, and continuous physical touch.
"In many different cultures, women don't leave the house after having a baby for 40 days to let your body have that time to heal," Kourtney shared during the June 27 episode of "The Kardashians". "And beyond that, I'm really into attachment parenting. I really don't separate from him."
This hands-on method isn't new for Kourtney, who has practiced similar parenting with her three older children, Mason, 14, Penelope, 11, and Reign, 9, whom she shares with ex Scott Disick.
Despite its roots in nurturing, attachment parenting often faces criticism for potentially fostering overdependency in children and stress in parents. However, for Kourtney, this approach felt natural from the beginning.
"When I had Mason, I just felt really attached to him and wanted to bring him everywhere," she recalled. "He ended up sleeping with me, and I breastfed for 14 months." She continued to co-sleep with her children, a practice that continues to garner varied opinions.
According to studies referenced by sources such as Healthline, attachment parenting is grounded in the theory coined by child psychologists, suggesting that promptly responding to a baby's needs fosters a robust parent-child bond. Though research supports the benefits of this approach, the intense focus it demands can be taxing, especially for parents who need time for their own recovery.
Yet, having gone through this process before, Kourtney, along with Travis, is better equipped to handle these pressures, aided by their substantial financial resources that afford them time and freedom.
Reflecting on her approach to postpartum recovery, Kourtney emphasizes self-care and patience over societal pressures to "bounce back." "My priority is not bouncing back and getting my body back in shape like it has been in the past," she stated on "The Kardashians."
She shared that this time, her focus is on nourishing her body to maintain her milk supply, a departure from previous postpartum journeys where she felt pressured to conform to certain body image standards.
"I love being at home right now," Kourtney added, expressing her deep connection with her baby during this vital period. Despite following a demanding parenting philosophy, she finds immense joy and fulfillment in it, proving that with experience, support, and a bit of flexibility, attachment parenting can be a profoundly enriching journey for both parent and child.
