The Ebbs and Flows of Attachment Parenting

As the days get shorter we are starting to really see a change in both of our children, a change for the better. A- just turned 7 a few days ago and is acting more and more like a young lady (and part-time comedian), and G-, who has been so difficult at times in the last few months, is really starting to mellow out and become a much more enjoyable companion. Linda actually took them both into multiple stores a few days ago and came home calm, saying “it was fun”. Imagine!
While some of the biggest child development people consider that development happens on a relatively large scale (I’m thinking of Jean Piaget, for example, who talked about changes on a 1-2 year timeframe), or built around hundreds of very specific cognitive activities (here I’m talking about T. Berry Brazelton‘s “touchpoints” checklist of anxiety-provoking what’s and when’s), I have to say that the six-week cycles discussed by Louise Bates Ames in her excellent series of books entitled “Your Two Year Old”, “Your Three Year Old”, etc., seem to be closest to what we see.
And as we move into a cycle of calm, centered, grounded 3-1/2 year old activity, it’s sure a lot more fun having kids! And darn good timing too, with Thanksgiving, Hannukah and Christmas coming up!