Attachment parenting: Peaches Geldof vs Katie Hopkins

Who is Katie Hopkins, I have never heard of her.

I've not heard of her, either.

Katie Hopkins is a social commentator [not usually very complimentary] and author !

She's the woman who was on the Apprentice, who keeps getting rolled out on morning TV to criticise kids with common or geographical names (Charlene, Kayleigh-May, Brooklyn were examples - she has a daughter, India), or justify why she doesn't always bother to get home to let her young children celebrate their birthdays. There's another thread about her, if you put her name in Search.

Thank you whenim64, I am still none the wiser. I missed a lot of the last Apprntice and I have not seen her appear on other TV programmes. I doubt if I have missed much.

I didn't see the programme, and although I think Peaches is a bit of a twit her heart seems to be in the right place, which is more than I can say for Katie Hopkins!

Two extremes of a spectrum and most mothers would find themselves somewhere in the middle. I haven't seen them on This Morning, but might try and see if there is a clip of it available somewhere, sounds a bit interesting. Have read about both of them and I don't feel either are representative of the vast majority. Peaches has had an expensive education, but hasn't done a lot with it, has traded off the Geldof name and doesn't appear to have had a "real" job since she left school. Happily she seems to enjoy motherhood, possibly it's without the pressure of money worries that a young girl with two small babies would have at her age. Katie Hopkins is known for her really extreme points of view that are both condescending and patronising and the last thing she wants to hear is an opinion that differs from her own. She seems to be trading on her "rent a gob" credentials to carve some sort of media career for herself.

I am so fed up with the presentation of extremes as entertainment.

I didn't see the programme, but I'm irritated simply reading the thread. I have read a number of things written by katie hopkins, and heard her interviewed about her lifestyle, politics and snobbery (re the names of children she will allow to visit her home - Chantelle, you're out). I always try to be patient with young mothers, earth or otherwise. Peaches didn't have the easiest time did she emotionally, good job there was loadsofmoney to protect her from actually having to earn her living like other young mothers.

Attachment parenting? Does that mean the child is constantly strapped to it's mother day and night to the detriment of anything or anyone else ie: the poor father who is now nothing but a sperm donor?
Sounds potty to me. I know animals and ancient tribes did this but we are neither.
Wasn't Katie Hopkins the one who said she wouldn't invite a child on a playdate if it was called after a country like Kenya etc quite forgetting her child is called India

This item was purely for entertainment. One assumes that Katie gets paid for being outrageous, she has no expertise at all. Peaches made a fair stab at explaining her parenting style, why not have an psychologist on, who might actually outline the advantages and risks of attachment parenting based on actual evidence. Mind if This Morning are looking for someone who can talk on any subject whether they know anything about it or not, I am up for it. If they pay me right I'll get up at stupid o'clock to be in the studio

I have only ever seen the Katie creature on The Apprentice but formed a total and lasting hatred for her when she was reported as saying "Ginger babies? Just like real babies but so much harder to love" x million.

And wasn't Peaches Geldof the one whose baby fell out of its buggy while she was on her mobile?
If either of these idiots is being held up as a role model for young mums - God help us.

( Nonu you are being far too kind describing her as a "social commentator" !!) I can think of much less flattering epithets! again

How can she (Katie Pric) be a social commentator?
Presumably you have to have some specialism /expertise more than the average person to speak with any authority or we are all social commentators! Peaches has had a baby (or two?)... so there we go: two knowledgeable experts telling the world how to raise kids! It is purely for veiwing ratings ..no education, worthwhile information nor,in my view, entertainment!

Katie Hopkins is a spiteful, vicious snob - possibly she's paid to portray that image but she must feel reasonably comfortable in doing so.

Attachment parenting is probably preferable to the "hands off" approach, but how many young mums these days can devote every minute to their child? Most mums have to work. And, as dorset says, what about dad?

And, what about the babies? I wouldn't want to return to a regime of 4 hourly feeds, and babies crying in their prams, at the bottom of the garden BUT I am unconvinced that never offering infants the opportunity to be separate from their most significant attachment figure, is entirely good for them. I'm sure it can't be good for the mother's either. Isn't there scary research about co-sleeping and an increase in sudden infant death. I found breast feeding on demand so much easier than a more rigid regime. The babies were easily contented and never short of loving cuddles, stimulation as well as the opportunity to learn to sleep on their own.

Attachment parenting is simply parenting based on attachment theory, which suggests that babies need to form a close attachment to a primary caregiver. As Peaches said on the programme, it's nothing new, and is simply a style of responsive parenting that has been around since time immemorial. The aim is to enable a child to feel secure as a basis for developing independence at appropriate stages. It doesn't exclude the father or other caregivers. Baby-wearing, co-sleeping etc are aspects of it but not the whole picture and parents can pick and choose which parts are for them and which are not.

I rather like Peaches. I don't care for Sir Bob but I have to say he and his wife seem to have made a good job of bringing up four children who lost their mother at a tender age and one of whom lost her father as well, and is no blood relative. I think that after a rocky adolescence Peaches seems to have become a very grounded young woman.

Katie Hopkins on the other hand is paid well to be a pantomime villain. I suspect the woman would do anything for publicity.

Peaches was a bit vague on her research and argued that co-sleeping was good for babies as their breathing pattern sync'ed with mum's, and countered the argument about cot death, emphasising ''cots' that's where this happens!' She was on shaky ground, and could simply have explained that she supported what is understood of attachment theory, and that her view is about enabling babies to feel secure and be able to breast feed at their own pace. She did appear to be trying to show grandmother how to suck eggs (is there a book on the horizon?) but in comparison with Katie, anyone would look good.

There's more to building attachment and resilience in children than co-sleeping, wrapping baby to your body and breast-feeding on demand though, Peaches.

If Katie Hopkins had not been available no doubt Samantha Brick would have been called in. I know she doesn't have any children but both Katie and Samantha are the current favourite panto villians.

My daughter practised baby-wearing and co-sleeping with her first baby and people are always commenting on how confident and independent he is. She is doing the same with the second and he looks set to be the same.

I was always impressed by the way Bob Geldorf automatically took over the care of Tiger Lily because she was his daughters' sister. So many men wouldn't have wanted the child of a rival.

Here is a link : talktalk.parentdish.co.uk/2013/11/12/watch-katie-hopkins-v-peaches-geldof-in-the-battle-of-attachment-parenting/?ncid=ttg_dl#!slide=aol_1007335

My DD is an attachment parent. That's the modern form of parenting it seems.

My DGS is 15 months old, she works from home 3 days a week while he is in a nearby nursery and they all seem very happy which is surely the main objective?

It's not the way I would do things - I disagree (although never, ever voice it to her) about babies sleeping in their parents' bed and for breastfeeding on demand, but they do have some sort of bedtime routine at least, although he seems way off sleeping through the night and she wants to b/f until he is 2 - he is fussy about his solids, unsurprisingly I think as he gets what he wants and needs from mummy milk).

When DD and her sister were babies we were very fortunate that once weened at 4 months (now it is 6 months) both girls slept through the night apart from one feed before I went to bed myself. So it's horses for course, I guess. Both my DDs were happy children until they became adolescent so I don't think there is a right or wrong way of doing things!

Here is the modern list - the 7 Bs of Attachment Parenting. Peaches was keen to emphasise that children will become more grounded if they are parented in this way, and she told Katie Hopkins that it was evident she wasn't!

I have no issue with any of this, but I think Peaches evangelism was a bit exaggerated and disjointed, and her failed attempt to repeat the list left her wide open to Katie's ridicule. Oh dear!

An Updated Look at Attachment Parenting (copied from WebMD)

Sears is the pediatrician who popularized attachment parenting. He has streamlined its principles into what he calls the "7 Baby B's" or "Attachment Tools":

Birth bonding. Sears acknowledges that the now-or-never idea of attachment doesn't hold true. Adopted children, foster kids, and infants in intensive care can all learn to form healthy relationships as adults later in life.

Breastfeeding. While still advocated, breastfeeding is now understood to benefit a mother as well as a baby. It does this by producing increased levels of her "bonding" hormones, prolactin and oxytocin.

Baby-wearing. Sears focuses on "baby-wearing" to promote attachment, frequent touch, and parents' sensitivity to an infant's cues of needs.

Bedding close to baby. While Sears still advises sleeping close to babies, his attachment parenting model more fully acknowledges the need for parents to get a good night's sleep.

Belief in the language-value of your baby's cry. Sears' attachment parenting model strongly advises parents to respond to their babies' cries and not let babies "cry it out."

Beware of baby trainers. Sears continues to discredit what he calls "convenience" parenting. Convenience parenting, he says, puts a parent's ease and convenience above an infant's feeding cues or emotional bonding needs. An example might be parent-scheduled feedings.

Balance. Sears' advice on attachment parenting still includes strong advice to parents to balance parenting, marriage, and their own health and emotional needs.