There are many types of parenting.
Authoritative
Permissive
Uninvolved
Helicopter
Free Range
Panda
Koala
What is koala parenting? Koala parenting promotes a close attachment between parents and their children from birth. Much like a mama koala and their baby joey, koala parents prioritize closeness with their child, are incredibly nurturing, and are responsive to their child’s needs. This is lived out by parents who often hold their child like koala bears do.
The koala bear is one of the most popular animals in Australia.
The koala bear has some unique
parenting skills. Unlike most mammals, female koalas do not leave their
young while still nursing but stay with them regularly to protect, feed,
and care for them until they are fully weaned.
It is based on the parenting strategy that a close attachment between a parent and their child in the early years helps the child to be independent and creates a strong personal relationship with their parents.
Ultimately, koala parenting emphasizes a deep commitment to your children’s well-being and helping them feel safe, cared for, and supported.
Here are some principles of Koala parenting.
Birth Bonding
This consists of forming a strong bond between a baby and their parents by close skin-to-skin contact during their first weeks and months
Breastfeeding
A close bond is formed as the mother holds her baby close.
Baby Carrier
This involves parents carrying their baby in a backpack-like carrier or wrap. This provides close contact between the parent and the child and also makes it easier for parents to complete daily tasks in a safe way.
A study showed that babies who were carried in soft baby carriers, rather than portable infant seats, were more likely to form a secure attachment to their mothers.
Immediately following childbirth, a young koala will stay close to its
mother as she nurtures it and ensures its survival. The baby will cling
tightly to her body using its roots or claws, often draped across her
back or shoulders in a sling called a "baby carrier."
Co-sleeping
Co-sleeping is another way parents form a stronger bond with their baby, This is not recommended as highly.
Baby Cry
Instead of abiding by the “cry it out” method, koala parenting believes that a baby’s cry is a form of communication expressing a need, rather than considering the cries a form of manipulation and ignoring them.
Some of the benefits of koala parenting are...
It leads to strong emotional bonds between parents and children.It helps children to learn how to get along with others.
It helps children build crucial future life skills.
It helps children get along with others.
It can help children develop a growth mindset.
While koala parenting does have benefits, there are some cons as well.
It can be physically and emotionally demanding on parents. It can create pressure for parents to get it perfect. This can lead to parental burnout.
It can lead to disrespectful behavior towards parents when the child feels like they are not receiving the attention that they want at the moment.
It can cause children to be overly "clingy." Children can become over dependent on their parents.
As you work with parents, it is good to know about the parenting styles. This is also very helpful if you are doing a parenting class.
I am currently working on creating curriculum for a parenting class that you will be able to use. Stay turned for info. about this in the weeks ahead.
