<a href="/CS/photos/mar2007/picture11099.aspx" target="_blank"><img src="/CS/photos/mar2007/images/11099/290x242.aspx" align="right" border="0" height="175" hspace="4"></a>Attachment parents (APs), those lovely kind souls mean well.&nbsp; They
do.&nbsp; But sometimes following the tenets of perfect childrearing can
cause irreparable harm to the marriage upon which the children
ultimately depend.&nbsp; <a href="http://www.babble.com/CS/blogs/strollerderby/archive/2007/02/09/regular-maintenance-great-idea-or-just-excuse-for-bad-sex.aspx">Marriages struggle after kids,</a>
there's no doubt about it.&nbsp; And I think the higher your childrearing
standards are, the more pressure is placed on the marriage after kids.&nbsp;
<br>
<p>Here are 5 attachment parenting practices and some suggested applications to marriage or partnerships:<br> </p>
<p><b>1. Respond with Sensitivity.</b>&nbsp;
APs are encouraged to respond to the nonverbal cues of infants and
young children and to respond with love and gentleness.&nbsp; In marriage,
partners worn out from caring for children often forget to follow the
same tenets in caring for the marriage.&nbsp; <br></p>
<p><b>2. Nurturing Touch</b>
- The concept of loving your child with loving touch is an obviously
good parenting practice and can mean hugs, kisses, but also handholding
and shoulder rubs.&nbsp; The same approach can strengthen the marriage.&nbsp;
Friendly touch (the kind that doesn't ask for anything in return) can
build a bridge between even the most harried of harried souls.&nbsp;
Hand-holding, kissing, and shoulder rubs can work miracles on a
stressed out couple.</p>
