Attachment Parenting is a philosophy based in the practice of nurturing parenting methods that create strong emotional bonds, also known as secure attachment, between the infant and parent(s). This style of parenting encourages responsiveness to the infant or child's emotional needs, and develops trust that their emotional needs will be met. As a result, this strong attachment helps the child develop secure, empathic, peaceful, and enduring relationships.

An article by Diana West refers to Attachment Parenting as a "Frame of Mind". There are behaviors that many parents who practice Attachment Parenting tend to use in some form or another, such as breastfeeding, co-sleeping, and babywearing, but it really isn't about the behaviors as much as it is about the attitude. Attachment Parenting is about forming and nurturing strong connections between parents and their children. Pam Leo suggests that when considering any parenting advice we should ask ourselves, "If I follow this advice, will I be providing nurturing, guidance, and limits in a way that maintains a secure bond with my child?" Attachment Parenting challenges us as parents to treat our children with kindness, respect and dignity, and to model in our interactions with them the way we would like for them to interact with others.

Attachment Parenting isn't "new". It is in many ways a return to the instinctual behaviors of our ancestors. In the last 60 years, the behaviors of attachment parenting have been studied extensively by psychology and child development researchers, and more recently, by researchers studying the brain. This body of knowledge offers strong support for areas that are key to the optimal development of children, summarized in API's Eight Principles of Attachment Parenting.

Dr. William Sears, a practicing pediatrician in California, coined the term "Attachment Parenting" over twenty-five years ago. Dr. Sears did not start Attachment Parenting but simply observed that mothers in other cultures cared for and raised their children in a very natural, loving way as they had done for thousands of years. This type of care helped the parents and baby form a strong, secure attachment. It has long been recognized by research in the field of psychology that babies and children with secure attachments grow up to be loving, trusting and empathic adults.

Dr. Sears and his wife Martha, who is a nurse and is involved with La Leche League (a breastfeeding support organization), have not only raised their eight children with this style of parenting but have written many books on the subject. Their books have been instrumental in educating the public in Attachment Parenting methods.