The late Michael Jackson was once vocal about the abuse he endured during his childhood years by his punitive father, but his daughter's words at his memorial in Los Angeles, served as a testament that Jackson appeared to have broken the cycle of abuse as a parent.
"Ever since I was born, Daddy has been the best father you could ever imagine. And I just want to say I love him so much," 11 year-old, Paris Jackson told the crowd gathered at Staples Center.
Lysa Parker, co- author of Attached At The Heart (iUniverse) said the death of Michael Jackson appears to have renewed public interest in his child-rearing practices. "A musical icon, living in the shadow of being accused of molesting children for which he was acquitted and having survived abuse himself, he was clearly committed to giving his children a normal, loving childhood and meeting their emotional needs," she said.
Parker affirmed that as a result of his own abuse, Jackson was sensitized. "He understood that the deep disconnect between parents and their children is at the root of many wide-spread problems in our society." she said.
Parker said the late Jackson's parenting practices were in line with the principles of attachment parenting outlined in the book. "We offer parents simple ways to build strong bonds with their children, advising them to trust their instincts and listen to their hearts.”
When asked how parents can apply these ideas, Parker gave a concrete example. "When it’s two in the morning and your baby is crying, you don’t question whether or not to respond- you just do it, or if your baby cries and wants to be held, you pick her up without worrying if you’ll spoil her. Imagine if you were on a deserted island and had to depend on your own innate knowledge and skills as a parent without all the cultural influences, you would become quickly attuned to your baby’s needs, and do what comes naturally," she said.
Attachment parenting theory has a long history, and the behaviors of attachment have been studied by psychology and child development researchers, as well researchers focusing on the brain.
Co-founder of Attachment Parenting International, Barbara Nicholson admits the book covers some controversial topics, and among them, co-sleeping, a practice that for the late Jackson, brought accusations of child molestation.
Blogger, Shannon LC Cate writing for
Strollerderby referring to Martin
Bashir's 2003 documentary "Living With Michael Jackson," asserted, "What Jackson says [about sleep-overs] doesn’t strike me as a far cry from what many attachment parenting devotees claim about sleep sharing and making children’s needs for bonding and security a priority. For example, Jackson tears up as he
passionately tells
Bashir, “People don’t even eat with their fathers anymore or their mothers…They want love, they want to be touched, they want to be held… The family bond has been broken…it’s destroying our world. We need to bond again.”
http://blogs.babble.com/strollerderby/2009/06/30/michael-jackson-pedophile-or-attachment-parent/
Lysa Parker and Barbara Nicholson affirmed in thier book, " More research tells us that nurturing touch improves intellectual and motor development immediately from birth."
Parker said attachment parenting challenges parents to treat children with kindness, respect, and dignity. "The essence of attachment parenting forming and nurturing strong connections between parents and children," she said.
According to the Casey Journalism Center,an estimated 899,000 children were neglected or abused in 2005, the most recent year for which the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has data. Of these, the vast majority - 63 percent - suffered neglect, 17 percent were physically abused, 9 percent were sexually abused, 7 percent were emotionally or
psychologically maltreated, and 2 percent experienced medical neglect. Also, 14 percent of the victims experienced additional
maltreatment, such as abandonment, threats of harm or being born with a drug addiction.
Parker affirmed parents need to model appropriate and loving behaviors in order for children to follow suit. "If parents themselves don’t model appropriate behavior to their children, nothing they say will change the way their children behave, except fear and intimidation. As a human society we have moved way beyond the “do as I say, not as I do” mentality," she said.
To learn more about attachment parenting, visit:
www.attachedattheheartbook.com
www.attachmentparenting.org
The late Michael Jackson was once vocal about the abuse he endured during his childhood years by his punitive father, but his daughter's words at his memorial in Los Angeles, served as a testament that Jackson appeared to have broken the cycle of abuse as a parent.
Jackie ONeal
July 08, 2009 
