I really don’t have any opinions on raising children. I mean, obviously beating, abuse and starvation are out, but as far as the normal everyday decisions go, I haven’t given it much thought. Should baby sleep in our room? Should I pick him up every time he cries? Does he really need to eat that much? How much should he sleep? Some things really appeal to me and some things sound weird or uncomfortable or a little to crunchy-earth-mother for my tastes. To help myself feel more prepared, I bought The Baby Book by Dr. Sears. The guy’s raised eight children and delivered at least another thousand babies; I figure he’s qualified to make a few suggestions.  So far I mostly like the advice – the book is 700+ pages so I still have plenty of time to change my mind – but for some reason I hate the term “attachment parenting”. It just makes me cringe. I picture myself five years from now with a toddler literally hanging off of me, unable to walk out of the room without a screaming fit.  I know this is not what “attachment parenting” means. I really really do know. And I will probably follow a lot of Dr. Sears’ advice, especially about how to bond with and respond to your baby. But can’t we call it something else?