Alanis Morissette, Now a Mother, Dives Into 'Attachment Parenting' and Breastfeeding Controversy
Pop rock star talks about breastfeeding and parenting her 17-month-old son.
May 31 ,2012 — -- Alanis Morissette, known to be one of the angrier women in the 1990s pop scene, is speaking out about the controversy over "attachment parenting," saying she would allow her 17-month-old son to decide when he is ready to stop breastfeeding, even if it's not until he's six-years-old.
The seven-time Grammy winner, best known for her downright anger on her 1995 breakout hit "You Oughta Know," is now, at 37, in a much different place. Morissette is now happily married to rapper Mario "MC Souleye" Treadway, and is a devoted mother to their son, Ever.
Fueled by that infamous Time magazine cover depicting a 3-year-old feeding at his mother's breast, Morissette is now stepping head on into the raucous over "attachment parenting," specifically, how long mothers should breastfeed their children.
"I don't even really consider it 'extended,'" Morissette told ABC News. "I just consider it appropriate for that particular child and that mom and that family."
Like most supporters of "extended breastfeeding," she's still nursing her son, who's almost 2, and has no plans to stop.
"[Ever's] particular style is that -- wherever we are, if he sits down and looks at me, it's time to snuggle, you know? It's peppered throughout the day, more and less, depending upon what he needs," she said.
Morissette said she'll only stop breastfeeding when Ever says it's time.
"I know some children who have weaned naturally at two years, some kids wean naturally a couple of years later. I mean, it's up to every child," she said.
But attachment parenting is not only about breastfeeding. Attachment parenting can, in some cases, mean 24-hour devotion to a child, with the parent rarely leaving his or her side. And not everyone agrees that's such a good idea.
"I think what they are talking about is extreme, and I don't think it's what attachment parenting was meant to be. It was meant to be that 'mindfulness,' being with your kids and nursing your kids those first few months of life," Corky Harvey, owner and founder of the California-based Pump Station and Nurtury breastfeeding centers told ABC News.
Morissette said her style is not for everyone, and not everyone's lifestyle could accommodate her and Ever's way of bonding.
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