Mayim Bialik is a big proponent of attachment parenting, the style that calls for co-sleeping and literally wearing a baby in a sling across your body, but she’s a bit wary of going to bat for it.
The 37-year-old mother and star of The Big Bang Theory has written a book about attachment parenting and said she often doles out advice to people interested in the controversial style. But the topic also attracts a lot of strong emotions, which Bialik said she tries to avoid .
“If I’m talking to girlfriends, if I’m talking to random people, and we’re talking about parenting, I tell them what works for me and why. But a lot of people want to ask me things so that they can fight with me,” Bialik told omg! . “And just because I’m a public person, who happened to have breastfed and slept with her kids, that doesn’t mean that I want to fight with you on the street or in the supermarket. So, I think you have to be really careful to understand why people want to know what they want to know.”
Mayim Bialik has certainly gotten a lot of criticism for her parenting style. This year she spoke about how she just weaned her 4-year-old son Fred off of breast feeding, a revelation that brought disgust and ridicule. But Mayim said she was very careful about where and when she nursed, knowing that it was a sensitive subject.
Her two kids — Fred had a big brother, 7-year-old Miles — are now old enough to have a bit of independence, Mayim said. They’ve also come into a big change in the family. Mayim finalized her divorce from husband Michael Stone in late May, ending their marriage amicably with each parent taking one of the homes they owned together.
Bialik cited irreconcilable differences, shooting down rumors that her use of attachment parenting brought about the split.
Mayim Bialik, who has devoted herself to becoming an advocate for parents, admits she can’t do it alone as a single mom. Mayim said she’s turned to other women to see what’s worked for them.